The US Federal Aviation Administration is to hold a slot lottery on 4 December to deal with gridlock at New York LaGuardia airport. The move has drawn heavy criticism from airlines affected.
American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Trans Air (ATA) all objected, while US Airways favoured the proposal.
Airport officials set a moratorium at LaGuardia on new flights during peak hours, challenging AIR 21 federal legislation that opened access to regional jets and initial services by new long haul airline entrants. Industry observers said the airport lacks the authority to take such a step.
The FAA then offered a compromise, proposing to temporarily allocate slots at the delay-plagued airport. The plan, which goes into effect on 1 January and remains in effect until 15 September, will cancel more than 200 new daily flights which have been added under the law. They will be replaced with 150 flights allocated through the lottery, which favours new entrants.
American, Continental and Delta have all complained, saying the plan favours independent regional carriers tied to US Airways Express since they would get early picks. US Airways has countered by saying the proposal "strikes a fair and appropriate" balance between Air 21 objectives and the congestion problems.
Continental said the US Congress did not intend the FAA to reinstate slot controls by lottery. "The practical effect...is to enhance the dominance of the airlines which already dominate LaGuardia."
Delta offered "minor" changes to the lottery scheme and says that the "least disruptive and fairest approach" would be to allow all flights available as of 31 August to remain, while limiting the allocation of remaining slot exemptions beyond that date. ATA supports the lottery, but objects to the FAA's decision to treat affiliated carriers as separate entities for the purpose of lottery draws.
Source: Flight International
