By Philip Newman
Federal officials have decided to extend at least until the fall of next year the slot lottery that relieved near-chaos conditions at LaGuardia Airport, where too many takeoffs and landings were causing a quarter of the nation's flight delays.
U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights), whose congressional district includes LaGuardia, hailed the FAA decision.
“Until a permanent solution is implemented, this plan is helping to improve the congestion problems that have plagued the airport for years,” he said.
“The fact that we are seeing better performance at LaGuardia is encouraging,” said Federal Aviation Administrator Jane Garvey. “However, there are no easy answers and no silver bullet for the complex problem of delays. The administration is committed to working with incumbent airlines and new entrants and recognizes the need for service to small communities as well as the interest for consumers.”
The FAA said the slot lottery, which dates back to December, will be extended to Oct. 26, 2002 while a more permanent answer to the congestion problem is examined further.
Meanwhile, the FAA will hold another lottery on Aug.15 in Washington, D.C. to reallocate fewer than 20 unused slots exemptions. The exemptions are provided by the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century, popularly known as Air-21. The legislation allows an unlimited number of flights at airports where lack of competition had long meant unusually high fares.
The FAA said it has not come to any conclusions about what to do in the long run about the traffic pile-up at LaGuardia. But it has mentioned as possibilities:
Making landing fees paid by airlines more expensive during the heaviest air traffic times.
Conducting auctions for takeoff and landing slots.
Attempt to get airlines to use larger aircraft as opposed to the growing number of smaller planes carrying from 37 to 70 passengers out of LaGuardia.
The slot lottery now in operation reduced delays at LaGuardia from more than 10,000 a month in September 2000 to 3,000 in February 2001. The airport recorded nearly a quarter of all delays nationwide in late 2000 with thousands of passengers spending more time waiting for a late delayed takeoff than traveling en route to their destinations.
Crowley also recently introduced the Airport Noise Curfew Act, legislation to implement a permanent curfew at LaGuardia during overnight hours to provide a respite for the 150,000 Queens residents close enough to the airport to be forced to endure the noise from takeoffs and landings.
The flight curfew is at present voluntary and a number of airlines do not observe it.
Reach contributing writer Philip Newman by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 136.
