Feds go forward with NYC airport experiment
By DEVLIN BARRETT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal officials are pushing ahead with an experiment to reduce rampant flight delays around the nation by auctioning off takeoff and landing times at New York City-area airports, where most delays begin.
Transportation Secretary Mary Peters announced final rules to begin auctioning takeoff and landing "slots" at the three major New York-area airports: John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark-Liberty. Roughly two-thirds of flight delays around the country are caused by backups at those airports.
Peters is adamant that auctions are needed to unclog the skies.
"Without slot auctions, a small number of airlines will profit while travelers bear the brunt of higher fares, fewer choices and deteriorating service," she said in a statement Thursday.
She said the government will gradually auction up to 10 percent of the landing and takeoff slots the airlines currently operate at the airports. The plan has drawn loud opposition in Congress, where lawmakers contend it will make things worse for the traveling public by increasing costs and reducing the number of flights to small or mid-sized cities.
Airlines and airports are trying to stop the auction plan in court.
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