DOT Rounds Out Beneficial Competitive Plan for New York Airspace

In order to make flying to New York more attractive, DOT has introduced a competitive plan for John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty International Airports that will be combined with the similar proposal for LaGuardia Airport.  New York airspace congestion accounts for 75 percent of chronic air delays nationwide.

The elements in the plan will attract new competition and provide choices that will keep aviation vibrant, reliable and affordable.  The proposal makes a limited number of take off and landing opportunities, known as slots, available for auction.  In conjunction with this effort, DOT is issuing a final order capping operations at Newark during peak periods in order to spread operations to less congested times.  Finally, the Department is announcing two new measures specifically designed to help consumers, by giving them more complete information about airline tarmac delays and checked baggage fees when making air travel choices. 

New Program to Fight Border Congestion

The U.S. Department of Transportation seeks innovative ways to fight congestion at some of the nation’s busiest border crossings, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters announced.  “It’s time to put an end to the kind of delays that keep families and businesses at a standstill at our borders,” Peters said.  The Department would select at least two projects each along the Canadian and Mexican borders.  Over the past two decades, the value of freight shipments among the US, Canada and Mexico has risen by 170 percent.