Sun, Jan 07, 2007
Minimum Seat-Count Rule Finding Few Friends
The FAA is making no
friends with its plans to reorganize what can politely be called
"congested" LaGuardia Airport.
The most recent objection to the FAA's proposal to reallocate
flights based on past gate usage came from the Air Transport
Association in a formal objection filed Wednesday. The trade group
includes American, Continental, Delta, United, and other
established carriers.
The agency is seeking to ensure that LaGuardia's limited gate
space is used to its full potential; airlines flying smaller jets
risk losing flight slots to airlines willing to fly wider-bodied
jets carrying more passengers, said NewYorkBusiness.com. The agency
is seeking to require an average plane size of 105 - 122 seats for
all LaGuardia gates; many of the major airlines' flights use small
jets.
"The proposed rule represents governmental micromanagement and
interference... not seen since the airline industry was deregulated
in 1978," said the Air Transport Association.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has also chimed in
on the plan, objecting strongly to what it perceives as FAA
interference in airport ground operations. The Port Authority has
proposed its own airport reforms that include requiring airlines to
use their gates at 80 percent capacity for the year.
Not everyone is unhappy with the FAA proposal, however. Low cost
carriers, such as Southwest and JetBlue, would gain from
implementation of the FAA proposal; JetBlue Chief Executive David
Neeleman has openly expressed his support of most aspects of the
FAA plan.
The FAA proposal to establish new flight rules came following
last summer's recovery in air travel that brought LaGuardia's
traffic closer to peak levels not seen since the summer of 2000. At
that time, the airport accounted for 25 percent of all flight
delays nationwide. The FAA released its initial plan in August and
interested parties had until year-end to file public comments.
More News
Also: Horizon Picks P&W PT6A, Army Buys 3 EagleNXT, First Hybrid-Electric Regional, Army Selects AEVEX Anduril Industries’ YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft was flown>[...]
While Flying North Along The Beach At About 300 Ft Above Ground Level, The Pilot Reported That The Engine RPM Dropped To About Idle On September 28, 2025, at 1126 eastern daylight >[...]
Aero Linx: European Association of Aviation Training and Educational Organisations (EATEO) Welcome to the “ European Association of Aviation Training and Education Organizati>[...]
On-Course Indication An indication on an instrument, which provides the pilot a visual means of determining that the aircraft is located on the centerline of a given navigational t>[...]
“It also gives us the hard data we need to shape requirements, reduce risk, and ensure the CCA program delivers combat capability on a pace and scale that keeps us ahead of t>[...]
Airborne-NextGen 11.04.25: Anduril YFQ-44A, Merlin SOI 2, UAV Rulemaking Stalled
See All