Say Administration Shouldn't Be Asserting Authority In Matter

A Bush Administration proposal that would sell off landing rights at New York's La Guardia Airport to the highest bidder is drawing fire from the airlines... who say the plan amounts to a government land-grab, that will lead to higher ticket prices.

The New York Times reports the federal government views landing rights as a public resource, and believes regulations shouldn't inordinately favor one airline over the other -- even if that airline has owned those slots for years. Currently, airlines buy or trade sublet slots to each other.

The Federal Aviation Administration wants all slots at La Guardia to be auctioned off, saying that arrangement will ensure more even distribution. Agency Administrator Marion Blakey says an auction is intended for "using the market to ensure we're making the most of this very popular resource in New York."

The airlines maintain the government is trying to usurp their authority over a valuable commodity.

That a fix is needed at La Guardia isn't disputed by either side. Arriving flights are often delayed -- the average is a staggering 38 minutes -- which results in late departures, and a ripple effect throughout the national system. A series of temporary flight limits imposed in 2000, which are still in force today, did little to solve the problem.

As many as 1,400 flights pass through the New York airport per day, with 400,000 operations in 2006. By comparison, nearby John F. Kennedy International handled 378,000 flights last year. JFK benefits from greater land area -- 5,000 acres, versus 560 for La Guardia -- and parallel runways.

"It's insane, the demand out there," said Port Authority spokesman Pasquale DiFulco.

The auction proposal is only the latest front in the battle over landing rights at La Guardia. As Aero-News reported earlier this year, the FAA also wants to cap the number of flights allowed to planes smaller than 100 seats, flown by regional operators.

According to the Air Carrier Association of America, which represents regional carriers, small airlines have only 20 slots at La Guardia, while "many legacy carriers have that many slots in single markets." Those larger airlines are using the slots for their smaller planes, ACAA adds -- when they should be flying less flights, with larger aircraft, instead.

Under the FAA's plan, the Port Authority would run the auction. DiFulco said his agency may also try imposing limits on gate leases, and instituting fees for congestion charges -- i.e, requiring higher landing fees during peak periods. A potential problem with that plan, is the fact La Guardia really doesn't have many "off-peak" times.

Current caps in place call for a maximum of 75 scheduled flights per hour, plus six nonairline flights. Not surprisingly, the Times reports airlines would like to do anyway with those six flights -- general aviation flights -- and use those slots for airline ops.

With regards to the auction proposal, the airlines also say the FAA should not be in the business of regulating La Guardia operations -- but rather focusing instead on safety and efficiency.

FMI: www.panynj.gov/CommutingTravel/airports/html/laguardia.html, www.faa.gov