Appeals Court Blocks DOT’s Slot Auction Plan

December 9, 2008 at 10:04 am | Posted in Aviation Law | Leave a comment

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From Aero-News Network:

Appeals Court Blocks DOT’s Slot Auction Plan

Tue, 09 Dec ’08
Opponents Cheer Victory Against ‘Ill-Advised Scheme’

It came down to the wire, but on Monday a US appeals court blocked the federal government’s controversial plan to auction off operations slots at New York’s LaGuardia and JFK International Airports, and at nearby Newark International.

The Department of Transportation planned to hold those auctions January 12, under a federal order that was to have taken effect Tuesday. As ANN reported last week, DOT advised airlines of the starting pricetags for the slots: $10,000 for peak time slots, and $100 for off-peak times.

DOT believes the auctions would “reduce congestion, keep air fares competitive and increase travel options in the New York aviation market” — the most crowded sector of airspace in the nation.

Whatever the possible merits of the plan, the US Court of Appeals ruled Monday the Transportation Department moved too fast, too soon in forcing through the slot auctions… and granted a stay requested last month by the Air Transport Association, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Continental Airlines last month. . . .