by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:30 AM ET, Thu August 10, 2023
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it would not
penalize airlines for reducing flight schedules from the New York City area as
a shortage of air traffic controllers continues to impact the aviation
industry.
According to The
Associated Press, FAA officials said the rules in place to penalize
carriers for not using enough of their takeoff and landing rights at New York
airports—also known as slots—will be eased through October 28 since the staff
shortages are “beyond the control of the airlines.”
The slot waiver also applies to some flights at Reagan
Washington National Airport near Washington D.C., all of which were previously set
to expire on September 15.
Several major carriers, such as American, Delta, JetBlue and
United, have agreed to cut flight schedules at the top airports serving New
York City, including LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International and Newark
Liberty International.
“The relief provided by the FAA during the peak of the
summer season has provided stability at the NYC area airports,” an FAA spokesperson
told The AP.
FAA officials said that airlines have reduced their New York
flights this summer by six percent, but increased the number of seats by two
percent by using larger planes. As a result, flight cancellations at the New
York City-area airports dropped by 40 percent year-over-year.
Earlier this week, the FAA turned over 20 cases of unruly
behavior on airplanes to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for
prosecution.
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