In wake of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's announcement that it would review the existing perimeter rule at LaGuardia Airport to determine whether it remains in the best interest of regional air travelers, Delta Air Lines has reached out, pushing for the rule to be lifted.
Delta senior vice president Gail Grimmett has issued a letter to the Port Authority, explaining the benefits of removing the more than three-decade-old rule, which bans flights of more than 1,500 miles to or from LaGuardia with the exception of Saturdays and flights to Denver, Colorado.
Grimmett said doing away with the rule would benefit travelers from Upstate New York as it would lead to significantly more connecting flights to the West Coast.
"Eliminating the perimeter rule will give customers the ability to choose how and from where they fly and allow carriers to match capacity with natural demand," wrote Grimmett.
Established in 1984, the perimeter rule was implemented to reduce congestion at LaGuardia as well as in the skies over New York.
Syracuse.com reported lawmakers have opposed lifting the ban, fearing that airlines operating out of LaGuardia would chase after long-distance routes and abandon service from the upstate. However, Grimmett has looked to quell that fear by affirming the airline's commitment to the region.
"If the perimeter rule is lifted, Delta commits that no small city will lose service to New York City," Grimmett wrote.
Pointing out that only seven percent of LaGuardia flights use aircraft with 150 or more seats, Grimmett added that the removal of the rule would allow airlines to serve the upstate region with bigger airplanes capable of carrying more passengers.
"We believe eliminating it will deliver substantial economic benefits to the region, allow the more efficient use of limited slots and better match routes with current passenger demand," Grimmett concluded.
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