Just Say No

The Port Authority of New York/New Jersey will seek an injunction from the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Washington, D.C., Circuit to block the FAA’s move to auction valuable slots at the New York area’s busy airports. The Port Authority believes that airlines entering auctions for the takeoff and landing slots they already own will lead only to higher costs that will be passed through to passengers in the form of increased ticket prices. The agency estimates those costs could rise by up to 12 percent. In addition to higher ticket prices, the auction policy will mean fewer flights to small communities at a time when these communities already are struggling in this economy. Specifically, a Port Authority study estimates that 25 small and medium-sized aviation markets would lose service to and from the New York metropolitan airports because auctions would force airlines to operate between large markets in order to make the slot purchase viable economically. The agency has argued for a strategy that expands capacity by overhauling air traffic control technology, as well as improving customer service.