Airlines Seek Extension to Minimum Flight Requirements Waiver at New York Area Airports

Delta and American aircraft waiting to take off at JFK in the rain
Major U.S. airlines want the federal government to extend a waiver pertaining to minimum flight requirements at New York City airports. The move comes as the current shortage of air-traffic controllers continues to cause congestion in the air and delays on the ground.
Airlines for America, an industry trade group representing major U.S. carriers, said in a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration that its members, which include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines, want the current deadline to be extended for another year.
Currently, given the understaffing at air-traffic control centers, airlines are currently not able to operate with full efficiency in New York City airspace.
Under minimum flight requirements, airlines can lose their takeoff and landing slots at congested airports such as LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International if they are not kept in use 80% of the time.
The current waiver expires in October. It allows an airline to eliminate some flights without the risk of losing some of its slots.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)