FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 23, 2000
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-5571
DOT 100-00

Acting to enhance airline competition and create additional opportunities for carriers with little or no service to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, the U.S. Department of Transportation yesterday granted exemptions from slot restrictions to six airlines seeking to serve the airport from around the nation.

The action implements provisions of the Wendell Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (FAIR-21), signed April 5 by President Clinton.

"Removing slots restrictions is a fundamental part of President Clinton’s and Vice President Gore’s vision of inclusiveness in the transportation system of the new century and the new millennium," U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater. "Providing airlines with increased access to our air transportation network means improved competition and better service to communities across our nation, which results in better prices for the consumer."

Among other provisions, FAIR-21 provides 30 new daily slot exemptions to be allocated among airlines without service to O’Hare or holding fewer than 20 slots and slot exemptions at the airport. All slot exemptions must be operated by quiet Stage 3 aircraft. One slot or slot exemption allows one takeoff or landing.

In today’s action, the department granted America West Airlines three slot exemptions for service to O’Hare from Las Vegas; Legend Airlines four exemptions for service from Dallas’ Love Field; Mesa Airlines six exemptions for service from Columbus, Ohio; National Airlines five exemptions for service to Las Vegas; Sun Country Airlines six exemptions for service from Minneapolis-St. Paul; and Spirit Airlines six exemption for service to any of a number of airports in Florida or South Carolina that it proposed, to be allocated as the carrier chooses. In its application, Spirit sought service to O’Hare from Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, Fla., and Myrtle Beach, S.C. None of these carriers except America West currently serves O’Hare.

All of the applicants showed that their proposed operations would have a positive effect on airline competition in the markets they plan to serve, DOT said. While the department could not grant all of the exemptions sought by three of the six carriers, it gave all six applicants sufficient access to O’Hare so that they could establish new competitive operations. Mesa had applied for eight exemptions, Legend 10 and Spirit 19. The department noted that applicants who were not awarded the total number of slot exemptions they sought in this proceeding may reapply for the balance of their request under the department’s previously existing authority to grant slot exemptions. Carriers applying under this authority must demonstrate that granting the exemptions would be in the public interest.

The new flights may begin after the carriers contact the department’s Federal Aviation Administration regarding a start-up date.

In addition to the new Chicago services, FAIR-21 directed that all slot restrictions be eliminated on July 1, 2002 at O’Hare, and Jan. 1, 2007 at New York’s LaGuardia and JFK airports. The new law immediately exempts new or additional service to small communities with aircraft having fewer than 71 seats. It also allows airlines with only limited operations to increase service at the New York airports to a total of 20 slots each. In addition, as of May 1 slot exemptions for international service were no longer required at O’Hare. On April 14, the department authorized the new small-aircraft flights at O’Hare, LaGuardia and JFK, and the new-entrant services to the New York airports.

Also under the act, by July 5 DOT will grant 24 exemptions at Reagan Washington National Airport, the only airport at which slot restrictions will be retained.

The order may be obtained via the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov, docket number OST-2000-7180.

###

Briefing Room