FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 22, 2001
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-5571
DOT 65-01
DOT
Selects Alaska Airlines For Slot Exemptions to Serve Washington
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today selected Alaska Airlines to provide nonstop service between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Seattle.
In an order issued today, the department granted Alaska two slot exemptions made available due to American Airlines’ acquisition of Trans World Airlines (TWA), enabling Alaska to operate one daily round-trip flight. Slot exemptions at Reagan National were made available under a provision of the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR-21).
“Awarding these slot exemptions to Alaska Airlines will bring a new entrant to Reagan National as well as connect Washington with the Pacific Northwest and Alaska,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta. “This decision helps fulfill the purpose of the AIR-21 slot exemption program by promoting competition and expanding choices for travelers.”
On July 5, 2000, DOT granted exemptions from slot limitations to eight airlines to serve Reagan National. Under AIR-21, a total of 12 exemptions were available for services within 1,250 miles of the airport, and 12 to provide benefits beyond the 1,250-mile perimeter. The department granted two exemptions to TWA for its nonstop Reagan National-Los Angeles beyond-perimeter service. Each exemption allows the carrier to perform one daily arrival or departure.
Following American’s proposal to acquire TWA, the department, in a Jan. 23 letter, informed the carriers that slot exemptions, unlike slots acquired under the high-density rule, may not be transferred or conveyed. On April 3, DOT requested applications for the beyond-perimeter exemptions at Reagan National being surrendered by TWA. In addition to Alaska, the department received applications from America West Airlines for either Phoenix or Los Angeles service, American Airlines for Los Angeles, Continental Airlines for Los Angeles, Delta Air Lines for Salt Lake City, Frontier Airlines for Denver, National Airlines for Las Vegas, United Airlines for Los Angeles, and Vanguard Airlines for Kansas City.
The applications were reviewed according to the criteria set forth by AIR-21, with emphasis on proposals that: provide air transportation with domestic network benefits in areas beyond the perimeter; increase competition by new entrant air carriers or in multiple markets; do not reduce travel options for communities served by medium hub airports within the perimeter; and do not result in meaningfully increased travel delays.
In its decision, the department said that awarding the exemptions to Alaska would best meet the statutory criteria by bringing a new carrier to Reagan National and providing significant domestic network benefits. DOT’s decision also will provide the airline with a new market presence in the eastern United States. Most of the other applicants already have service to the airport.
The DOT order, carrier applications and other documents in this case may be obtained via the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov, docket numbers OST-2000-7181 and OST-2001-9185. The department directed Alaska to inaugurate its service no later than Oct. 28.
Other beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Reagan National granted by DOT last year were six exemptions to America West Airlines, four for service to Phoenix and two to Las Vegas; two to Frontier Airlines for service to Denver; and two to National Airlines for service to Las Vegas.
Within-perimeter exemptions granted at Reagan National last year were four to American Trans Air for service to Chicago’s Midway Airport; two to Midway Airlines for service to Raleigh/Durham, N.C.; two to Midwest Express Airlines for service to Des Moines, Iowa; and four exemptions to Spirit Airlines – two for service to either Melbourne, Fla., Fort Myers, Fla., West Palm Beach, Fla., or Myrtle Beach, S.C., and two for service only to Myrtle Beach or Melbourne.
###