Airport Plan Under Fire
BY LINDA J. WILSON

LaGuardia Airport, among the busiest such facilities in the United States, is beset by chronic delays, one reason for which is overworked air traffic controllers guiding planes through increasingly crowded airspace on outmoded equipment in structures considered antiquated by industry standards, such as the airport's 1960s-vintage control tower.

Controversial rules to ease congestion and delays at LaGuardia Airport were proposed by U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Mary Peters on Wednesday, April 16. LaGuardia has one of the highest delay rates in the United States, although the number of flights into and out of the airport was capped 40 years ago by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The federal DOT proposal involves cutting two percent of flights and auctioning off a portion of the daily flight "slots" used by airlines at the airport. Airlines would get to keep 20 slots a day for 10 years. Other slots would be put up for auction. One option would give the proceeds of the auction to the airlines, while the other would give the funds to "new congestion reduction and capacity improvements" in the region.

The plan promptly came under fire from a number of elected officials, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, and the airline industry. The move was seen as adding to the crowding of the airspace used by planes flying into and out of LaGuardia, giving some airlines which fly to smaller cities not frequented by larger carriers reason to cut those flights and ultimately adding to the price of airfare for consumers- while, according to United States Senator Charles Schumer, adding nothing to the pleasure or efficiency of a flight. "[The FAA plan] will just cost New Yorkers more to fly and throw LaGuardia Airport into chaos," Schumer declared. "[The plan to] sell takeoff and landing slots to the highest bidder won't make your plane take off faster."

"Instead of modernizing a 1950s-era air traffic control system to meet passenger demand for more flights, the DOT and FAA are choosing to charge passengers more money via an auction without reduc- solutions are increasing capacity, rationalizing airline schedules and improving customer service. But the DOT and FAA actions ultimately would reduce choices for customers, make flying more expensive and cut service to small cities that otherwise have no flights to New York City."

"[The] rules put forth by the federal DOT, in partnership with the FAA, were intended to be a step toward making air transportation more reliable and comfortable for passengers," Paterson said. "But these rules are not the right solution, and, in the case of the auctioning of slots at LaGuardia, are woefully misguided. In an already difficult economic time, New Yorkers should not be made to shoulder added costs for air travel, and these auctions will increase the price of travel for the 26 million passengers who travel through LaGuardia each year. The last thing the New York economy needs is a blow to its business and tourism sectors by charging passengers more money to visit and do business in New York."

As of April 24, Congressmember Joseph Crowley, whose district in Queens and The Bronx holds many people affected by airport noise and pollution, said he had spoken with federal transportation officials but had not yet taken a position for or against the plan. Although definitely in favor of reducing the number of flights at LaGuardia, "There are too many unanswered questions," Crowley said. He added that whatever monies might be realized from the slot auction should be used to make the airport a "better neighbor", such as through a noise pollution study.