Slot-controlled Airports Congestion, Capacity, and Competition Issues

To help manage airport congestion, airlines operating at four U.S. airports--Washington's Reagan National and the three major New York City area airports--must obtain operating authorizations called slots from the FAA to take off or land. Airlines operating out of Reagan National also may not operate flights beyond a 1,250-mile perimeter without congressional approval. In addition to the 24 flights (12 round trips) previously approved, Congress recently authorized 16 more beyond-perimeter flights (8 round-trips) at Reagan National - flights that the airport authority fears will adversely affect Reagan National and the authority's ability to continue servicing its debt. Some airlines seeking to serve slot-controlled airports assert that slot control rules cause the airports to be underutilized or used inefficiently. This book reviews the effects of adding more beyond-perimeter flights from Reagan National; and how well slot control rules are working to reduce congestion, while maximizing capacity and encouraging competition. Also discussed are slot allocation and airline schedule data using a statistical model, and interviews with FAA officials and others.