Lowey Praises Cancellation of Airport Slot Auctions

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) today praised the U.S. Department of Transportation’s cancellation of plans announced last October to withdraw a number of slots from airlines operating at airports in the New York region to auction the slots to the highest bidder.

“Aviation congestion at New York-area airports is a serious challenge that requires serious solutions,” said Lowey, “not an untested and unproven scheme to artificially drive up prices and restrict airport access. I am pleased Secretary LaHood has rescinded these plans to auction airport slots. I look forward to working with Secretary LaHood and the New York-area Congressional delegation to reduce airspace congestion without driving air travel costs out of reach for middle-class New Yorkers.”

The Omnibus Appropriations Act, enacted in February 2009, included language authored by Congresswoman Lowey prohibiting federal funding from being used to implement a slot-auctioning scheme at New York-area airports.

In November 2007, Lowey led 32 Members of Congress from New York and New Jersey in writing a letter to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters opposing efforts to restrict access to New York-area airports by artificially driving up prices.