JFK slot auction may spoil US party

Mumbai: Kingfisher, Jet Airways will face problems as they plan operations in New York.
A move by the US administration to reduce congestion at the New York’s John F Kennedy (JFK) airport – the busiest in the world – by auctioning parking slots, might spoil the party for the private carriers in India such as Kingfisher and Jet Airways, which are planning their operations there.
It could also mean passengers, especially a business traveller, to shell out more from March this year.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is planning to auction slots, instead of a fixed price with carriers.
Vijaya Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines is planning its US operations in April this year will get effected by the new rules. The airline was reportedly informed on the JFK plan to auction the slots.
The airline says, if the slots auctioned at the JFK are too exorbitant, it might change its plan to fly to JFK and instead fly to Newark airport.
The next step for the US Department of Transportation is to cap the number of the flights at the Newark airport.
Jet Airways that launched the US operations in August last year and has a daily flight from Delhi to JFK airport didn’t comment on the issue.
But Air-India that launched its direct flight to the US during the same month says it has its slots in place and would not be impacted.
03/01/08 Manisha Singhal/Business Standard

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Categories: Airports Jan 2008, Foreign Jan 2008, Jet Airways Jan 2008, Kingfisher Jan 2008, NACIL Jan 2008