US airlines temporarily spared new congestion law

Carriers in the US are temporarily spared the negative effects of a proposed bill that would restrict the number of flights that would be permitted to land at airports around New York City and near other major urban centers. The new federal law aims to cut back on the number flights landing and departing in the morning hours by permitting airports to raise fees charged to carriers, as well as by using other ways to encourage the country’s top airlines to move some of their peak hour flights to quieter points of the day. American journalists, however, have now learned that the carriers—all which were fervently opposed to this proposed law from the start—have earned a very brief reprieve. Officials have reportedly delayed the implementation of this law by about over one month in order to address some of the concerns that the airlines have raised. Carriers are now being offered a so-called “comment period” lasting 45 days, in order to formally express their views. The change, however, will likely go ahead despite these reservations. US aviation officials felt compelled to place caps on peak hour air travel at major airports because lengthy delays increased rapidly last year, frustrating millions of passengers. According to official statistics, delays at major airports were among the worst since federal authorities began keeping track of these figures 12 years ago. David Castelveter, a spokesperson for the US Air Transport Association, noted that the major carriers affiliated with his organization were appreciative of the temporary delay in the implementation of the law, as it allowed them to provide federal officials with more meaningful input on the proposed changes.