The Port Authority is seeking a federal injunction to stop the Bush administration's plan to auction takeoff and landing slots to ease air traffic congestion, the agency said yesterday.
The Port Authority claims the plan for the three major New York City-area airports would result in exorbitant ticket prices and force at least 25 small airlines to pull service out of the New York area.
"At a time when the economy is struggling, the Bush administration continues to push ahead with an idea that we've shown will increase ticket prices, reduce choices for passengers and provide no relief from delays or congestion," Port Authority executive director Chris Ward said in a statement released yesterday.
New York and New Jersey's senators also came out against the proposal, saying in a statement, "This unlawful, untried and untested plan put forward by the USDOT will have drastic consequences for the travelers and residents of New Jersey and New York."
The authority said it would seek an injunction in the U.S. Court of Appeals to block the Federal Aviation Administration's plan.
About two-thirds of flight delays nationwide are caused by congestion at Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark-Liberty airports, federal officials said. |
