United forced to suspend JFK service due to expiration/lack of slots, end of Oct 2022
Sep 6, 22, 11:18 pm
#1
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 48
United forced to suspend JFK service due to expiration/lack of slots, end of Oct 2022
Credit to Reuters
Interesting considering they downgauged from the high-density 46 seat business class 767's to the low-density 16 business class seat 757's not too long after launching the route last year.
United Airlines said on Tuesday it plans to end service in October to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) if the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does not grant the air carrier additional flights.
United Chief Executive Scott Kirby wrote to Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen last week to urge him to increase capacity at JFK, according to an email Tuesday by the airline to employees that was seen by Reuters.
United is flying just twice daily to San Francisco and Los Angeles from JFK, the busiest New York-area airport, after resuming service in 2021.
"If we are not able to get additional allocations for multiple seasons, we will need to suspend service at JFK, effective at the end of October," United's email said.
The FAA said in a statement Tuesday it "must consider airspace capacity and runway capacity to assess how changes would affect flights at nearby airports. Any additional slots at JFK would follow the FAA's well-established process of awarding them fairly and to increase competition."
United said it had been working to pursue additional slots - which are takeoff and landing authorizations - through the FAA and market at JFK "so that we can grow to be more competitive" and said without permanent slots it cannot serve JFK "effectively compared to the larger schedules and more attractive flight times flown by our competitors" like JetBlue Airways and American Airlines.
United in 2015 struck a long-term deal to lease 24 year-round slots at JFK to Delta Air Lines as it ended JFK service to concentrate at its nearby Newark hub in northern New Jersey.
United argues there is room to grow at JFK, the 13th-busiest U.S. airport, because the FAA and the Port Authority since 2008 have made significant infrastructure investments including "the widening of runways, construction of multi-entrance taxiways, and the creation of aligned high-speed turnoffs."
United Chief Executive Scott Kirby wrote to Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen last week to urge him to increase capacity at JFK, according to an email Tuesday by the airline to employees that was seen by Reuters.
United is flying just twice daily to San Francisco and Los Angeles from JFK, the busiest New York-area airport, after resuming service in 2021.
"If we are not able to get additional allocations for multiple seasons, we will need to suspend service at JFK, effective at the end of October," United's email said.
The FAA said in a statement Tuesday it "must consider airspace capacity and runway capacity to assess how changes would affect flights at nearby airports. Any additional slots at JFK would follow the FAA's well-established process of awarding them fairly and to increase competition."
United said it had been working to pursue additional slots - which are takeoff and landing authorizations - through the FAA and market at JFK "so that we can grow to be more competitive" and said without permanent slots it cannot serve JFK "effectively compared to the larger schedules and more attractive flight times flown by our competitors" like JetBlue Airways and American Airlines.
United in 2015 struck a long-term deal to lease 24 year-round slots at JFK to Delta Air Lines as it ended JFK service to concentrate at its nearby Newark hub in northern New Jersey.
United argues there is room to grow at JFK, the 13th-busiest U.S. airport, because the FAA and the Port Authority since 2008 have made significant infrastructure investments including "the widening of runways, construction of multi-entrance taxiways, and the creation of aligned high-speed turnoffs."
Sep 6, 22, 11:26 pm
#2
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United in 2015 struck a long-term deal to lease 24 year-round slots at JFK to Delta Air Lines as it ended JFK service to concentrate at its nearby Newark hub in northern New Jersey.
Sep 6, 22, 11:31 pm
#3
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Sep 7, 22, 12:27 am
#4
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Here we go again
Haven't used JFK much for sometime but have a couple flights in late Oct. Lightly booked
Haven't used JFK much for sometime but have a couple flights in late Oct. Lightly booked
Sep 7, 22, 12:57 am
#6
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Sep 7, 22, 2:13 am
#9
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Kirby claimed leaving JFK was a mistake, needs someone else to blame if UA leaves a second time or feels their bluff will get some concessions (free slots?)
Sep 7, 22, 2:20 am
#10
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This is Uniteds own fault for giving up its JFK slots. Now they are threatening to leave if more slots dont magically reappear in the most slot contested market in the country?
k bye United
k bye United
Sep 7, 22, 2:46 am
#11
Join Date: May 2001
Location: HNL
Posts: 1,008
Good grief. I have to wonder what the next move is going to be...
"Hello, Los Angeles World Airports...? Yes, we like to have our terminal 6 gates back. I realize we sold those back in 2014, but our customers are clamoring for more of our industry (mis-)leading service, and we can't possibly grow without them. So, we're going to need those back ASAP, or we're going to cut service to San Diego".
"Hello, Los Angeles World Airports...? Yes, we like to have our terminal 6 gates back. I realize we sold those back in 2014, but our customers are clamoring for more of our industry (mis-)leading service, and we can't possibly grow without them. So, we're going to need those back ASAP, or we're going to cut service to San Diego".
Sep 7, 22, 3:58 am
#12
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Especially in light of the fact that they still own their old JFK slots- they just chose to lease them out to another carrier for some (unknown to us?) period of time. Its not like they arent getting revenue from the lease.
Sep 7, 22, 4:15 am
#13
Join Date: May 2011
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Funny, I was booking a JFK to SFO flight a couple of weeks ago and noticed United popped up in my corporate travel portal (I had forgotten they added flights). I considers it, but it ultimately made no sense to book it - no lounge access at JFK, and United still flies basically nowhere out of JFK/LGA (my main NYC airports). I was surprised United only flights to a few airports out of LGA (Denver, Chicago, Houston and Dulles). You cant operate in NYC airports only flying to six destinations. If you are an American or Delta flyer, not sure what United is offering that is better right now, it takes a lot more than a few more JFK slots
Sep 7, 22, 4:26 am
#14
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