Delta, US Airways can swap slots at New York, D.C. airports as long as they sell some
By Harry R. Weber, APTuesday, February 9, 2010
DOT: Delta, US Airways can swap slots
ATLANTA — The government says Delta Air Lines and US Airways can swap takeoff and landing slots at airports in New York and Washington, but there’s a catch: They must sell some of the slots to protect competition.
A slot is an interval of time during which an airline can takeoff or land its aircraft at an airport.
US Airways agreed in August to transfer 125 operating slot pairs to Delta at LaGuardia Airport in New York. In exchange, Delta agreed to transfer 42 operating slot pairs to US Airways at Reagan National Airport in Washington.
The Transportation Department said Tuesday it has tentatively allowed the transaction to proceed as long as the airlines sell some of their slot interests to carriers with no or limited service at the two airports.
