United Airlines to halt service at New York's JFK airport in October

WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) – United Airways (UAL.O) mentioned on Friday it would droop service in late October to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK).

Earlier this month, United had threatened to take the motion if the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) didn’t grant the air provider extra flights.

United has been flying simply twice each day to San Francisco and Los Angeles from JFK, the busiest New York-area airport, after resuming service in 2021.

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“Given our present, too-small-to-be-competitive schedule out of JFK — coupled with the beginning of the Winter season the place extra airways will function their slots as they resume JFK flying — United has made the troublesome choice to briefly droop service at JFK,” United mentioned in a memo seen by Reuters. The airline didn’t specify when it’d resume service.

United mentioned its “discussions with FAA have been constructive” however added “it is also clear that course of so as to add extra capability at JFK will take a while.”

United mentioned the choice would influence 100 workers who work at JFK however emphasised that “nobody is shedding their job” and workers will transition to different close by stations.

United has been working to pursue extra slots – that are takeoff and touchdown authorizations – via the FAA and by looking for industrial agreements to amass slots from different airways.

The FAA mentioned Friday it’s “devoted to doing its half to soundly broaden New York Metropolis airports and airspace capability. We are going to observe our honest and well-established course of to award future slots to extend competitors.”

United mentioned with out everlasting slots it can’t serve JFK “successfully in comparison with the bigger schedules and extra engaging flight instances flown by” JetBlue Airways (JBLU.O) and American Airways (AAL.O).

United in 2015 struck a long-term deal to lease 24 year-round slots at JFK to Delta Air Strains (DAL.N) because it ended JFK service to pay attention at its close by Newark hub in northern New Jersey.

United argues there may be room to develop at JFK, the Thirteenth-busiest U.S. airport, as a result of the FAA and the Port Authority since 2008 have made vital infrastructure investments, together with “the widening of runways, building of multi-entrance taxiways, and the creation of aligned high-speed turnoffs.”