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Slots and Exemptions

Slots and Slot Exemptions

At certain U.S. airports, demand for runway operations exceeds available capacity. At these airports, the Department has implemented operational limitations to relieve congestion in the form of airport slots. A slot is an authorization to conduct an operation (either one take-off or one landing) at a specific airport during a specific time-period. Slot controls are used to manage demand at more than 200 airports worldwide. In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration currently administers a slot coordination program for air carriers operating at three airports. The FAA also manages capacity at four other U.S. airports through a voluntary scheduling process, known as schedule facilitation.

While FAA directly manages runway capacity at these airports, the Office of the Secretary works in tandem with FAA and holds statutory authority for certain aspects of the U.S. slot program.

Slot Exemptions at Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA)

Slot restrictions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport remain in effect, and since 2000 the Office of the Secretary has awarded 32 “beyond-perimeter” and 20 “within-perimeter” slot exemptions at that airport to carriers found to best meet specified statutory criteria. 49 U.S.C. § 41718. These exemptions are community-specific and cannot be sold or transferred, except through an air carrier merger or acquisition. When Congress authorizes new awards, or carriers return slot exemptions they cannot use, DOT institutes a public proceeding to allocate the available exemptions to the best qualified applicants.

 

Beyond Perimeter Slot Exemptions

Dockets DOT-OST-2000-7181, DOT-OST-2024-0065

Carrier

Airport/ Market

# of Slot Exemptions

Statue

Order #

Carrier Total

Alaska

Los Angeles

2

Vision 100

2004-4-1

12

Seattle

2

Vision 100

2004-4-4

2

AIR-21

2001-6-20

San Francisco

2

FAA 2012

2012-5-12

Portland (OR)

2

FAA 2012

2012-5-12

San Diego

2

FAA 2024

2024-12-8

American

Phoenix

2

Vision 100

200-4-1

10

4

AIR-21

2000-7-1

Las Vegas

2

AIR-21

San Antonio

2

FAA 2024

2024-12-8

Delta

Salt Lake City

2

AIR-21

2002-11-20

4

Seattle

2

FAA 2024

2024-12-8

Frontier

Denver

4

Vision 100

2004-4-1

6

2

AIR-21

200-7-1

United

Denver

2

Vision 100

2004-4-1

4

San Francisco

2

FAA 2024

2024-12-8

JetBlue

San Juan, PR

2

FAA 2012

2012-5-12

2

Southwest

Austin

2

FAA 2012

2012-5-12

4

Las Vegas

2

FAA 2024

2024-12-8

Grand Total

42

42

Within Perimeter Slot Exemptions

Docket DOT-OST-2000-7182

 

Carrier

Airport/ Market

# of Slot Exemptions

Statue

Order #

Carrier Total

Southwest

Atlanta

2

Vision 100

2004-4-2

10

2

Vision 100

2007-5-12

Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, or West Palm Beach

2

AIR-21

2003-1-16

Houston-Hobby

2

AIR-21

2013-5-6

Kansas City

2

Vision 100

2014-12-10

Delta

Jackson (MS) or Lexington (KY)

2

Vision 100

2004-4-2

2

American

Asheville, Chattanooga, or Wilmington (NC)

2

Vision 100

2004-4-2

8

Jackson (MS)

2

AIR-21

2012-7-26

8

Sarasota

2

AIR-21

2006-6-17

Akron-Canton

2

AIR-21

2008-11-19

2008-12-22

Grand Total

20

20

                             

Beyond Perimeter Slot Exemptions Funded by Within-Perimeter Large Hub Pull Downs

Docket DOT-OST-2012-0029

Carrier

Airport/ Market

# of Slot Exemptions

Statue

Order #

Carrier Total

American

Los Angeles

4

FAA 2012

2012-2-21

4

Delta

Los Angeles

2

FAA 2012

2012-2-21

2

United

San Francisco

2

FAA 2012

2012-2-21

2

                                  Grand Total           8                                                                                                                     8