In April, the FAA initially offered the waiver — which allows carriers the flexibility to reduce their schedule by up to 10% and not lose their slots — for the summer season, then in August extended it to Oct. 28. The goal of the waiver was to reduce congestion attributed to staff shortages.
In a statement, the FAA said the number of certified controllers at the New York Terminal Radar Approach Control is still not sufficient to allow the FAA to handle normal traffic levels. According to the statement, the agency is continuing to work with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association on a long-term solution to solve the chronic low levels of fully certified air traffic controllers.
When the waiver was first announced in April, several carriers reduced their New York schedules, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue and United Airlines. In a statement following the FAA announcement, United said it has already reduced its schedule by 10% — and that its strategy of flying larger aircraft on these routes will keep the impact on customers to a minimum.
