FAA History Lesson -- December 20

From the FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996...

”Dec 20, 1985: DOT published a new rule on allocation of takeoff and landing reservations ("slots") at the four airports subject to flight quotas under the High Density Rule (see Mar 6, 1984). Beginning on April 1, 1986, any person might buy, sell, trade, or lease air carrier or commuter slots (with the exception of international and essential air service slots, which were subject to certain transfer restrictions). A lottery procedure was provided for allocation of new slots, or slots returned under the rule's use-or-lose provision. On Mar 12, 1986, DOT issued a special rule aimed at increasing competition: 5 percent of slots at high density airports would be assigned by lottery to new entrants and incumbent air carriers with fewer than 8 slots. Although the High Density Rule was subsequently amended in certain other respects, its main provisions remained essentially unchanged despite opposition from some parts of the aviation community. On Jun 16, 1995, DOT released a report on the issue and announced its conclusion that, on balance, the rule was currently beneficial. “

Don Brown
December 20, 2007