United Airlines has threatened to end services at New York’s JFK International Airport if the Federal Aviation Administration does not meet its demands.
The airline has requested the FAA to increase the carrier’s operations at the airport, according to the New York Post. Should its demands not be met, it says it will cease flights to and from JFK at the end of October.
The message was delivered in a letter from United CEO, Scott Kirby, to acting FAA Chief, Billy Nolen, last week. In the letter, Kirby demanded that the FAA allow the airline to increase its arrivals and departures from the airport, saying that “If we are not able to get additional allocations for multiple seasons, we will need to suspend service at JFK.”
United suspended its services at JFK in the past when it decided to rather focus on operations at Newark Liberty International Airport in 2015, according to Travel off Path. The airline returned to the airport in early 2021, at a time when flight frequency was limited and other full-service airlines had distributed some of their slots.
United had planned on expanding its operations prior to the return of other airlines to full service. The carrier said there was room for growth at the airport as it had not changed flight capacity since 2008, despite several infrastructure improvements.
In a letter to its employees, United said without permanent slots it could not operate effectively when compared with the larger schedules and more attractive flight times of its competitors, reports Travel Agent Central.
