The U.S. Department of Transportation recently reassigned 16 peak-hour runway timings from Southwest Airlines to Spirit Airlines at Newark-Liberty International Airport.
The reassignments improve competition after Southwest Airlines discontinued service and provides customers with low-cost service options.
The department will monitor Spirit’s ability to deliver on its customer commitments as a condition of accepting the timings. The department requires Spirit report data on disruptions facing airline customers and its ability to provide them with accommodations to enable the department to better quantify the financial impact of operational disruptions on travelers.
Southwest Airlines acquired the timings in 2010 as part of a U.S. Department of Justice competition remedy to the United-Continental merger.
The department sought applications for the 16 timings and reviewed them for competition and which airline carrier would be most likely to provide the lowest fares to the most consumers. Alaska Airlines submitted an application for four of the timings, and Spirit and JetBlue Airways submitted applications for all of them.
Prior to the reassignments, carriers were operating on ad hoc timings made available when other carriers reduced service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The department expects all operators to work cooperatively with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to ensure scheduled operations do not exceed the airport’s targeted scheduling limits.