United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has written an op-ed for Fox News calling for the return of slot controls at Newark Liberty International Airport. Let’s take a look at Kirby’s argument and whether it is reasonable or purely self-serving to protect United’s dominance at the bustling New Jersey airport.

United CEO Kirby Pens Fox News Op-Ed On Newark Airport Congestion

Flight delays have been terrible at Newark Airport this week, with runway construction, air traffic controller shortages, signal outages, and too many flights on the schedule, creating a bottleneck that has a ripple effect across the network.

United, which operates about 75% of the flights from Newark, has been forced to scale back its ambitious summer flight schedule after facing mounting delays from the perfect storm I highlighted above. Since Newark is not a so-called “Level 3” airport (with slot controls, like New York LaGuardia and New York JFK), carriers can add and remove flights as they please…there is nothing stopping Sprit or Delta, for example, from adding four new flights in response to United’s cuttting of flights, beyond a shared fear that those flights will be delayed.

It is that potential “loophole” that Kirby wants to shut. Writing for Fox News, Kirby first argues that the slowdown in traffic proves Newark is safe…that no corners are being cut to ensure the safety of every flight. He also bemoans “decades of failing to properly invest in the system has prevented good-faith efforts to make technology upgrades and bolster the staffing of our nation’s hard-working air traffic controllers.”

That’s largely true. I’ve had many people ask me this week if Newark Airport is “safe” to fly out of and my answer is yes…I certainly think so and do not think any actor (government or airline) would risk safety to allow more takeoffs and landings. Kirby says the solution is to reintroduce slot controls:

The good news is that we are on the verge of solving this persistent customer delay problem at EWR. All that’s left is the FAA using the authority — that only they have — to designate EWR as a Level 3 airport.

President Donald Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have introduced a plan to fund and execute a long-term modernization of our antiquated system. And while that is a huge step forward, it will also take time — there are no short-cuts to overhaul a technology system this vast, complex and critical to our economic and national security.

Immediately returning Newark to a Level 3 slot-controlled airport is the most effective way to provide relief to air traffic controllers and deliver a better experience for customers.

Kirby points to operational figures between 2017 – 2019 and 2022 – 2025 (understandably omitting the low-traffic pandemic years) to argue that the removal of slot controls has led to more delays and cancellations:

• 18% more customers – an extra 120,000 people a year – had their flight cancelled
• 17% more customers – an additional 1.9 million people – had an arrival delay
• 43% more customers had an hour delay or longer – nearly one million people per year

United also claims it is smaller in Newark today than it was in 2016, so it’s not like United alone is responsible for these delays and cancellations because it has simply built up its flight schedule.

Kirby concludes as he starts, arguing that “to make an impact at EWR that will be felt today, the FAA must also return EWR to a Level 3 slot controlled airport. It was a mistake to de-slot the airport in 2016 – every single data point says so – and we know that implementing slots is the immediate action the FAA can take to reduce congestion there now.”

Is Kirby’s Argument Reasonable Or Self-Serving? (Maybe Both?)

A few thoughts.

• I find it interesting that Kirby continues to court the Trump Administration with flattering language or in this case, via friendly media outlets. I tend to think it is good business based on my observations of this administration, but it’s pretty blatant brown nosing…
• United insists that the slot controls would not benefit United because it wants to grow in Newark but would be forced to limit its schedule and even cut back flights
• I don’t buy that because what United proposes would essentially lock in United’s advantage at the airport, making it much harder for competition to enter and making it easier for United to raise fares to compensate for the reduced flight schedule
• Kirby is correct that any ATC upgrades represent a long-term solution, but there is a need to address short-term pain or else it will be a true summer of misery for every traveling flying via Newark.

Is Congestion Pricing The Answer?

Congestion pricing involves charging higher fees during peak hours when congestion is most severe. By increasing the price of peak-hour usage, congestion pricing aims to reduce demand and encourage users to shift their travel to off-peak hours.

While I appreciate that this could be one approach to the problem, I’m not sure that congestion pricing passed on to consumers would make a difference. Flights would still operate, people would pay more, budget carriers like Spirit might be squeezed out, but it likely would not help the congestion and would come at the expense of thrifty travelers and flights to smaller cities.

Even so, I’m very skeptical of slot controls: it’s simply handing a monopoly to incumbent airlines in the form of a subsidy. At the very least, slots should be up for bidding and negotiation every few years.

CONCULSION

I’m not convinced that Newark should return to slot controls, though what is clear is that something needs to give as the summer travel season kicks off and delays and cancellations out of Newark are already too high. I’m quite sympathetic to United’s argument that it should not have to bear the weight of schedule reductions alone, even as the dominant carrier in Newark, but also note the self-interet in such voluntary reductions: delays tick off customers and United has a strong interest in doing whatever it takes, even without goverment mandate, to run a smoother operation in its fortress hub of Newark.

image: United Airlines