Citing a “too-small-to-be-competitive schedule from JFK coupled with the start of the Winter season where more airlines will operate their slots as they resume JFK flying”, on Friday, September 30, 2022 United Airlines announced a decision to temporarily suspend service at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) effective with the last inbound flights on October 29, 2022.
United has operated only a handful of flights out of JFK, most notably routes to Los Angeles and San Francisco. Although, the company has been attempting to procure additional take-off and landing slots which would allow for additional service to/from JFK, the company has learned that any process to add additional capacity at JFK “will take some time.”
Earlier this year, the FAA released a statement addressing United’s request stating the slots “cannot be delivered quickly as they must first undergo a thorough approval process.” Additionally, in its press release, the FAA stated that it “must consider airspace capacity and runway capacity to assess how changes would affect flights at nearby airports. Any additional slots at JFK would follow the FAA’s well-established process of awarding them fairly and to increase competition.”
In 2015, United released 24 of its JFK slots to Delta Airlines. At the time, management was focused on shifting nearly all of its New York flights to Newark where it was believed that this shift would have the impact of causing the airline to “run more smoothly.” In its recent statement, United management expressed that “…New York customers deserve more choices, and robust United service to JFK is good for our customers, our employees and our airline” and further indicated that efforts to pursue opportunities at JFK will continue.
We know this news is especially tough for the 100 employees who work at JFK. The company will be offering those employees jobs at nearby stations.
It is important that our solidarity and support remain focused for our Union brothers and sisters. Please join the United Master Executive Council in offering support and assistance to the impacted employees, our friends and flying partners, who are directly impacted by this announcement.