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June 16, 1999, Wednesday, CITY EDITION

SECTION: LOCAL, Pg. 6B

LENGTH: 509 words

HEADLINE: HOUSE APPROVES AVIATION BILL WITH NO QUICK END TO 'SLOT;
SYSTEM'

BYLINE: JERRY ZREMSKI; News Washington Bureau

DATELINE: WASHINGTON

BODY:

The House passed a sweeping aviation bill Tuesday that was supposed to -- but now would not -- quickly eliminate the "slot system" that many blame for upstate New York's poor air service.

You can blame the downstate congressional delegation for the change.

Faced with a rebellion that would have cost him the votes of many members of Congress from New York City, House Transportation Committee Chairman E.G. "Bud" Shuster, R-Pa., made a last-minute modification in the bill. The original bill was supposed to end the slot system -- which controls the number of flights at New York City's two airports -- next March. But Shuster offered an amendment Tuesday to eliminate the slot system next March only for regional jets with 70 or fewer seats. For big jets, the slot system would remain in place at the New York airports until 2007.

With downstate support, the bill then passed by a surprisingly wide margin of 316-110.

Shuster said he had to agree to a compromise to make sure that he had support from members who represent slot-controlled airports in New York, Chicago and Washington. He said the compromise still should allow smaller markets to get better air service, since it would allow smaller regional jets to fly into LaGuardia and Kennedy airports without slot rules stopping them.

"A lot of the legitimate complaints about air service come from smaller cities, and they will be the ones where regional jets are used," Shuster said.

But New Air Corp., a new airline that hopes to serve upstate New York and other markets from a hub at Kennedy Airport, does not plan to fly regional jets. Instead, it plans to fly full-sized jets that seat 162.

Nevertheless, New Air is not concerned about the change in the bill, said Robert Land, New Air's vice president for governmental affairs. He said New Air is planning to get exemptions to the slot rules approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation long before Shuster's aviation bill would take effect.

Shuster stressed that his bill is crucial to providing the funding to upgrade the nation's airports and air traffic control system. It would set aside $ 56 billion over five years for federal aviation programs, with $ 14 billion coming from sheltering the Airport and Airway Trust Fund from being used for any purposes other than boosting the aviation system.

New York City members of Congress, who were concerned that noise from additional flights would disrupt neighborhoods they represent, praised Shuster for agreeing to delay the end of the slot system.

"This will give communities time to prepare," said Rep. Joseph Crowley, who fought for the delay along with fellow New York Democrats, including Reps. Gary L. Ackerman and Gregory W. Meeks.

Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds, R-Clarence, managed the floor debate on the rule that led to passage of Shuster's bill. He said Shuster did the right thing.

"The reality is that there had to be a compromise" to make sure that the bill passed, Reynolds said. "This seemed to satisfy the people with noise concerns."

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 1999