DOT outlines proposals for divested JFK, MEX slot pairs

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has published the proposals put forward by various US and Mexican carriers for the four New York JFK and twenty-four México City International slot pairs Delta Air Lines (DL, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson) and Aeroméxico (AM, México City International) agreed to relinquish as part of the antitrust immunity conditions laid down for their joint venture.

As previously reported, the DOT will conduct the allocation in two phases:

Phase 1:

Fourteen Mexico City slot-pairs shall be transferred as soon as practicable in time for use in the IATA Northern Summer 2017 season (which begins March 26, 2017);
Two New York JFK slot-pairs shall be transferred as soon as practicable in time for use in the IATA Northern Summer 2017 season.

Phase 2:

Ten Mexico City slot-pairs shall be transferred in time for use in the IATA Northern Summer 2018 season (which begins March 25, 2018);
Two New York JFK slot-pairs shall be transferred in time for use in the IATA Northern Summer 2018 season.

In the second phase, eligible carriers must demonstrate to the DOT that they have exhausted reasonable efforts to acquire the slots themselves through each airports’ normal allocation process before Delta and AeroMéxico are required to transfer them. This phase must be completed in time for slots to be transferred for use in the IATA Northern Summer 2018 scheduling season which takes place between November 7-10, 2017.

As it stands, the following carriers submitted the following applications ahead of the January 23, 2017, deadline:

JetBlue Airways (B6, New York JFK) which seeks four Phase One Mexico City slot pairs and two Phase Two Mexico City slot pairs. If granted, JetBlue proposes to use the four Phase One slot pairs for a 2x daily, year-round service to both Fort Lauderdale International and Orlando International beginning on September 5, 2017. It proposes to use the two Phase Two slot pairs for a 2x daily, year-round service to Long Beach beginning on September 4, 2018;
Southwest Airlines (WN, Dallas Love Field) which seeks two Phase One Mexico City slot pairs and two Phase Two Mexico City slot pairs. If granted, Southwest proposes to use them to add a daily, year-round service from Mexico City to each of Houston Hobby (2x daily), Fort Lauderdale International, and Los Angeles International. It asks that the two Houston-Mexico City slot pairs be awarded in Phase One and the Fort Lauderdale-Mexico City and Los Angeles-Mexico City slot pairs be awarded in Phase Two. If either of the Houston-Mexico City slots are not awarded in Phase One, Southwest requests they be awarded in Phase Two;
Interjet (AIJ, Toluca) which seeks two Phase One New York JFK slot pairs. If granted, Interjet proposes to use them to add a daily, year-round service from New York JFK to Mexico City. Interjet adds that in the event that it does not receive a New York JFK slot-pair in Phase One, it requests one of the two slot-pairs to be contingently awarded in Phase Two for the Summer Season 2018;
Alaska Airlines (AS, Seattle Tacoma International) which seeks four Mexico City slot pairs. If granted, it plans to offer daily return flights from San Francisco using B737-900(ER) equipment, a 2x daily return service to Los Angeles International (one service using B737-900(ER) , the other using E175 equipment) , and a daily return service to San Diego International also using E175 equipment. Services are to start around August 15, 2017;
Volaris (Y4, México City International) which seeks one Phase One New York JFK slot pair and five Phase One slot pairs at Mexico City for 2017. In 2018, it seeks one Phase Two New York slot pair and three Phase Two Mexico City slot pairs. If granted, for 2017, it plans to offer daily flights from Mexico City to New York JFK, San Antonio International, Washington Dulles, Chicago O'Hare, and Los Angeles International. In 2018, it plans to offer daily services from Mexico City to each of Oakland International and Denver International with Ontario International and San José, US to be combined. A New York JFK-Cancún route will also be launched;
VivaAerobus (VB, Monterrey Mariano Escobedo) which seeks three Phase One Mexico City slot pairs and six Phase Two Mexico City and two Phase Two New York JFK slot pairs. If granted, vivaAerobus plans to use the three Phase One Mexico City slot pairs for new daily routes to Los Angeles International and Las Vegas Harry Reid, as well as 4x weekly flights to San Antonio International, and a 3x weekly flight to Oakland International. In Phase 2, the LCC will use the six Mexico City slot pairs for routes to Los Angeles International (a second daily), New York JFK (2x daily), Houston Intercontinental (daily), Chicago O'Hare (daily), Oakland International (4x weekly), and San Antonio International (3x weekly). For the Phase Two New York JFK slots, Viva will open a double-daily service to Mexico City.