The US Department of Transportation (DOT) decided to open an investigation into the alleged discrimination faced by Kalitta Air (K4, Detroit Willow Run) at Amsterdam Schiphol.
The DOT requested the government of the Netherlands, the Amsterdam airport operator, and slot coordinator Stichting Airport Coordination Netherlands to respond to the allegations raised by the Michigan-based cargo specialist within fourteen days. A further ten days will then be provided for replies.
Kalitta Air alleges that slot coordination rules enforced at Amsterdam, an airport operating near its regulatory cap of 500,000 movements per annum, effectively discriminate against the carrier.
The airline, in particular, points out that while it indeed falls short of the required 80% usage of its slots, this is mostly due to the fact that it operates on behalf of the US government and has limited power over the schedules. Kalitta Air also indicates that while it often misses the allocated time slots, it operates the vast majority of its planned services into Amsterdam.
