Allegiant Air and Frontier Airlines CEOs have testified before the US Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee, urging reform of gate allocation to boost competition.
The Association of Value Airlines, including Allegiant, Frontier, Avelo, Spirit and Sun Country, supports “use it or lose it” rules and 33pc common-use gates at large hubs.
Airlines for America, representing United, Delta, American and Southwest, cited an outdated air traffic control system as the main competition barrier, commending a €11.6bn FAA investment.
Frontier’s Barry Biffle raised concerns over slot allocations, frequent flyer schemes, a 1,500-hour pilot training rule and restrictive interline agreements limiting smaller carriers.
Allegiant’s Greg Anderson advocated for joint ventures tailored for value airlines, like its proposed Viva Mexico partnership, and regulation focused on safety over prescriptive measures.
Barry Biffle shared “Advancing ‘use it or lose it’ rules for gates, similar to slots, would create fairer access for smaller airlines at constrained airports.”
Greg Anderson shared “Congress should pass the Airport Gate Competition Act to ensure at least 33pc of new gates are common-use, fostering competition and consumer choice.”
Sharon Pinkerton shared “An outdated air traffic control system is the biggest threat to a healthy and competitive airline industry, requiring coordinated FAA investment.”
