[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8520]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          FAA REAUTHORIZATION

  Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President. I wish to speak about Government barriers 
to competition in the aviation sector. Like many of my colleagues, I am 
disappointed that the Senate was unable to pass the legislation 
reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration last week. This is a 
difficult and dynamic time for the aviation industry, and it is 
important that Congress review and update our Nation's aviation 
policies.
  Rising ticket prices and increasing delays have made the flying 
experience more unpleasant for many travelers. Any inefficiencies 
introduced into the system only serve to exacerbate such problems. 
Therefore, I believe it is important that Congress reduce barriers to 
competition whenever possible so that the marketplace can best serve 
consumers and the public interest.
  One issue that needs to be addressed is how Government-imposed slot 
controls at a handful of U.S. airports effectively bar the entry of new 
airline competitors at those airports. These federally regulated slot 
controls are intended to reduce congestion-related delays; this 
congestion mitigation, however, comes at the expense of open 
competition.
  Once slots at an airport have been doled out to the airlines, it 
becomes very difficult for new entrant carriers to break into the 
airport because the market has essentially been closed. Airlines with 
limited operations at these airports face similar problems should they 
wish to increase their presence in an effort to compete with the larger 
airlines. Because the marketplace has been artificially constrained, 
this leads to higher ticket prices and fewer flight options for 
travelers.
  It has been proven time and again that prices go down and flight 
options go up when airlines are allowed to freely compete. The 
Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration 
should take every step possible to ensure that competition can flourish 
at these slot-controlled airports. As these agencies administer 
congestion programs, I hope that they will develop mechanisms that will 
allow for new entrants to compete with the more entrenched airlines at 
these airports. If they are unable to do so, it may be up to us in 
Congress to provide them with legislative guidance to ensure a more 
open marketplace.
  Another arbitrary barrier that Congress should address is the 
outdated perimeter restriction at Ronald Reagan Washington National 
Airport. For over 40 years, Federal law has restricted flights at 
Reagan National and delayed the arrival of competition at the airport. 
With Senator Boxer and Senator McCain, I introduced an amendment to the 
FAA reauthorization bill to revise Reagan National's outdated perimeter 
restriction.
  The American flying public has shown strong demand for more flights 
between the Western United States and the Washington, DC, area. 
Unfortunately, the perimeter rule prevents airlines from responding to 
that demand by largely prohibiting flights to western cities such as 
San Francisco, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, and Seattle. Revising the 
Reagan National perimeter restriction would help free-market 
competition, directly benefiting consumers. While I am disappointed 
that the FAA reauthorization bill was pulled from the floor before my 
amendment could be considered, I will continue to work with my 
colleagues to find a way to revise the perimeter restriction so that 
air service between the West and Reagan National is increased in a 
market-based manner.
  We owe it to the American flying public to squeeze every last bit of 
efficiency out of our aviation system. As the Senate considers aviation 
issues in the future, I hope my colleagues will work together to reduce 
the artificial barriers to competition created by well-intentioned yet 
burdensome Government regulations.

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