Open competition is especially important to small and mid-sized airports.
Grassley said he will visit the communities of Waterloo, Dubuque, Burlington, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Sioux City to meet with airport managers and business and community leaders to discuss what role Congress should take in correcting the growing problem of access to affordable air travel. The slot system is important because it limits the number of take-offs and landings which can occur at certain major airports, thereby hindering the ability of smaller airports and airlines to provide adequate service to these cities. Grassley said he also plans to gather input on non-legislative solutions to airfare pricing and service problems. As a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Grassley last year requested the Justice Department investigate the possibility of predatory pricing actions in Des Moines and other Iowa communities. In addition, Grassley participated in two recent Senate hearings on antitrust and competition where he questioned DoT and the Justice Department about their responsibilities of enforcement in this area, especially concerning competitive air fares.