I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 757
To amend title 49, United States Code, to temporarily limit the number
of airline flights at LaGuardia Airport, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 27, 2001
Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York (for herself, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. KING, Mrs.
LOWEY, Mr. NADLER, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. MEEKS of New
York, Mr. GRUCCI, and Mr. WEINER) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
A BILL
To amend title 49, United States Code, to temporarily limit
the number of airline flights at LaGuardia Airport, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Airport Congestion Re-
lief Act of 2001’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that—
(1) a sudden increase in flights at LaGuardia
Airport presents concerns for aviation consumers
and the community surrounding LaGuardia Airport;
(2) there were more than 10,000 flight delays
at LaGuardia Airport in September 2000, an in-
crease from 3,108 in September 1999;
(3) in September 2000, 24 percent of flight
delays in the United States were at LaGuardia Air-
port, an increase from 12 percent in September
1999;
(4) in September 2000, average delays for
many afternoon flights at LaGuardia Airport exceed-
ed 46 minutes;
(5) in response to the increased air traffic at
LaGuardia Airport, the Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey, which operates LaGuardia Airport,
announced a moratorium on additional flights at
LaGuardia Airport, citing its authority under section
41713(b)(3) of title 49, United States Code;
(6) the Federal Aviation Administration admin-
istered a plan to recind slots at LaGuardia Airport
made available under the Wendell H. Ford Airport
Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century
(114 Stat. 61 et seq.) for additional flight operations
to small and nonhub airports using regional jet air-
craft and to temporarily redistribute the slots by a
lottery held on December 4, 2000, citing the Federal
Aviation Administration’s authority under section
41715(b) of title 49, United States Code;
(7) under the Federal Aviation Administration’s
plan, beginning on January 31, 2000, slots for not
more than 75 scheduled commercial air carrier
flights per hour are allowed at LaGuardia Airport;
and
(8) the Federal Aviation Administration’s plan
is scheduled to terminate on September 15, 2001.
SEC. 
3. 
EXTENSION 
OF 
FLIGHT 
LIMITATIONS 
AT
LAGUARDIA AIRPORT.
Section 41716 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(e) FLIGHT LIMITATIONS
AT LAGUARDIA AIR-
PORT.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other
provision of this section, in the period beginning on
the date of enactment of this subsection and ending
on September 15, 2001, the number of slots (includ-
ing slot exemptions) for scheduled commercial air
carrier flights at Laguardia Airport shall be limited
to 75 per hour and the number of slots for general
aviation flights at Laguardia Airport shall be limited
to 6 per hour.
‘‘(2) 
PUBLICATION
OF
COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN.—If the Secretary, acting through the Admin-
istrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, has
not published, on or before September 15, 2001, a
comprehensive plan for slots at Laguardia Airport,
the period in which paragraph (1) applies shall be
extended until September 30, 2002. The Secretary
shall develop any such plan in consultation with the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and
other appropriate public and private entities.’’.
SEC. 
4. 
REMEDIES 
FOR 
INCREASED 
FLIGHTS 
AT
LAGUARDIA AIRPORT.
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Transportation, in
consultation with the Port Authority of New York and
New Jersey, shall continue to conduct a comprehensive
study on remedies needed to alleviate the concerns of avia-
tion 
consumers 
and 
the 
community 
surrounding
LaGuardia Airport associated with increasing the number
of flights at LaGuardia Airport.
(b) REPORT.—Not later than September 1, 2002, the
Secretary shall transmit to Congress a report on the re-
sults of the study conducted under subsection (a).
Æ