Plan to sell slots at NY airports may be blocked2 hours, 49 minutes ago By DAVID B. CARUSO Associated Press Writer (AP:NEW YORK) The Bush administration's plan to let the free market play a role in easing gridlock at the nation's most congested airports suffered a major blow. A key Senate subcommittee on Thursday attached a provision to a federal spending bill that would block the U.S. Department of Transportation from implementing a plan to begin auctioning off prime takeoff and landing slots at New York's three main airports. The administration proposal would force the airlines to bid against each other for the right to fly at the most coveted times of day. Transportation officials had called the auctions one of the fairest ways to handle the ravenous demand for flight times at John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia and Newark (N.J.) Liberty International airports. Last year, overscheduling of those airfields during peak hours led to massive delays, which regularly rippled nationwide as jets backed up in New York. The proposed auctions, though, have been assailed on several fronts. Larger airlines oppose them, fearing they could lead to carriers being forced out of terminals and routes in which they have invested millions of dollars. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airports, said auctions would add costs while doing nothing to curb delays. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who called the auction plan a "hare-brained scheme," said the Senate was committed to blocking its implementation. "New York City should not be the guinea pig for this ideological boondoggle," he said. Department of Transportation officials said in a written statement that the administration was committed to addressing the delay problem. "Although some in Congress and the airline industry prefer that we simply restrict air access to one of the most important cities in the world, we will continue to pursue approaches that expand flight options for consumers and help ensure that prices to fly in and out of New York are affordable," it said. Separately, the administration pressed ahead Thursday with another aspect of its broader goal of using market forces to battle flight congestion. The Department of Transportation issued the final version of a new policy that will allow airports, for the first time, to charge landing fees on a sliding scale, with airlines paying more to use crowded tarmacs during peak hours. Previously, airports had only been allowed to assess fees based on an aircraft's weight. "With this policy, pricing options are available to help airport operators and carriers figure out how best to spread flights at busy airports throughout the day and to encourage efficient use of aircraft or direct traffic to less-congested airports in the region," Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said. Peters said that, in a bid to help carriers deal with high costs, it would also extend its practice of providing war risk insurance to the airlines. The insurance covers potential damage due to a terrorist attack. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an E-mail to: "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx". Within the body of the text, only write the following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE".