BY RAJU CHE= 91 slots at Newark airport among those to be auctioned off=0A=0ABY RAJU CHE= BIUM=0AGANNETT NEWS SERVICE=0AThe Bush administration said today it would p= roceed with limited auctions of takeoff and landing slots at John F. Kenned= y and LaGuardia airports in New York and Liberty International in Newark, N= .J.=0AThe decision comes though Congress' investigative arm, the Government= Accountability Office, says the auctions are illegal. New York and New Jer= sey senators also oppose the auctioning plan, as does the Port Authority of= New York & New Jersey, which owns the three airports. Philadelphia's airpo= rt isn't part of the auctioning plan. =0A=0AThe Department of Transportatio= n's general counsel, D.J. Gribbin, told reporters this morning the executiv= e branch isn't bound by the GAO's opinion. He echoed his sentiments of his = boss, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, that auctioning would foster co= mpetition, lower prices and ease congestion in the skies over New York and = New Jersey. =0A=0AOver the next five years, the administration plans to auc= tion off 293 takeoff and landing slots at the three airports - 113 at LaGua= rdia, 89 at JFK and 91 at Newark. The first batch of slots would be auction= ed off Jan. 12, eight days before President Bush leaves office.=0A=0AThe ai= rline industry said it will go to court to block the auctions. =0A=0AUnder = final federal rules announced today, airlines operating at the three airpor= ts would own most of the slots they now use over the next 10 years. Airline= s would keep 998 slots in LaGuardia, 1,035 slots at JFK and 1,154 slots at = Newark, the Transportation Department said. =0A=0AThe auctions could raise = $50 million for each of the three airports over the next five years, Gribbi= n said, cautioning that's only a rough estimate. The money would be used to= improve the airports and take other steps to relieve congestion, though de= tails haven=A2t been finalized yet. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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".