The US DoT has started accepting applications from US carriers for up to 12 new daytime slot pairs that are expected to open up at Tokyo Haneda airport. An order by the department states that recently concluded negotiations on the USA-Japan bilateral are expected to see the additional slots become available to US carriers for the start of the 2020 summer scheduling season. “On this basis, US carriers would need to file applications with the Japanese authorities for Haneda takeoff and landing slot times by October 2019,” the DOT says. An earlier application by Delta seeking more flexibility on where carriers can fly to in the USA using the Haneda slots has been denied. The DOT says that there will not be enough time to make a determination on that request before it allocates the new slots, and hence will continue to require carriers to use the Haneda slots only for specific routes. The DOT will primarily assess applications based on maximising public benefits, but will also “consider the effects of each service proposal on the overall competitive environment”. Daytime slots at Haneda have been tightly contested between US carriers, which have been keen to take advantage of the airport’s proximity to downtown Tokyo compared to the more distant Narita International airport. The additional slots come after Tokyo confirmed that it has reached an agreement with the US Air Force to relax some airspace restrictions around Haneda and the Yokata Air Base, which will open up more movements at the airport.<br/>
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US lawmakers are pushing for stronger aviation security with a bipartisan bill that would require passenger airlines to install secondary security doors between cabins and the cockpit on current aircraft to prevent another Sept. 11-style attack. Congress last year imposed a requirement for secondary barriers, aimed at preventing would-be hijackers from rushing the cockpit when pilots take bathroom breaks or meals, for future, newly manufactured commercial airplanes. But that legislation did not address existing aircraft. The new bill, introduced last week, would extend the requirement to all passenger jets. Secondary barriers would allow a pilot to close the cockpit door before opening another door to the rest of the plane. Current measures to protect the flight deck include stationing a flight attendant or food cart in front of the cockpit. A study by the FAA concluded that cockpits are vulnerable when pilots step out and cited secondary doors as the most efficient, cost-effective form of protection, according to the news release issued on Wednesday. The lightweight, wire-mesh barriers would cost $5,000 to $12,000 per aircraft, the lawmakers said.<br/>