US waiving minimum flight requirements for airlines because of coronavirus

The US FAA said Wednesday it will temporarily waive minimum flight requirements at US airports through May 31 to help airlines facing a steep decline in travel demand due to the coronavirus. Airlines can lose their slots at congested airports if they do not use them at least 80% of the time. The FAA said it will waive the requirements for US and foreign airlines and expects that US carriers will be accommodated with reciprocal relief by foreign authorities at airports in their countries. The waiver applies to New York’s JFK and LaGuardia airports and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. At four other US airports where the FAA has a formal schedule-review process - Chicago O’Hare, Newark Liberty, Los Angeles and San Francisco - the agency will give credit to airlines for flights that were cancelled due to the coronavirus through May 31, as though those flights had been operated.<br/>