DOT 31-08
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-4570
DOT Proposes to Award New U.S.-Colombia Flights to Four Airlines
For Service from New York, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Houston
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today proposed to grant four U.S.
airlines the right to operate one new daily flight between the United States and
Bogota, Colombia. In today’s tentative decision, the Department selected Delta
Air Lines from New York’s JFK Airport, JetBlue Airways from Orlando, Spirit
Airlines from Fort Lauderdale, and Continental Airlines from Houston.
Three of the new daily flights were made available by a September 2007
U.S.-Colombia aviation agreement which increased, from 70 to 91, the total
number of weekly flights that U.S. carriers may operate between the two
countries. Twenty-one new weekly flights will be phased-in by the end of 2008.
In addition, the Department proposed to reallocate one daily U.S.-Colombia
flight currently held by American Airlines.
DOT noted that air travel between the United States and Colombia increased by
approximately 200,000 passengers between 2002 and 2006, with more than 750,000
passengers traveling between the two countries a year ago.
In its tentative decision, the Department said the award to Delta would provide
the heavily-traveled New York-Bogota market with additional service and would
increase competition and consumer choices. The services of JetBlue and Spirit
would introduce two new carriers to the U.S. Colombia market, and provide
Orlando and Fort Lauderdale with their first direct service to Colombia operated
by a U.S. air carrier. Continental’s service from Houston would address the need
for additional convenient service options to Colombia for travelers from the
central and western United States, the Department said.
If the tentative decision is made final, Delta may begin its new services
immediately, JetBlue and Spirit on April 1, and Continental on October 1. In
addition to the four carriers receiving awards, US Airways applied for service
between Charlotte, NC and Bogota, and American sought to retain the frequencies
it currently holds for additional service between Miami and Bogota/Medellin.
Objections to the show-cause order must be filed within 14 calendar days and
answers to objections seven calendar days afterward. The Department will issue a
final decision following the comment period. The Department’s show-cause order
and other documents in the case are available on the Internet at
www.regulations.gov, docket
DOT-OST-2007-0006.