John Ensign: “I wish to speak about Government barriers to competition in the aviation sector. Like many of my colleagues, I am…”

“I wish to speak about Government barriers to competition in the aviation sector. Like many of my colleagues, I am disappointed that the Senate was unable to pass the legislation reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration last week. This is a difficult and dynamic time for the aviation industry, and it is important that Congress review and update our Nation's aviation policies. Rising ticket prices and increasing delays have made the flying experience more unpleasant for many travelers. Any inefficiencies introduced into the system only serve to exacerbate such problems. Therefore, I believe it is important that Congress reduce barriers to competition whenever possible so that the marketplace can best serve consumers and the public interest. One issue that needs to be addressed is how Government-imposed slot controls at a handful of U.S. airports effectively bar the entry of new airline competitors at those airports. These federally regulated slot controls are intended to reduce congestion-related delays; this congestion mitigation, however, comes at the expense of open competition.”