FAA Extends Slot-Usage Waiver at DCA, JFK, and LGA Through October 2027 Amid N90 Staffing Shortfall

The Action

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a limited waiver of the slot-usage requirement at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and LaGuardia Airport (LGA), effective June 23, 2026. The waiver covers two scheduling seasons: Winter 2026/2027, running October 25, 2026, through March 27, 2027, and Summer 2027, running March 28, 2027, through October 30, 2027. The relief does not apply to any slots granted by the Department of Transportation pursuant to Section 502 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.

Background and Prior Relief

The waiver extends a line of staffing-related relief that the FAA first published on September 20, 2023, covering the Winter 2023/2024 and Summer 2024 seasons. That relief was subsequently extended through Winter 2024/2025 and Summer 2025, and again through Winter 2025/2026 and Summer 2026. The current action extends the program for a further two seasons through the end of Summer 2027.

The underlying problem, as the document explains, lies with the New York Terminal Radar Approach Control facility, known as N90, which provides Air Traffic Control services to overhead flights in the Northeast corridor and to the New York City area airports, including JFK and LGA. The FAA states that the airspace complexity resulting from the close proximity of the major commercial airports serving the New York City region is a significant contributing factor to delays at JFK and LGA.

Staffing Conditions at N90

The FAA has determined that N90 needs to reach at least 70% of its targeted number of onboard Certified Professional Controllers (CPCs) to efficiently manage the full capacity of the New York airspace that was in place prior to May 15, 2023. The targeted staffing number at N90 is 226 CPCs; the current CPC onboard number is 129, representing 57 percent staffed, according to the notice.

The agency notes that it previously relocated control of the Newark Liberty International Airport area from N90 to the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (PHL) beginning in late July 2024, as one measure to address the shortfall. Of the 33 CPCs previously designated for the Newark area at N90, 24 relocated to PHL, while the remaining CPCs began training in preparation for reassignment to other areas within N90. Newark Liberty International Airport will be addressed in a separate action to account for the particular challenges and circumstances present at that airport, the document states.

N90 currently has 50 trainees in various phases of training, the notice says. The FAA states it believes CPCs in training for reassignment will certify more quickly than new trainees without previous N90 experience, which the agency expects will allow N90 to make significant gains in its staffing percentages over 2026 and 2027. However, the document states that staffing projections indicate that FAA will not reach 70% of the targeted staffing level until after the conclusion of 2027.

Rationale for the Waiver

The FAA states that early discussions with carriers indicate an interest in increasing operations after October 24, 2026, through most of Winter 2026/2027 and for all of Summer 2027. Without an extended waiver, the agency states it expects increased delays and cancellations in the New York region to exceed those experienced over Summer 2022 and Winter 2022/2023. The notice explains that allowing carriers to reduce schedules without penalties for non-use of slots or previously approved operating times will improve the alignment between scheduled operations and actual operations, help prevent unnecessary delays, and help optimize the efficient use of the airports' resources.

The FAA describes its approach as "measured," providing relief only until the end of Summer 2027 despite projections that the 70% staffing threshold will not be reached until after that date.

What to Watch

• June 23, 2026 — Effective date of the waiver extension.
• October 25, 2026 — Start of the Winter 2026/2027 relief period at DCA, JFK, and LGA.
• March 28, 2027 — Start of the Summer 2027 relief period.
• October 30, 2027 — Expiration of the limited waiver; FAA's stated outer boundary for the current relief.