US will give airlines a break on takeoff rights in NYC, D.C.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal officials are extending pandemic relief to help major airlines keep their coveted takeoff and landing rights at big airports in New York and Washington this summer. The move by the Federal Aviation Administration applies to international flights. Takeoff and landing rights are called “slots,” and they are limited at JFK and LaGuardia airports in New York and Reagan National Airport outside Washington. Airlines that don’t use their slots risk losing them to other carriers. But the FAA says that, because of the ongoing pandemic, it will extend a waiver of the rules for international flights until late October. It was scheduled to expire on Sunday.