Notice of Submission Deadline for Schedule Information for Chicago O'Hare International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport for the Summer 2027 Scheduling Season

Issuing agencies

Abstract

Under this notice, FAA announces the submission deadline of October 16, 2026, for Summer 2027 flight schedules at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 195 (Friday, October 9, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 195 (Friday, October 9, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64733-64735]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-20784]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Submission Deadline for Schedule Information for 
Chicago O'Hare International Airport, John F. Kennedy International 
Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Newark Liberty 
International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport for the 
Summer 2027 Scheduling Season

AGENCY: Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration 
(FAA).

ACTION: Notice of submission deadline.

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SUMMARY: Under this notice, FAA announces the submission deadline of 
October 16, 2026, for Summer 2027 flight schedules at Chicago O'Hare 
International Airport (ORD), John F. Kennedy International Airport 
(JFK), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Newark Liberty 
International Airport (EWR), and San Francisco International Airport 
(SFO).

DATES: Schedules should be submitted by October 16, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Schedules may be submitted to the Slot Administration Office 
by email to: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#72455f3325335f011e1d0613161f1b1c321413135c151d04"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dfe8f29e889ef2acb3b0abbebbb2b6b19fb9bebef1b8b0a9">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Al Meilus, Manager, Slot 
Administration and Capacity Analysis, AJR-G, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; 
telephone (202) 267-2822; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#da9bb6f497bfb3b6afa99abcbbbbf4bdb5ac"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f7b69bd9ba929e9b8284b7919696d9909881">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides routine notice to 
carriers serving capacity-constrained airports in the United States, 
including ORD, JFK, LAX, EWR, and SFO. In particular, this notice 
announces the deadline for carriers to submit schedules for the Summer 
2027 scheduling season.

General Information for All Airports

    FAA has designated JFK as an IATA Level 3 airport consistent with 
the Worldwide Slot Guideline (WSG).\1\ FAA currently limits scheduled 
operations at JFK by Order that expires on October 28, 2028.\2\
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    \1\ FAA generally applies the WSG to the extent there is no 
conflict with U.S. law or regulation. FAA recognizes the WSG has 
been replaced by the Worldwide Airports Slot Guidelines (WASG). The 
currently effective version of the WASG is edition 4, effective 
August 1, 2025. However, despite several updates to the guidelines, 
FAA generally applies its predecessor, the WSG, edition 9, to the 
extent there is no conflict with U.S. law or regulation. The WASG is 
published jointly by Airports Council International-World, IATA, and 
the Worldwide Airport Coordinators Group (WWACG). While FAA is 
considering whether to implement certain changes to the Guidelines 
in the United States, it will continue to apply WSG edition 9.
    \2\ Operating Limitations at John F. Kennedy International 
Airport, 73 FR 3510 (Jan. 18, 2008), as most recently extended, 91 
FR 37769 (June 23, 2026). The slot coordination parameters for JFK 
are set forth in this Order.
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    FAA has designated EWR, LAX, ORD, and SFO as IATA Level 2 airports 
\3\ subject to a schedule review process premised upon voluntary 
cooperation. The Summer 2027 scheduling season is from March 28, 2027, 
through October 30, 2027, in recognition of the IATA Summer scheduling 
period.
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    \3\ These designations remain effective until FAA announces a 
change in the Federal Register.
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    FAA is primarily concerned about scheduled and other regularly 
conducted commercial operations during designated hours, but carriers 
may submit schedule plans for the entire day. The designated hours for 
the Summer 2027 scheduling season are as follows:
    <bullet> For EWR and JFK, from 0600 to 2300 Eastern Time (1000 to 
0300 UTC);
    <bullet> For LAX and SFO, from 0600 to 2300 Pacific Time (1300 to 
0600 UTC); and
    <bullet> For ORD, from 0600 to 0000 Central Time (1100 to 0500 
UTC).
    These hours are unchanged from previous scheduling seasons except 
for ORD.\4\
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    \4\ Previously, designated hours at ORD were from 0600 to 2100 
Central Time (1100 to 0200 UTC).
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    Carriers should submit schedule information in sufficient detail

[[Page 64734]]

including, at minimum, the marketing or operating carrier, flight 
number, scheduled time of operation, frequency, aircraft equipment, and 
effective dates. IATA standard schedule information format and data 
elements for communications at Level 2 and Level 3 airports in the IATA 
Standard Schedules Information Manual (SSIM) Chapter 6 may be used. The 
WSG provides additional information on schedule submissions at Level 2 
and Level 3 airports. Some carriers at JFK manage and track slots 
through FAA-assigned Slot ID numbers corresponding to an arrival or 
departure slot in a particular half-hour on a particular day of the 
week and date. FAA has a similar voluntary process for tracking 
schedules at EWR with Reference IDs, and certain carriers are managing 
their schedules accordingly. The primary users of IDs are U.S. and 
Canadian carriers that have the highest frequencies and considerable 
schedule changes throughout the season, and can benefit from a 
simplified exchange of information not dependent on full flight 
details. Carriers are encouraged to submit schedule requests at those 
airports using Slot or Reference IDs.
    As stated in the WSG schedule facilitation at a Level 2 airport is 
based on the following: (1) Schedule adjustments are mutually agreed 
upon between the carriers and the facilitator; (2) the intent is to 
avoid exceeding the airport's coordination parameters; (3) the concepts 
of historic precedence and series of slots do not apply at Level 2 
airports, although WSG recommends giving priority to approved services 
that plan to operate unchanged from the previous equivalent season at 
Level 2 airports; and (4) the facilitator should adjust the smallest 
number of flights by the least amount of time necessary to avoid 
exceeding the airport's coordination parameters. Consistent with the 
WSG, the success of Level 2 in the United States depends on the 
voluntary cooperation of carriers.
    FAA considers several factors and priorities that are consistent 
with the WSG as it reviews schedule and slot requests at Level 2 and 
Level 3 airports, including (1) historic slots or services from the 
previous equivalent season over new demand for the same timings; (2) 
services that are unchanged over services that plan to change time or 
other capacity relevant parameters; (3) introduction of year-round 
services; (4) effective period of operation; (5) regularly planned 
operations over ad hoc operations; and (6) other operational factors 
that may limit a carrier's timing flexibility.
    FAA seeks to maintain close communications with carriers and 
terminal schedule facilitators on potential runway schedule issues or 
terminal and gate issues that may affect the runway times. In addition 
to applying these priorities from the WSG, the U.S. Government has 
adopted a number of measures and procedures to promote competition and 
new entry at U.S. slot-controlled and schedule-facilitated airports.
    Slot management in the United States differs in some respects from 
procedures in other countries. In the United States, FAA is responsible 
for facilitation and coordination of runway access for takeoffs and 
landings at Level 2 and Level 3 airports; however, the airport 
authority or its designee is responsible for facilitation and 
coordination of terminal/gate/airport facility access. The process with 
the individual airports for terminal access and other airport services 
is separate from, and in addition to, FAA schedule review based on 
runway capacity.
    Generally, FAA uses average hourly runway capacity throughput for 
airports and performance metrics in conducting its schedule review at 
Level 2 airports and determining the scheduling limits at Level 3 
airports included in FAA rules or orders.\5\ FAA also considers other 
factors that can affect operations, such as capacity changes due to 
runway, taxiway, or other airport construction, air traffic control 
procedural changes, airport surface operations, and historical or 
projected flight delays and congestion.
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    \5\ FAA typically determines an airport's average adjusted 
runway capacity or typical throughput for Level 2 airports by 
reviewing hourly data on the arrival and departure rates that air 
traffic control indicates could be accepted for that hour, commonly 
known as ``called'' rates. FAA also reviews the actual number of 
arrivals and departures that operated in the same hour. Generally, 
FAA uses the higher of the two numbers, called or actual, for 
identifying trends and schedule review purposes. Some dates are 
excluded from analysis, such as during periods when extended airport 
closures or construction could affect capacity.
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    Finally, FAA notes that the schedule information submitted by 
carriers to FAA may be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA). The WSG also provides for release of 
information at certain stages of slot coordination and schedule 
facilitation. In general, once it acts on a schedule submission or slot 
request, FAA may release information on slot allocation or similar slot 
transactions, or schedule information reviewed as part of the schedule 
facilitation process. FAA does not expect that practice to change, and 
most slot and schedule information would not be exempt from release 
under FOIA. FAA recognizes that some carriers may submit information on 
schedule plans that are both customarily and actually treated as 
private. Carriers that submit such confidential schedule information 
should clearly mark the information, or any relevant portions thereof, 
as proprietary information (``PROPIN''). FAA will take the necessary 
steps to protect properly designated information to the extent 
allowable by law.

EWR General Information

    FAA issued a Final Order (June 2025 Order) on June 10, 2025, 
limiting operations at EWR due to elevated delays and operational 
disruptions caused by air traffic controller staffing challenges, 
construction, congestion, and telecommunication issues.
    On September 29, 2025, FAA issued an extension of the June 2025 
Order through the end of the Summer 2026 scheduling season and 
increased the hourly operating limitations from 68 to 72.\6\ The 
staffing challenges persisted throughout the summer and could not be 
resolved prior to the start of the Winter 2025/2026 scheduling season 
or by the close of the Summer 2026 scheduling season.
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    \6\ <a href="http://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/29/2025-18871/operating-limitations-at-newark-liberty-international-airport">www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/29/2025-18871/operating-limitations-at-newark-liberty-international-airport</a>.
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    On June 23, 2026, FAA extended the existing operating limitations 
at EWR through the end of the Summer 2027 scheduling season, October 
30, 2027.\7\ This determination was made as staffing levels for Area C 
of the Philadelphia TRACON (PHL), which manages EWR, remain level and 
will not increase significantly prior to the start of the Summer 2027 
scheduling season. Carriers are reminded that FAA approval for runway 
access is separate from the approval process for gates or other airport 
infrastructure and both are essential for success at EWR. FAA expects 
that all carriers operating at EWR will respect the scheduling limits 
and work cooperatively with FAA in order to avoid unacceptable delays 
and other adverse operational impacts at the airport.
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    \7\ <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/23/2026-12589/operating-limitations-at-newark-liberty-international-airport">https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/23/2026-12589/operating-limitations-at-newark-liberty-international-airport</a>.
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ORD General Information

    FAA issued a Final Order (April 2026 Order) on April 20, 2026, 
limiting operations at ORD due to elevated delays and operational 
disruptions caused by factors such as airport construction and 
competitive

[[Page 64735]]

scheduling dynamics occurring between the two largest carriers at the 
airport.\8\
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    \8\ Operating Limitations at Chicago O'Hare International 
Airport, Order Establishing Scheduling Limits, 91 FR 21071 (April 
20, 2026), as amended on April 27, 2026, 91 FR 22573.
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    On July 14, 2026, FAA extended the April 2026 Order through the end 
of the Summer 2027 scheduling season, October 30, 2027.\9\ This 
determination was made as airport construction and adjustments on the 
airfield would continue through the Summer 2027 scheduling season. 
Carriers are reminded that FAA approval for runway access is separate 
from the approval process for gates or other airport infrastructure and 
both are essential for success at ORD. FAA expects that all carriers 
operating at ORD will respect the scheduling limits and work 
cooperatively with FAA in order to avoid unacceptable delays and other 
adverse operational impacts at the airport.
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    \9\ 91 FR 43144 (July 14, 2026).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on October 6, 2026.
Gianfranco Burdhimo II,
Acting Deputy Vice President, System Operations Services.
[FR Doc. 2026-20784 Filed 10-7-26; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P


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