Slot Allocation Regulation
- Slot Allocation Regulation 2019
- Airport Slot Allocation Regulations
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This story is part of AIN's continuing coverage of the impact of the coronavirus on aviation.
Rules on the allocation of airport slots have big ramifications for airline competition and market access for low-cost carriers, which were making ever deeper inroads before the pandemic. The European Council Regulation 95/93 on common rules for the allocation of slots at Community airports in the Netherlands also taking into account the IATA Worldwide Slot Guidelines (WSG). ACNL, to ensure a smooth and clear slot allocation process, in this working procedure provides additional information with respect to.
Airports, airlines, and slot allocation coordinators have called for waivers covering the use of slots to be extended through the end of the 2021 northern hemisphere summer season so that carriers will not be forced to give up slots they cannot use due to the continued slump in demand for flights. On Thursday, the Worldwide Slot Board (WASB), comprising the Airports Council International, the International Air Transport Association and the Worldwide Airport Coordinators Group, also urged regulators to temporarily introduce more flexible slot rules that the industry bodies say are needed to maintain “essential air transport connectivity” in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the WASB, international air traffic is only expected to return to around 25 percent of 2019 levels by next summer. “The existing slot rules were never designed to cope with a prolonged industry collapse,” said the group in a November 26 statement.
WASB said any carriers that are able to return a full series of slots by early February 2021 should be allowed to retain the right to operate them in the summer of 2022. The 2021 summer season begins on March 28.
The group also called for a lower operating threshold to be applied for airlines to retain their slots for the following season. Normally, this requires carriers to use their airport slots 80 percent of the time, but it says this should be reduced to 50 percent for the summer of 2021.
Finally, WASB called for clarification over the terms under which it would be acceptable for slots not to be used. For instance, it said that these should include force majeure conditions due to short-term border closures or government-imposed Covid quarantines.
Slot Allocation Regulation 2019
“It is vital that regulators quickly adopt the WASB proposal on a globally harmonized basis,” said IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac. “Airlines and airports need certainty as they are already planning the 2021 summer season and have to agree schedules. Delays in adopting new rules will further damage the industry at a time when industry finances, and 4.8 million jobs in air transport, hang by a thread.”
Almost half of all airline passengers travel through slot-regulated airports, according to WASB. Slot use rules were primarily intended to ensure that competition is not undermined by dominant airlines holding unused slots in a way that prevents others from introducing service.
Air connectivity recovery will be a key driver of global economic recovery
Montreal, 13 November 2020 – In a resolution, the Airports Council International (ACI) World Annual General Assembly has declared that airport slot allocation policies should support the recovery of air transport.
Airport connectivity is essential for the recovery of air transport, and will be a key driver of the wider global economic recovery and ACI World urges airport operators, airlines and slot coordinators to work together and to increase their collaboration in setting and maintaining a harmonized slot allocation process.
Historically, more than 200 airports worldwide have declared insufficient capacity to meet airlines’ demand for flights, especially at peak times and airports may be subject to capacity reduction in the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic because of government regulations, physical infrastructure limitations, or commercial considerations.
ACI World has called upon aviation oversight authorities to recognize the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines when designing, implementing and evaluating slot allocation policies and promote an evidence-based and data-driven approach to determine slot policies that support the recovery of air traffic.
“Increased air connectivity will be an important driver of the global economic recovery and it is important that future slot allocation policies do not constrain the industry’s capacity to sustain recovery,” ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said. “While slot allocation policies ensure the most efficient use of available airport capacity and manage airlines’ requests for slots in an orderly manner, the prime objective is to optimize benefits to consumers.
Airport Slot Allocation Regulations
“Governments and regulators should recognize the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines when creating slot allocation policies and we urge capacity-constrained airport operators to define the most efficient level of capacity and for airlines to use available capacity to avoid wasting scarce airport capacity.”
The First Edition of the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG) was jointly published by ACI World, the International Air Transport Association, and the Worldwide Airport Slot Coordinators Group (WWACG) on 1 June 2020.
“We want to promote an evidence-based and data-driven approach to determine slot policies that support the recovery of air traffic,” Luis Felipe de Oliveira said.
Slot Allocation Regulation Limit
Notes for editors
- More information on the ACI World Annual General Assembly Resolutions.
- Stay up to date with ACI World’s COVID-19 communications through its dedicated news hub.
- Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association of the world’s airports, was founded in 1991 with the objective of fostering cooperation among its member airports and other partners in world aviation, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Air Transport Association and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization. In representing the best interests of airports during key phases of policy development, ACI makes a significant contribution toward ensuring a global air transport system that is safe, secure, customer-centric and environmentally sustainable. As of January 2020, ACI serves 668 members, operating 1979 airports in 176 countries.
Slot Allocation Regulation Meaning
Media contacts
Anita Berthier
Director, Communications
ACI World
Telephone: +1 514 373 1254
Email: mediarelations@aci.aero