‘Use it or lose it' waived for summer
The Association of European Airlines (AEA) has welcomed the European Parliament's decision to temporarily suspend the ‘use it or lose it' airport slot rule.
Airlines this summer no longer risk losing important airport slots for failing to use them at least 80% of the time.
The suspension follows a proposal by the European Commission earlier this year.
The AEA said the rule prevented airlines from cutting capacity as demand falls as a result of the economic downturn.
"It goes without saying that airlines need to take for granted, in their forward planning, that they will be able to have access to the airports they want and need to serve," the AEA's secretary general Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus said.
Mr Schulte-Strathaus said airlines operating slots in one season should be able to rely on having them the following year.
The AEA accepted that some routes "are running far below economic occupancy levels" as passenger numbers continue to decline year-on-year.
But the Association said airlines feared losing slots for good if they adjusted capacity, under 80:20 rule.
Mr Schulte-Strathaus added: "Having to permanently give up a slot is an extreme option which the airlines will avoid if they can, but flying nearly empty to protect slots is neither economically nor environmentally responsible.
"All airlines, whether EU or non-EU, require flexibility to adapt their flights to the rapidly changing demand; by temporarily suspending a rigid provision, and by not discriminating for or against certain airlines, the EU has provided such additional flexibility."
In March, Ryanair condemned the suspension of the slot rule claiming it would support higher fare rivals.
"This is protectionism of the worst type and will lead to further state and EU support for inefficient, high cost airlines which don't have the cost base to support growth or even the maintenance of existing services," Ryanair said.
"The Commission's proposal will ensure that these inefficient, high cost airlines can hold on to valuable slots at slot coordinated airports without using them."
Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, which represents airport operators in 45 European countries, said it regretted the European Parliament's decision.
Olivier Jankovec, the ACI's director general, said the suspension of the slot rule hit airport revenues "at a particularly critical time."
"Unlike airlines which have the flexibility to ground aircraft or cut routes and capacity at short notice to save costs in times of crisis, airports are bound by significant long term financial commitments linked to the development of their infrastructure," he added.
The ACI said any extension of the suspension into the winter season could be subject to EU conditions including a stakeholder impact assessment.
The slot regulation could also be revised "to ensure the optimal use of scarce capacity at congested airports," the ACI said.
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