European airlines and airports are urging the European
Commission to formalise an extension to the “use-it-or-lose-it” slot rules waiver
for the whole of the 2020-21 winter season, with several industry bodies saying
they have reached an agreement on conditions that will see slots that won’t be used
handed back for reallocation.
The commission waived the rules at the start of the
pandemic, allowing airlines to maintain their slots through the summer season
without having to use them. Under normal circumstances, carriers must use at
least 80 per cent of their allocated slots in order to maintain them for the
next equivalent flying season.
However, the waiver is due to expire at the end of the
summer season on 24 October, and while the European Commission has proposed
extending this through until next spring, nothing has officially been
confirmed. Airlines say this is making it difficult to accurately plan their
operations beyond this date, particularly with passenger demand still being
impacted by worries over a second wave of infections across the continent and
ongoing travel restrictions.
There have been some worries about how the waiver could
impact competition among airlines, with Hungarian airline Wizz Air saying it is
ready to take up unused capacity on routes that will not be operated by other
carriers during the pandemic.
As such, Airports Council International (ACI) Europe,
Airlines for Europe (A4E), Airlines International Representation in Europe
(AIRE), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the European
Association of Slot Coordinators (EUACA) have agreed on a set of conditions
that will see “the timely return of slots not planned for use this winter”.
The conditions mean airlines that do not intend to utilise
their slots should inform coordinators as soon as their plans are known so
those slots can be reallocated where possible. In addition, carriers that
suspend operations at an airport will be required to return the slots they’ve been
given for the winter season.
Olivier Jankovec, director general of ACI Europe, commented:
“Decisions must be made now to enable the timely return of slots for the winter
season once the waiver is granted. This will give airports and airlines
certainty in planning their schedules and operations and ensure that passengers
know what to expect in the tough months ahead. Further delays will paralyse the
winter planning process and add millions in costs for all parties.”
Thomas Reynaert, managing director of A4E, said: “Restoring
passenger confidence is a top priority for the entire aviation sector and
indeed the European economy. Given the constantly changing government
restrictions, it is vital that the upcoming winter schedules provide passengers
with as much predictability as possible.”
Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s regional vice president for
Europe, added: “Only a full-season slots waiver will ensure that the flying of
empty planes is avoided and enable flights to be operated in the most
sustainable way possible. Airlines and airports in Europe stand ready to apply
the agreed conditions as soon as the full-season waiver is granted and call on
the European Commission to endorse this agreement and authorise the waiver
immediately.”