News
IATA urges Europe to delay restoration of 80-20 slot rule until mid-2023
July 15th 2022
International Air Transport Association (IATA) director general, Willie Walsh, said it is too soon to return to pre-pandemic slot rules given the failure of key airports to cope with increasing demand for air travel post-pandemic. Read More » Walsh was responding to an announcement that the European Commission proposes to return to the longstanding 80-20 slot use rule later this year. The regulation requires airlines to operate at least 80% of their slots in each scheduling season to secure them for the following year. “The chaos we have seen at certain airports this summer has occurred with a slot use threshold of 64%. We are worried airports will not be ready to service an 80% threshold by the end of October,” Walsh said. “It is essential the member states and parliament adjust the commission’s proposal to a realistic level and permit flexibility in the slot use rules. Airports are equal partners in the slot process. Let them demonstrate their ability to declare and manage their capacity accurately and competently and then restore the slot use rule next summer.”
