- Government extends alleviation of airport slots usage rules
with adjusted ratio of 70:30 for Summer 2022 season.
- Airlines will have to use their slots 70% of the time to
retain their rights to them, providing support as demand for
flights continues to returns to pre-pandemic levels.
- Change provides further support for aviation sector recovery,
increases flexibility and protects the environment as airlines
will not have to operate carbon-inefficient 'ghost flights' to
retain their slots where markets are substantively closed.
The UK Government has today (Monday, 24 January 2022) laid
regulations before Parliament which will extend the airport slots
rules alleviation for the upcoming summer season, supporting the
aviation industry as demand for international travel returns.
Airlines will need to use their slots 70% of the time in order to
keep them, but will also benefit from added flexibility over when
they are justified not to use them, for example where a market is
substantively closed. If this alleviation wasn’t provided, the
usage threshold would default back to 80:20 with no additional
flexibility on justified non-use, increasing the risk of ghost
flights.
Following a period of consultation with the sector, the extension
of alleviation from slots rules will further support its recovery
from the Covid-19 pandemic as air travel returns to normal
levels. This aims to balance the need for continued support for
the aviation sector’s finances, providing airlines with enough
flexibility to adapt to changing restrictions and concerns around
new variants, while ensuring slots get used where demand allows.
It also takes advantage of the UK’s new freedom to set its own
slots rules after leaving the EU, to whose rules we were
previously tied.
As part of this, the list of situations where airlines can claim
justification for not using their slots is being widened further.
As in the current winter season, this will cover situations where
COVID-19 related restrictions at either end of a route result in
severe reduction in demand; however for the Summer 2022 season it
will no longer be necessary for the airline to show that the
measures were unforeseeable. This means airlines won’t need to
make the choice between running environmentally damaging ghost
flights and losing their historic slot rights where markets
remain closed as a result of Covid restrictions, while also
protecting long-term connectivity. For example, airlines would be
able to apply for this measure if a country requires hotel
quarantine or closes hotels or restaurants as a result of Covid.
In such circumstances the regulations allow the airline to keep
their historic rights to the slots even if passenger demand does
not justify operating the flight.
Transport Secretary, , said:
“Leaving the EU has allowed us to take back control of our
airport slots rules, giving us greater flexibility to balance the
needs of our magnificent aviation industry as it faces up to the
pandemic.
“Today’s extension marks a step back towards normal rules,
helping the sector to recover and grow as travel returns, while
protecting it against any future uncertainty.”
Aviation Minister, said:
“Since the onset of the pandemic we have provided relief from the
slots usage rule to provide financial stability to the sector and
prevent environmentally damaging ghost flights.
“As demand for flights returns, it’s right we gradually move back
to the previous rules while making sure we continue to provide
the sector with the support it needs.”
This is the latest initiative introduced by the Government to
support the aviation sector. It follows the removal of the
temporary, extra testing measures introduced for Omicron in
November, which has made travel easier and cheaper for fully
vaccinated passengers and has provided a big boost for the travel
industry as we enter the peak new year booking period.
Airport slots are used to manage capacity at the busiest
airports. A slot gives permission to use the full range of
airport infrastructure (runway, terminal, gates, etc.) necessary
to operate an air service at an airport on a specific date and
time.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- Airlines must use their slots at least 50% of the time under
the current alleviation for the Winter 2021 season, but from
27th March this ratio will be adjusted to 70% to
reflect a further step towards normal rules now travel
restrictions have largely been relaxed.
