- Ministers have laid regulations to help airlines make
sensible decisions about schedules, avoiding last minute
cancellations and providing passengers with more certainty
- Airlines will be given a chance to hand back their take-off
and landing slots ahead of the summer peak to help them plan a
deliverable schedule
- Takes advantage of UK’s new freedom from EU slots rules, to
which we were previously tied
The Government has today (21 June 2022) laid regulations before
Parliament that will help airlines prevent last minute flight
cancellations during the summer peak.
The regulations will allow a one-off “amnesty” on airport slots
rules, enabling airlines to plan ahead and deliver a realistic
summer schedule that minimises disruption at the airports. This
is being provided as an exceptional measure, while industry makes
progress in recruiting necessary staff.
A bit like parking spaces for planes, slots are used to manage
capacity at the busiest airports. A slot gives permission to use
the full range of airport infrastructure (runway, terminal and
gates, for instance) necessary to operate an air service at an
airport on a specific date and time.
Highly valuable commercial assets, airlines must use slots a
certain amount of times each season in order to keep them.
However, many parts of the sector have been unable to recruit
enough staff in time to fly the number of flights they have
planned for, leading to flights being cancelled at short notice.
The Government will now give airlines a short window to hand back
slots for the rest of the summer season that they are not
confident they will be able to operate, helping passengers find
alternative arrangements ahead of time, rather than face the kind
of last-minute cancellations seen over the Easter and half-term
holidays.
Subject to parliamentary approval, the measure takes advantage of
our new freedom to set our own slots rules after leaving the EU
and comes after the Transport Secretary and Aviation Minister
urged the industry to develop a deliverable and realistic summer
schedule.
Transport Secretary said:
“The British people have made huge sacrifices over the pandemic,
and for many this will be well-deserved time away that they
haven’t had in years.
“That’s why it’s crucial they don’t face disappointing
last-minute cancellations and chaos at airports when the system
can’t deliver, and I will do everything in my power to stop that.
“Today’s announcement aims to help airlines provide certainty to
passengers and ensure the next few months are as smooth as
possible.”
Aviation Minister said:
“This is a hugely challenging time for our recovering aviation
industry, but we cannot have a situation where passengers arrive
at the airport just to have their flight cancelled or face long
delays.
“Today’s announcement follows the discussions that my officials
and I have been having with airports and airlines to understand
where we can help them and ensure that they can run realistic
schedules and make this summer a great success for the British
public.”
Richard Moriarty, Chief Executive of the Civil Aviation
Authority, said:
“Providing passengers with certainty this summer is vital, and
this intervention will help to relieve the pressures we see being
experienced by the aviation industry and its customers.
“Short-term measures are welcomed, but a continued focus on the
unplanned and inevitable operational challenges is crucial for
consumer confidence this summer.”
Tim Alderslade, CEO of Airlines UK, said:
"This is a welcome step which will help build greater resilience
into operations this summer, coming on top of measures
already taken by the sector. We will continue to work with
Ministers and the whole aviation eco-system to ensure the summer
peak runs as smoothly as possible for our passengers."
Government is already supporting the industry where possible,
including using our post-Brexit freedoms to provide the sector
with more flexibility when training new employees; working with
Border Force to ensure preparations meet passenger demand; and
allowing HMRC employment history letters to be used as a suitable
form of reference check.
Slots which are handed back would be available for other airlines
to use in the current season, before being returned to the
airlines which normally own them in the next season.
