Airlines and Airports Disagree over European Slot Rule Change | Aviation International News

Airlines and Airports Disagree over European Slot Rule Change

IATA condemned the European Commission as "out of touch with reality" in its decision to set a 50 percent threshold for "use it or lose it" slot rules.

Owners of European airports, like Frankfurt in Germany, don't see eye-to-eye with airlines over changes to the European Commission's slot allocation rules. (Photo: Frankfurt Airport)

By Charles Alcock • Managing Editor

July 26, 2021

Predictably, airlines and airports are at loggerheads over a decision by the European Commission (EC) to set the threshold for slot usage at 50 percent for the winter air travel season under the so-called “use it or lose it” rules governing carriers’ rights to retain slots. The decision, confirmed late on July 23 by EC President Ursula von der Leyen, extended the relief from the standard 80/20 rule under which airlines have been required to use at least 80 percent of the time or risk losing slots to competitors. The EC suspended the rule in late March 2020 to take account of Covid’s impact on flight schedules.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expressed strong dissatisfaction with the EC decision under its Regulation 95/93. The airline group repeated its demand for “a much lower threshold” and accused EC officials of being “out of touch with reality.”

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