IATA calls for suspension of slot allocation rules
The International Air Transport Association is urging aviation regulators to suspend airport slot rules as airlines continue to cut global seat capacity.
IATA wants authorities to postpone the ‘use it or lose it’ requirement at airports worldwide due to the spread of coronavirus.
About 43% of all passengers fly from about 200 airports worldwide which have strict slot allocation rules.
These rules require airlines to operate at least 80% of their allocated slots or they could potentially lose the use of the slots in the next equivalent slot ‘season.’
Under special circumstances, regulators have relaxed this requirement, such as last year during the Hong Kong protests.
The global COVID-19 outbreak has led to airline crews going on unpaid leave, aircraft parked and many carriers reporting 50% no-shows across several markets, not just in Asia.
"IATA research has shown that traffic has collapsed on key Asian routes and that this is rippling throughout the air transport network globally, even between countries without major outbreaks of COVID-19," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general and CEO.
By suspending the slot usage requirement, airlines will be able to better respond to the crisis with capacity levels that meet the current reduced demand and avoid running empty services to maintain their slots, IATA says.
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