Slots agreed – nearly

Facing the most difficult winter season in aviation history, airlines and airports have agreed to abide by a set of conditions, together with slot coordinators, under which an extension of the waiver of the “use-it-or-lose-it” rule can be applied for the entire 2020-2021 winter season.

Continued uncertainty about a second wave of the pandemic and haphazard travel restrictions have caused passenger demand to plummet, leading to a slower recovery in European air transport and making the need for an extended slots waiver more urgent than ever.

To facilitate a prompt decision by the European Commission, ACI Europe, Airlines for Europe (A4E), Airlines International Representation in Europe (AIRE), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the European Association of Slot Coordinators (EUACA) have agreed on specific conditions to ensure a timely return of slots not planned for use this winter. This represents a significant achievement given the extraordinary circumstances airports and airlines find themselves in.

“Decisions must be made now to enable the timely return of slots for the winter season once the waiver is granted. This will give airports and airlines certainty in planning their schedules and operations and ensure that passengers know what to expect in the tough months ahead. Further delays will paralyse the winter planning process and add millions in costs for all parties,” said Olivier Jankovec, Director General, ACI Europe.

www.acl-uk.org

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David Starkie, London

I find this a confusing statement. Also what are the conditions?