
The airline industry has entered a period that has never been experienced before. The retraction in demand due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, travel restrictions, border closures, corporation travel bans, and economic decline have resulted in airlines being able to offer skeleton services, if at all. On this page you will find information, guidance and resources related to COVID-19, restart and airport slots.
Unnecessary 'ghost flights' and the need to justify non use of slots for low demand:
So much discussion on slots and misnamed 'ghost flights' - airlines are not flying totally empty planes, but EU slot rules with few exceptions are forcing airlines to fly with very low loads. Airlines would prefer to be environmentally responsible and cancel these unnecessary flights while rescheduling on to fewer flights to keep pax flying. Willie Walsh explains more on the issue in the video.
COVID-19 and Global Suspension of Slot Rules
Northern Winter 2022
Please find below a continuously updated list of the status of slot use relief measures at level 3 airports for the Northern Winter 2022 season:
Level 3 - Slot coordinated airports: Northern Winter 2022 slot use relief status summary (pdf)
Level 2 - Schedules facilitated airports: Northern Winter 2022 status (pdf)
- Worldwide Airport Slot Board (WASB) joint recommendation for airport slot use relief for the northern winter 2022 season (pdf)
EU Winter 2022 approach
- IATA position paper on the temporary slot regulation proposed by the EU Commission for Winter 2022 (Pdf)
Northern Summer 2022
Please find below a continuously updated list of the status of slot use relief measures at level 3 airports for the Northern Summer 2022 season:
Level 3 - Slot coordinated airports: Northern Summer 2022 slot use relief status summary (pdf)
Level 2 - Schedules facilitated airports: Northern Summer 2022 status (pdf)
- The Worldwide Airport Slot Board (WASB) has proposed a continuation of slot alleviation measures for the NS22 season (pdf).
Slot Relief in the European Union Summer 2022
The EU Commission has confirmed they will be adopting a Delegated Act for Summer 2022 which reduces the slot use threshold to 64% (64/36) for the season and provides extension of the existing COVID-related JNUS exceptions.
WASB Recommendations for Slot Coordination during COVID-19
The Worldwide Airport Slot Board (WASB) has provided industry recommendations to ensure best practice approaches for slot coordination, airport capacity and slot allocation management throughout the crisis. We strongly encourage all global slot coordinators, airports and airlines to adopt these to ensure consistent slot coordination and management.
- WASB procedure - Additional priority to series of slots that were allocated on an ad-hoc basis during times of crisis and as a consequence of slot relief measures (pdf)
- WASB communication to the global airport slot community on how to manage series of slots that were allocated on an ad-hoc basis during Northern Winter 2021 (pdf)
- The Worldwide Airport Slot Board (WASB) has agreed a guidance paper on returning slots under the WASB recommendation on slot use relief for northern summer 2021 (pdf)
- Changes in Airport Levels as a result of COVID-19 (pdf)
- Airport Capacity Declaration and Temporary Changes in Capacity due to COVID-19 (pdf)
- Airport Capacity Declaration and Temporary Changes in Capacity due to COVID-19 (pdf) - SPANISH translation
Resources
Previous seasons
Northern Winter 2021
- Level 3 - Slot coordinated airports: Northern Winter 2021 slot use relief status summary (pdf)
- Level 2 - Schedules facilitated airports: Northern Winter 2021 status (pdf)
- The WASB recommendation for Northern Winter 2021 slot relief (pdf) is a package of measures designed to enable recovery while recognizing the prolonged impact the crisis is having on the ability for airlines to utilize their slots.
Slot Relief in the European Union Winter 2021
- Why early granting of slot relief enables airlines to prioritise an environmentally sustainable flying schedule (pdf)
- Willie Walsh, IATA Director General comments on potential EU approach: EU Commission Blindness on Slot Rules Risks Environmental and Financial Lunacy
Northern Summer 2021
- Level 3 - Slot coordinated airports: Northern Summer 2021 slot use relief status summary (pdf)
- Worldwide Airport Slot Board (WASB) joint recommendation for airport slot use relief for the northern summer 2021 season (pdf)
Webinars
- IATA, Airport Council International (ACI) and the Worldwide Airport Coordinators Group (WWACG) jointly hosted a webinar on the aviation industry global approach for slot rules in northern summer 2021. WATCH WEBINAR
- IATA hosted a webinar where experts from airlines globally discussed their experiences and considerations for planning their airlines restart and building schedules for recovery. WATCH WEBINAR
Press releases & Media
- Slot relief in the European Union Winter 2021: Why early granting of slot relief enables airlines to prioritise an environmentally sustainable flying schedule (pdf)
- Aviation industry calls on regulators to act swiftly and adopt airport slot relief measures (pdf)
- Airline associations (IATA & A4E) comments concerning the recent EU Commission proposal for Summer 2021 (pdf)
- EUACA communication about the EU Commission statement of its intention to extend the slot usage waiver for the entire winter 2020 season (pdf)
- Joint agreement of airlines, airports and coordinators on the conditions that will be applicable to the NW20 EU slot waiver (pdf)
- Northern Winter 2020 Slot Waiver - Airline Industry View (pdf)
Presentations
- Please see our video where we explain why a slot waiver before the end of July is essential for airlines to plan a realistic schedule for Northern Winter 2020.
- Northern Winter 2020/2021 slot usage alleviation summary - Level 3 airports (pdf)
- COVID-19: Flexibility will be critical to success in the first year of restart (pdf)
- COVID-19: Flexibility will be critical to success in the first year of the restart, CHINESE TRANSLATION (pdf)
- Northern Summer 2020 Slot usage alleviation summary (pdf)
- Northern Winter 2020 waiver - a matter of urgency (pdf)