On 12 October, the European Council agreed with the Commission’s proposition of waving slot use requirements at EU airports for the upcoming winter season. The agreement, which entered into force this week, ensures that exemptions from the normal slot rules can be granted in circumstances beyond airlines’ control, with a general slot relief at 75% still applying.
Thanks to this decision, airlines are heading into the winter season, starting this weekend, with more certainty for their operations. Airlines for Europe (A4E) maintains that a use rate of 75% for winter 2022/23 gives airlines more flexibility to react to disruptive events in a volatile operational and economic environment, particularly in light of the latest Eurocontrol forecast, which shows air traffic recovering to 84% of 2019 levels this year and only making a full recovery by 2024 at the earliest. However, the final act includes important provisions on justified non-use of slots and simplifies the process for lowering the slot use rate if necessary.
Airlines across Europe will be able to operate their winter schedules with more certainty on the basis of the EU agreement, delivering connectivity for passengers while also being mindful of the potential headwinds they are facing.
Thomas Reynaert, Managing Director A4E
This weekend will also see the removal of the passenger cap at Heathrow Airport, one of Europe’s largest air hubs. Following the highly disruptive decisions by some European airports to reduce capacity in the middle of this year’s summer season, A4E urges airports to ensure that they do not introduce any arbitrary limits on capacity during the winter. This is particularly important if such limits will disrupt the plans of passengers at short notice during Christmas holidays, traditionally one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
The coming year represents an important juncture for the regulation of slots. The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the allocation of EU airport slots which will inform the review of the EU Slots Regulation. This review is expected to commence in the second half of 2023 and is critically important for air transport in Europe.
“It is crucial for airlines that this certainty is maintained throughout the winter and is not subject to airport-imposed caps on capacity. The intense debate that preceded this agreement underlines how important it is to get the review of the Slots Regulation right. We are hopeful that with the time and space afforded by the normal legislative process, stakeholders and the institutions will be able to work collaboratively to ensure an outcome that is fair, flexible and reflective of today’s operational realities”, said A4E Managing Director Thomas Reynaert.
A4E believes that this review should be done in close consultation with all stakeholders. The past two years have shown the importance of having a stable yet flexible system for slots in Europe and any revisions to the Regulation will need to ensure airlines can quickly adapt to dynamic and unpredictable circumstances. This has become all the more important due to continued uncertainty driven by the war in Ukraine, lingering concerns over possible impacts of new waves of Covid-19 and turbulent economic conditions.
