Airline associations call for global regulation of slots

In a joint statement, the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Airlines for America (A4A), Airlines International Representation in Europe (AIRE), Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO), Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines (AAPA), The European Express Association, the European Regions Airline Association (ERAA), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) expose the benefits of the WASG, which has ensured decades of stability and consistency in the application of air transport management. slots. Under WASG, consumers have benefited from steady growth in reliable schedules and expansion into new markets, while airlines and airports have seen increased utilization of scarce airport capacity.

The fragmentation of slot regulation risks disrupting airline schedules and endangers the advances in global connectivity, efficiency, competition and choice that have characterized the aviation industry in recent decades. With the number of slot-regulated airports around the world growing steadily, it is vital that governments recognize the importance of harmonizing slot regulations in line with the WASG.

The WASG has undergone a significant overhaul in recent years, with improvements to the definition of new entrant to increase competition and access opportunities at congested airports. Slot performance monitoring has also been further defined to ensure optimal use of allocated slots. Therefore, it is important that national or regional slot regulations dynamically align with the WASG so that the aviation industry and travelers can immediately benefit from these and other system enhancements.

The Associations also urged governments to consider incorporating the WASG or amending existing slot regulations to work with the World Airport Slots Board, a body comprised of airline, airport slot experts and slot coordinators, who they oversee the expert reviews of the WASG. Consulting with this group of experts can ensure that governments, their economies and citizens continue to reap the benefits of an increasingly interconnected, sustainable and efficient air transport network.

“The air transport industry thrives on consistent global standards. The World Airport Slots Guidelines are the unsung hero of the air transportation system. Thanks to the WASG, travelers, businesses and economies around the world have benefited from the steady growth in air connectivity, strong competition and route diversity, while ensuring that scarce airport capacity utilization also increases. . Governments must align their slot rules with this global standard to benefit from better air connectivity, efficiency and consumer choice,” said Willie Walsh, IATA Director General.

The statement was issued at the 152nd Slots Conference in Dublin, Ireland. The Slot Conference attracts more than 1,000 delegates, with representatives from more than 200 airports coordinated with slots and 215 individual airlines.

This biannual conference has been held since 1948 and is an important moment in the aviation planning journal, providing an opportunity to come together to rapidly optimize planned schedules, while seeking new opportunities for route and network growth. The objective of the conference is for the airlines to obtain the slots that will give them the best possible schedule to offer their clients in coordinated airports. The next conference will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from November 14 to 17, 2023.