Due to the impact of the coronavirus on travel, Iata has requested that aviation regulators worldwide suspend the rules that govern the use of airport slots immediately, and for the 2020 season.
Approximately 43% of all passengers depart from over 200 slot-co-ordinated airports worldwide. As it stands, the rules for slot allocation stipulate that airlines must operate at least 80% of their allocated slots under normal circumstances. Failure to adhere to this requirement means the airline loses its right to the slot the next season. In exceptional circumstances, regulators can reassess and make appropriate changes to this requirement.
The coronavirus has resulted in serious declines in demand. Operations have been affected by cancellations, increased refunds, and drops in future bookings, all of which raise the prospect of crew being given unpaid leave and aircraft being grounded as well as having a negative impact on pay increases.
Regulators have already been waiving the slot rules on a continuous basis during the coronavirus outbreak, primarily for operations to China and Hong Kong SAR. However, with the rapid spread of the virus to other countries, Iata says the suspension of the slot allocation rules is a more sustainable measure that will give airlines enough time to respond to market conditions with appropriate capacity levels and schedules that reallocate crew and aircraft to other routes.
