PARIS: Global aviation heavyweights led by airline body IATA are pushing to suspend airport slot access rules until October 2021, they said on Thursday, but will give some ground to budget carriers angered by measures they deem anti-competitive.
The draft proposal was issued jointly by IATA, airports body ACI and slot coordinator association WWACG. It would prolong the current suspension of rules requiring airlines to use 80 per cent of their take-off and landing windows or else cede some to rivals.
Rules on the allocation of airport slots have big ramifications for airline competition and market access for low-cost carriers, which were making ever deeper inroads before the pandemic. The current waiver expires on March 31.
“We oppose the extension of slot waivers into summer 2021 because this will lead to fewer flights and higher fares for consumers,” a Ryanair spokeswoman said.
“Legacy airlines at hub airports will have no incentives to operate flights,” she added. “Slot waivers distort competition by preventing low-fare airlines from expanding while legacy carriers are able to reduce capacity and raise prices.” The issue is increasingly divisive among airlines and airports, pitting budget carriers largely absent from IATA against the organisation’s more traditional membership.
In a bid to address concerns, the proposal would restore the “use-it-or-lose-it” principle during the northern summer but reduce the utilisation rate required to keep slots to 50 per cent. — Reuters
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