The International Air Transport Association (Iata) has called on aviation regulators worldwide to immediately suspend the rules governing use of airport slots for the 2020 season due to the impact of Covid-19 (the Coronavirus).
Around 43% of all passengers depart from over 200 slot-coordinated airports worldwide. At present, the rules for slot allocation mean that airlines must operate at least 80% of their allocated slots under normal circumstances. Failure to comply with this means the airline loses its right to the slot the next equivalent season. In exceptional circumstances, regulators can relax this requirement. The Covid-19 crisis has had a severe impact on air traffic with airlines experiencing serious declines in demand.
The collective view of the airline industry is that the application of the 80% rule during the upcoming season is inappropriate, according to Iata. Flexibility is needed for airlines to adjust their schedules according to extraordinary demand developments.
“Iata research has shown that traffic has collapsed on key Asian routes and that this is rippling throughout the air transport network globally, even between countries without major outbreaks of Covid-19,”said Iata Director General Alexandre de Juniac.
“The world is facing a huge challenge to prevent the spread of the disease while enabling the global economy to continue functioning. Airlines are on the front line of that challenge and it’s essential that the regulatory community work with us to ensure airlines are able to operate in the most sustainable manner, both economically and environmentally, to alleviate the worst impacts of the crisis,” he said.
