Airports Council International (ACI) World is calling for the modernisation of the global airport slot allocation system.
ACI World says that its white paper Airport Slot Policy – Rethinking Airport Access in a Capacity-Constrained World explains how an outdated regulatory framework is forcing the aviation industry into inefficient compromises, in addition to creating barriers to socio-economic competitiveness and connectivity.
According to ACI World, the number of the world’s most congested, slot-restricted airports has surged by over 25% in the last decade alone and global passenger traffic is projected to nearly double by the mid-2040s. The foundational framework that manages slot allocation has not kept pace with aviation’s dynamic growth and transformation.
Justin Erbacci, Director General of ACI World commented: “We are trying to run a 2026 aviation industry on a 1970s operating system. Airports are doing their best to operate within an outdated regulatory framework, but the reality is that these inflexible rules and practices are preventing the industry from adapting to modern passenger demands, providing competitive fares and building resilient networks.
“ACI World urges regulators to sit down with the industry and finally deliver the overdue upgrade that our passengers deserve.”
The association says that fewer than 10% of the world’s airports handle nearly two-thirds of all passengers, and that 85.5% of the busiest ones, those serving more than 40 million passengers a year, are already operating at or near full capacity. Yet today’s system offers little visibility into how decisions about that scarce capacity are actually made. As pressure on these airports keeps growing, airports, airlines and policymakers need to be able to see and evaluate those decisions.
ACI World states that a modernised system should make that possible by providing greater transparency around who is requesting access, who receives it and why, so that the infrastructure is used efficiently and in everyone’s interest. At the 50 most congested airports, the four largest airlines account for 67% of flights and historic access rights accumulate over time and are rarely released. The existing guidelines heavily prioritise historical allocation patterns and incumbent airlines, the association says.
The current system limits competition and consumer choice and ultimately reduces the quality of connectivity, making it challenging for the system to adapt as passenger demands or economic needs change. Erbacci said: “Airports are ready to do the work, but we cannot build the future of aviation alone. We strongly urge airline representatives and legacy industry bodies to move past historical resistance and a ‘zero-sum’ mentality and join us in improving the slot allocation system.
“It is time to design a transparent, future-ready framework that unlocks operational efficiency, fosters healthy competition, and delivers the routes that the 21st-century global economy demands.”
