With the most difficult winter season in aviation’s history rapidly approaching, airports and airlines have agreed to abide by a set of conditions together with slot coordinators under which an extension of the waiver of the ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ rule could be applied for the entire 2020-2021 winter season.

While Europe’s aviation industry is showing signs of recovery, haphazard travel restrictions and fear over a second wave of the pandemic have caused recovery to be slower than predicted. Subsequently leading industry trade bodies have united to facilitate a prompt decision over the urgent need for an extended slots waiver. This will ensure that upcoming winter schedules provide passengers with as much predictability as possible.

Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, Airlines for Europe (A4E), Airlines International Representation in Europe (AIRE), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the European Association of Slot Coordinators (EUACA) have agreed on specific conditions to ensure a timely return of slots not planned for use this winter. They are urging the European Commission to formalise an extension of the slots waiver and clarify how the conditions will be implemented.

“Decisions must be made now to enable the timely return of slots for the winter season once the waiver is granted,” said Olivier Jankovec, Director General, ACI Europe. “This will give airports and airlines certainty in planning their schedules and operations and ensure that passengers know what to expect in the tough months ahead. Further delays will paralyse the winter planning process and add millions in costs for all parties,” he continued.

Meanwhile Rafael Schvartzmann, IATA Regional VP for Europe added: “Only a full-season slots waive will ensure that the flying of empty planes is avoided and enable flights to be operated in the most sustainable way possible. Airlines and airports in Europe stand ready to apply the agreed conditions as soon as the full-season waiver is granted and call on the European Commission to endorse this agreement and authorise the waiver immediately.”

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