Hong Kong extends waiver for ‘use it or lose it’ slot rule

Hong Kong’s civil aviation authority has extended a waiver for a “use it or lose it” rule relating to slot utilisation, giving carriers more flexibility to adjust their schedules amid the challenging Covid-19 environment. The Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG) rule stipulates that airlines need to operate from their slots for 80% of the time during the period allocated in order to be allowed to retain them. The Hong Kong Schedule Coordination Office (HKSCO) has been “closely monitoring” the impact of Covid-19 on airline operators’ slot usage at the Hong Kong International Airport, the city’s Civil Aviation Department, which oversees the HKSCO, says. “In consideration of the situation and to facilitate planning by airline operators, the HKSCO has on 31 July 2020, informed airline operators at HKIA that the ‘use-it-or-lose-it rule’ will continue to be suspended for operations at the HKIA for the Winter 2020 IATA season (i.e. from 25 October 2020 to 27 March 2021),” the Civil Aviation Department said. In June, IATA said that a continued relaxation of the “use it or lose it” regulations is essential to aid airlines’ restart of operations and ensure connectivity in the longer term. Earlier in the year, several bodies, including the US Department of Transportation and the European Council, announced that they would temporarily waive the rule in their respective jurisdictions.<br/>