Airports join airline call for European winter slot waiver

Airports grouping ACI Europe has joined forces with airline bodies and slot coordinators to agree a theoretical framework for a waiver of the 80:20 “use it of lose it” rule during the upcoming northern hemisphere winter season. While the decision to implement a waiver for the region’s roughly 100 slot-constrained airports belongs to the EC, the agreement marks an uptick in the pressure being applied to the regulator. The concerted effort to lobby the Commission also comes as hopes for a smooth recovery in European air travel demand are being dashed, with governments imposing short-notice restrictions on travel as coronavirus cases spike. “Continued uncertainty about a second wave of the pandemic and haphazard travel restrictions have caused passenger demand to plummet, leading to a slower recovery in European air transport and making the need for an extended slots waiver more urgent than ever,” says a statement signed by ACI Europe, Airlines for Europe (A4E), Airlines International Representation in Europe (AIRE), IATA, and the European Association of Slot Coordinators (EUACA). “Industry and slot coordinators require a clear signal from the Commission as to the rules of the game for the coming winter season,” it adds. <br/>