Gatwick slams UK airport plan leaving slots fallow for winter

London Gatwick airport panned Britain’s plan to shield airlines from surrendering unused takeoff and landing slots over the coming winter season, warning the proposed rules will delay a travel industry recovery. A controversial element in the draft legislation would allow carriers to temporarily return any operating slots they don’t need this winter, and pick them up again the following year. They would be required to use only 50% of those that remain. The plan will enable incumbent carriers “to retain substantial slot portfolios at airports, blocking them from competitors, without having to operate any of them,” Jonathan Pollard, chief commercial officer at Gatwick, said in a letter to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. Normally, airlines are required to use 80% of their airport capacity or have the slots taken away. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, regulators have granted seasonal waivers to protect an industry in crisis. This has helped established airlines survive but also held back new entrants or those who would add flights, and acted as a brake on airport revenue. With international travel starting to return, there is pressure from airports and airlines like Ryanair Holdings Plc and Wizz Air Holdings Plc to revert back to the usual rules, or at least minimize the exemptions. They argue that this would free up slots for stronger players. Incumbents like EasyJet Plc and British Airways welcome the flexibility provided by the government’s plan. “The government has not taken the opportunity to implement a sensible return to slot usage rules for the winter season,” Gatwick’s Pollard said. “The new regulations do not strike the right balance between dispensation for airlines when markets are restricted, while also supporting effective competition and choice when airlines decide not to operate services.”<br/>