The Member States of the European Union have agreed that from October 30, airlines using the airspace of the Union will have to use at least 75% of their take-off and landing slots. The rule that required the use of 80% of the slots, applied before the pandemic, will be effective again in the summer season of 2023, according to the hosteltur news portal this Tuesday.
“Air traffic is returning to pre-pandemic volumes. This new regulation aims to ensure a gradual return to normality in line with this trend. It will provide more security for airports and airlines, improve connectivity throughout Europe and make life easier for air passengers,” the Council points out.
This agreement of the European Council ratifies the previous decision of the European Parliament and confirms the proposed path of the European Commission to support a gradual return to the slots rule of «use it or lose it» for the distribution of slots at European Union airports, given the rebound in air traffic demand. This principle ceased to apply between March 2020 and March 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has been gradually reapplied in subsequent seasons.
In its argument, the European Council highlights that the current situation of air transport is marked by a significant return of passenger demand experienced in the summer of this year, which did not reach total recovery 100% because airports and airlines were not able to fully restart capacity at the required speed. This upward trend is expected to continue, although it will remain below the pre-COVID level for the coming months, with differences between markets and regions.
In the event of an urgent need arising from an epidemiological crisis or war, the Commission will be empowered to amend this rule by means of delegated acts. In addition, airlines will be able to benefit from justified unused slots and count them as operated. Furthermore, airlines that are prohibited from entering the airspace of the Union will lose their slots immediately.
The new regulation will apply to the next winter season and until the end of the summer season of next year, for which the standard slot utilization rule of 80% will apply, unless the Commission adopts a delegated act to change this rule due to crisis situations or traffic disruptions.