The European Commission said on Thursday 13 January that the current slot rules for airlines were “very reasonable”. These rules oblige airlines to use at least 50% of the slots they have available, otherwise they are withdrawn the following year.
The European Commission’s statement comes in the wake of complaints from several airlines, including the boss of the Deutsche Lufthansa AG group, who said on 23 December that the rules would force the group’s airlines to operate almost 18,000 empty flights during the winter season (see EUROPE 12863/7).
The Commission has planned to raise the minimum slot threshold to 64% for the next summer season, thus remaining below the usual 80% that applied before the start of the health crisis.
These requirements, the European Commission explained, are based on booking and cancellation figures recorded by Eurocontrol.
According to the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, air traffic this winter is between 73% and 78% of the levels of 2019, the pre-pandemic reference year. Eurocontrol forecasts a level of 88% for 2022 compared to 2019. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)