The UK Government is making plans to offer a slot amnesty, providing airlines with a short window in which to hand back slots for the rest of the summer that they are not confident they will be able to operate.

Over recent weeks we have seen many airlines having to cancel flights that they are unable to operate, often at the last minute. This move by the UK Government, announced on June 21st, should help to provide passengers with more certainty that their flight will operate, and if it will not, that they have enough notice to make alternative arrangements.

Any slots which are handed back will become available for other airlines to use for the remainder of this season, before being returned to the airlines which normally own them in the next season. The proposal remains subject to parliamentary approval.

London Airports, Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, London City, Southend
London Heathrow Airport is heavily slot constrained, with slot pairs selling for millions of dollars. Photo: Getty Images

The UK’s Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, said,

“The British people have made huge sacrifices over the pandemic, and for many this will be well-deserved time away that they haven’t had in years. That’s why it’s crucial they don’t face disappointing last-minute cancellations and chaos at airports when the system can’t deliver, and I will do everything in my power to stop that. Today’s announcement aims to help airlines provide certainty to passengers and ensure the next few months are as smooth as possible.”

No more 'use it or lose it'

Prior to the pandemic, airport slots were regulated by the ‘use it or lose it’ rule, which meant that airlines had to use a slot at least 80% of the time in order to retain it for the following year. This rule was removed when the pandemic brought air travel to a halt, but as demand began to pick up again, the policy was reinstated.

From that point until March 2022, airlines had to use their slots at least 50% of the time, and this was further increased to 70% ahead of the peak summer season. Such rules have forced some airlines to operate controversial ghost flights in order to retain their slots.

Slots are used to manage capacity at airports. A slot gives the airline permission to use the airport infrastructure (runway, terminal, gates, etc.) that is needed to operate flights at an airport on a specific date and time. Slots can be valuable commercial assets for airlines, particularly those at slot-constrained airports such as London Heathrow or Amsterdam Schiphol.

Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350-1041 G-VJAM
Currently, airlines must use their slots in the UK at least 70 % of the time in order to keep them for the following year. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

The industry reaction

The proposal will likely come as welcome news to airlines and passengers alike, and industry reaction has so far been positive. CEO of Airlines UK, Tim Alderslade, called it “a welcome step which will help build greater resilience into operations this summer, coming on top of measures already taken by the sector.”

Editor of Which? Travel, Rory Boland, said,

"The UK has the highest airport slot thresholds in the world. This has led to airlines attempting and failing to operate flights to meet their slot quota. A summer amnesty on slot rules is potentially good news for passengers as it could ease disruption. Carriers must act responsibly, however, and temporarily surrender their slots to other airlines if they are unable to fulfill them. This will not only help reduce cancellations but also put an end to the environmentally damaging practise of running ghost flights with near-empty planes to retain slots."

A photo shows planes from different carriers lining up to take off from Heathrow runway 27L.
The AFS worker's strike will start from 05:00 on July 21st. Photo: Getty Images

The proposal now sits with Parliament for approval.

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