At present, the rules for slot allocation mean that airlines must operate at least 80 per cent of their allocated slots under normal circumstances, according to IATA in the statement.

Failure to comply with this means the airline loses its right to the slot the next equivalent season. In exceptional circumstances, regulators can relax this requirement. 

The COVID-19 crisis has had a severe impact on air traffic with airlines experiencing serious declines in demand. Including:

▪ A carrier experiencing a 26 per cent reduction across their entire operation in comparison to last year.

▪ A hub carrier reporting bookings to Italy down 108 per cent as bookings collapse to zero and refunds grow.

▪ Many carriers reporting 50 per cent no-shows across several markets

▪ Future bookings are softening and carriers are reacting with measures such as crew being given unpaid leave, freezing of pay increases, and plans for aircraft to be grounded. 

Given these extraordinary circumstances as a result of the public health emergency, the collective view of the airline industry is that the application of 80 per cent rule during the upcoming season is inappropriate, it said.

It said flexibility is needed for airlines to adjust their schedules according to extraordinary demand developments.  

Regulators have already waived the slot rules on a rolling basis during the COVID-19 crisis, primarily for operations to China and Hong Kong.

However, given the recent further outbreaks, this is no longer contained to the Asian markets, according to IATA which represents some 290 airlines comprising 82 per cent of global air traffic.

“Without certainty that these waivers will continue for the summer season (or winter season in the Southern hemisphere), airlines are unable to plan ahead sufficiently to ensure efficient rostering of crew or deployment of aircraft,” it said.

Suspending the requirement for the entire season (to October 2020) will mean that airlines can respond to market conditions with appropriate capacity levels, avoiding any need to run empty services in order to maintain slots.

Aircraft it said, can be reallocated to other routes or parked, crews can have certainty on their schedules.

“IATA research has shown that traffic has collapsed on key Asian routes and that this is rippling throughout the air transport network globally, even between countries without major outbreaks of COVID-19.” 

There are precedents for the previous suspension of the slot use rules and we believe the circumstances again calls for a suspension to be granted, said IATA.