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European airlines and airports agree on the conditions for the exemption of slots in winter.

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European airlines and airports have agreed to meet a number of conditions together with slot coordinators in order to maintain the exemption of slots in winter in view of the more difficult winter season the aviation industry will have to face.

The possibility of a second wave of the pandemic and travel restrictions by some governments have caused passenger demand to plummet, leading to a slower recovery in European air transport and making the need for an extended slot exemption “more urgent than ever”, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

To facilitate a rapid decision by the European Commission, ACI EUROPE, Airlines for Europe (A4E), Airlines International Representation in Europe (AIRE), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the European Association of Slot Coordinators (EUACA) have agreed some conditions to ensure the timely return of slots that will not be used this winter. This represents a significant achievement given the extraordinary circumstances in which airports and airlines find themselves.

“It is now essential that the European Commission formalizes an extension of the slot exemption and clarifies how the conditions will be implemented. The industry and slot coordinators require a clear signal from the Commission on the rules of the game for the coming winter season,” they say from IATA.

ACI Europe’s Director General, Olivier Jankovec, says that decisions must now be made to allow for the timely return of slots for the winter season once the exemption is granted.

“This will give airports and airlines certainty in planning their schedules and operations and ensure that passengers know what to expect in the difficult months ahead. More delays will cripple the winter planning process and add up to millions of costs for all parties,” the organization says.

For the general director of A4E, Thomas Reynaert, “restoring passenger confidence is a top priority for the entire aviation sector and, indeed, for the European economy. Given the ever-changing government restrictions, it is vital that the upcoming winter schedules provide passengers with as much predictability as possible”.

“Only a full season slot exemption will ensure that empty aircraft are avoided and flights are operated in the most sustainable way possible. The airlines and airports in Europe are ready to implement the agreed conditions as soon as the full season exemption is granted and call on the European Commission to endorse this agreement and authorize the exemption immediately,” concluded IATA Regional Vice President Europe, Rafael Schvartzman.

By EuropaPress

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