A draft by the EU Commission would rule out a renewed extension of the slot exception rule beyond March 2021. Instead, they are working on slowly stimulating competition again.
As a result, a new rule is to come into force which stipulates at least 40 percent slot capacity. "The proposed rules offer a certain degree of certainty for the 2021 summer season and ensure that the Commission can decide on further slot relief according to clear rules," said EU Transport Commissioner Adina Valean. The proposal still has to be adopted by the EU Parliament and the 27 EU member states.
This would even put the EU under the IATA recommendation. The umbrella organization recommended a 50 percent limit in order to avoid a penalty and the loss of slots, like the aviation portal Aero reported. Only from the summer flight schedule of 2022 should the airlines return to the normal slot rule. At least 80 percent of an assigned slot at an airport must actually be used for flights, otherwise the slot will be withdrawn. Currently, airline managers don't have to worry about losing their airport slot if they don't use it to the full due to the lack of demand. Because the exception rule still applies.
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