Lufthansa criticizes the EU rules on the use of slots, i.e. permits to take off and land at a specific time. Slots are essential for the airline to operate from the busiest airports. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the aviation market so badly that flight networks are cut and many flights are not taking place. Carriers are therefore threatened with the loss of historically held slots at airports.
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See also: This is how the airport is cleared of snow
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80:20. Rule of keeping slots at airports
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the 80:20 rule was in force, which gave the right to keep the slots held if the carrier used 80% of them. In March 2021, it was relaxed in the European Union to the 50:50 rule. From 28 March 2022, instead of the planned return to the 80:20 rule, the European Commission will adopt a new rule: 64:36.
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Willie Walsh, former CEO of British Airways and now chairman of the IATA International Air Transport Association, which includes 290 airlines worldwide, agrees with Lufthansa’s arguments.
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– Indeed, if there had been more flexibility in the slot rules, some of these flights would not have taken place. It is not stated, however, that planes fly completely empty. The European Union showed flexibility and responded constructively to this problem. However, it is disappointing to see a different response from the UK, which has just announced that the 70:30 rule will apply from summer 2022, Walsh said during a conference call with journalists.
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IATA CEO noted that airport slots are needed by network carriers such as Lufthansa to be able to rebuild their network of connections when traffic increases. It is not only about the right to take off and land at the largest airports in the world, but also in European ports from which passengers of connecting connections are transported to the hub. Before the pandemic, transfer passengers were the essence of the business of airlines such as Lufthansa, LOT Polish Airlines and KLM.
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Ghost Flights. It is economically and environmentally irrational
The media has argued that, while still maintaining fairly strict slot rules, the European Union is acting against the climate protection goals it has set for itself until 2030.
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Luis Felipe de Oliveira, general director of Airports Council International (ACI), an organization associating 2,000 people, flew to Warsaw. airports in the world, accounting for 96.5 percent. world air traffic. At Chopin Airport, he said, inter alia, on the importance of international cooperation and action for sustainable development in aviation. How can this be reconciled with ghost flight and airport slots regulations?
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– Historically it is very important for airlines to preserve the right to slots. This is one of the cornerstones of their relationship with airports. However, during the pandemic, many carriers reduced their fleet as well as the number of flights performed. We believe that the flight should be flown with passengers on board and with reasonably priced tickets – said de Oliveira in response to a question from money.pl.
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– Important is not only the environmental, but also the market aspect of this topic, from the perspective of the passenger and the offer for him. If we maintain the strict rules on the preservation of slots, we will lose the chance to enter this market for new players, new airlines that could offer new opportunities to fly, said the head of ACI World.
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– It is irrational to de facto force empty flights, also from an economic perspective. These are additional costs for airlines, both environmental and financial. In a situation where we are screwing up the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions with huge expenses, it could be reduced without major expenditure by suspending the principle of historicity of slots for the duration of the pandemic – added Marcin Horała, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Government Plenipotentiary for Central Communication Port.
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However, it does not negate the very principle of the historicity of slots. – In essence, she is correct. However, we are dealing with a situation in which the absolutely external factor affects the entire market and causes that the demand for flights is significantly lower. As long as the pandemic continues, this rule should be suspended. Anyway, in the first period of the pandemic in 2020, it was the Polish government that applied for the suspension of the slot rule. What we are talking about today shows that we were right, but it was decided to hang up too soon – said Horała during the press conference.
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Air traffic 2021. Airplanes half empty
IATA released the latest statistics on Tuesday passenger air traffic. Compared to the pre-pandemic 2019, last year there was a decrease in demand by 75.5%. in international traffic, and offering (the length of all flights multiplied by the number of seats) by 65.3 percent. The average factor of filling the seats in the plane (seats occupied by passengers with tickets) decreased by 24 points. percent up to 58 percent This means that planes fly almost empty on international routes. In Europe, this indicator amounted to 68.6%, a decrease by 16.6 points. percent compared to 2019
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The situation on the domestic calls market looks better. There, the decrease in demand was 28.2 percent. compared to 2019, and offering – by 19.2 percent. Aircraft filling also looks better – on average 74.3 percent, i.e. by 9.3 points. percent less than right before the pandemic. This means that in the second year of the pandemic, the network of connections and domestic traffic recovered much faster.
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