European Commission submits proposal on airport slots

The European Commission has adopted a new proposal on slot allocation that grants aviation stakeholders relief from airport slot use requirements for the summer 2021 scheduling season. While airlines normally have to use 80% of the slots awarded to them to secure their full slot portfolios for subsequent scheduling seasons, the proposal reduces this threshold to 40%. It also introduces a number of conditions aimed at ensuring airport capacity is used efficiently and without harming competition during the COVID-19 recovery period. Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, said: “With today’s proposal we seek to strike a balance between the need to