FAA Relaxes Slot Requirements at 7 U.S. Airports
by Daine Taylor /
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has elected to temporarily waive the minimum slot-use requirements at seven U.S. airports to help airlines impacted by flight cancellations or reduced demand for air travel, due to the coronavirus.
The existing rules for airport slot allocation mean that airlines must operate at least 80% of their allocated slots under normal circumstances, and failing to comply with this means the airline loses its right to the slot during the next equivalent season. However, in exceptional circumstances, regulators have the power to relax this requirement.
“The FAA is waiving the 80-percent-use requirement through May 31, 2020, for U.S. and foreign airlines that have affected flights,” the administration said in a statement. “In doing so, the FAA expects that U.S. carriers will be accommodated with reciprocal relief by foreign authorities at airports in their countries, and may determine not to grant a waiver to a foreign carrier whose home jurisdiction does not reciprocate.”
Since the outbreak began, COVID-19 has had a severe impact on air traffic, with airlines experiencing drastic declines in demand, along with a host of related issues, including up to 26% reduction across an airline’s entire operation from the previous year; carriers reporting 50% no-shows across several markets; and outlooks for future bookings softening, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Carriers are even reacting with measures such as crews being offered unpaid leave, cutting capacity for affected routes, and plans for aircraft to be grounded.
“We greatly appreciate today’s action by FAA to provide temporary slot relief at congested U.S. airports and urge other regulators that have not already done so to follow suit,” said Perry Flint, head of corporate communications, for IATA. “We hope FAA can extend this flexibility, should the current situation with regard to COVID-19 impacts continue beyond April.”
Currently, the slot-use waiver only applies to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
The agency has an approval process pending for four other U.S. airports, including Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The FAA announced it will give credit to airlines for flights that were canceled due to the coronavirus through May 31, 2020, as though those flights had been operated, when the FAA conducts future schedule development.
“The agency will continue to monitor the coronavirus’s effect on travel demand and may adjust this waiver as circumstances warrant. The FAA will inform airlines of any decision to extend the waiver period as soon as possible,” according to the FAA.