Slot Performance, in particular: late slot returns The German Airport coordinator has reasons to look more closely into the performance of air carriers and other users operating into coordinated and schedule facilitated airports located in Germany.
Slot Performance Monitoring Committees (SPMC) meanwhile were set up for the airports of Frankfurt, Munich, and Düsseldorf. Another SPMC will be set up for the Berlin Airports shortly.
A number of air carriers operating into German airports have meanwhile been requested to submit explanations for their underperformance and – more important – to give prospects as to how and when their performance will improve. Some airlines had been summoned to appear in person at one of the SPMC meetings.
While issues such as (regular) off-slot operations, operations without airport slots, etc. have fortunately been reduced, this cannot be stated with regard to late slot returns or no returns of unused slots at all. In the recent past some airlines had a no show rate of up to 90% of all slots originally granted to them!
Such a development is intolerable.
All air carriers are herewith reminded that slots which will not be used shall be returned to the airport coordinator as soon as possible. Slots must be given back at the time of the international slot return deadlines (SRDs), latest.
The slot return deadlines are:
15th August for a winter season
15th January for a summer season.
Air carriers may profit from timely slot returns in particular when attending the EUACA SOM for a summer season, taking place in the first half of February of each year.
All air carriers are reminded of Article 14 of EU Regulation 95/93 on Common Rules on the Allocation of Slots at Community Airports, as amended by Regulation 793/2004 as well as of the respective German regulations – which are to be found in the AEP Germany. Last not least, IATA’s Worldwide Scheduling Guideline (WSG), e.g. chapter 6.10.3, and the EUACA Community Wide Guidelines refer. These documents may be found on the EUACA webpage (www.euaca.org).
With regard to possible consequences of late slot returns you may also be interested to learn the following official announcement made by the German Federal Ministry of Transport:
“It is necessary top point out that ruling which requires to return slots that are not intended to be used, after the Schedules Conference, has to be strictly adhered to. The return deadlines are January 31st for a summer season, August 31st for a winter season (Article 10.4 of the Council Regulation (EEC) 95/93 refers).
According to § 4, para 1 Nr. 3 of the German Decree to Regulate Slot Coordination (“FKPV”), dated 13th June 1994 (BGBI.I.S.1262), failure to return slots by these set dates will be seen by the Federal Office of Civil Aeronautics as an infringement and will be punished by a fine of up to € 50.000”.
Claus Ulrich
Airport Coordinator Federal Republic of Germany
January 22nd, 2007 |
