The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has welcomed updated slot guidance from the European Airport Coordinators Association (EUACA).
According to IATA, the newly released guidance “should provide for a more harmonised application of Justified-Non-Use-of-Slots (JNUS) provisions which would also be welcomed”.
IATA highlighted two elements of the guidance which it considered especially helpful. The first of these is alignment. The guidelines aim for greater consistency in the application of JNUS by encouraging coordinators at both ends of the routes in question to arrive at an aligned position and with aligned procedures.
The second is transparency. With this revised guidance, the EUACA recognises, said IATA, the value of providing timely and accurate information to airlines on the handling of JNUS requests and the need for certainty in approach, thereby supporting the planning process.
“The EUACA, with the support of the European Commission, has delivered updated guidance for managing JNUS exemptions in a market and operational environment that remains unpredictable. We look forward to the guidance being used by coordinators and remain hopeful that the flexibility needed to ensure airline networks are not penalised for circumstances beyond their control is pragmatically applied,” said IATA director general Willie Walsh.
“With the guidance being applied in line with the spirit in which the industry has advocated for, it will be a step closer to both sustaining critical European air connectivity and levelling the playing field with jurisdictions that have recognised the need for full flexibility.”
