A number of European and global aviation industry groups have called for an extension of the EU’s slot waiver rules until March 2021.
The ERA (European Regions Airline Association), alongside the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airlines International Representation in Europe (AIRE), has written to the EU’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport to ask for urgent support.
This letter highlights the need for an extension of slot alleviation for the upcoming winter 2020 season (25 October 2020 to 27 March 2021) and has been accompanied by a paper outlining conditions that if established will provide a responsible approach to the issue.
Airlines in Europe are currently in the middle of the slot co-ordination process for the winter season and are required to return slots they will not operate by the deadline at the end of August. However, it is clear during this first season of restart that the industry will not be able to operate at the same size and scale seen in previous seasons.
According t the groups airlines are now expected to post a loss of €74.67bn in 2020, by far the biggest in aviation history, with losses of €14.17bn forecast already for 2021. By comparison, airlines lost €27.45bn during the global financial crisis and oil price spike in 2008–9.
Montserrat Barriga, ERA Director General, says: “As we now enter the challenging period of restarting aviation from virtually nothing, we must ensure consumer confidence is rebuilt and that the industry can respond to demand and resume essential air services in a sustainable manner.
It would be environmental and financial suicide for airlines to be forced to operate services purely to protect their post-recovery network. It is therefore vital during the restart that the sector continues to be supported and alleviation measures will be a vital ingredient for this recovery.”