Airports call for return of ‘use it or lose it’ slot rules

Sunday, 09 Nov, 2021 0

A coalition of airports including London Gatwick, Belfast International, and Edinburgh as well as Wizz Air have urged the Transport Secretary to reinstate ’80/20′ ‘use it or lose it’ airport slot conditions.

This will ensure that UK consumers again benefit from a competitive market giving sufficient choice of destination and airline, as well as fair pricing.

Slot regulations were suspended during the pandemic but they are urgently calling for their reinstatement for the summer 2022 season when passenger numbers are expected to rise,thanks to the removal of many travel restrictions.

In the letter to the Transport Secretary they cite the potential negative impact on consumer choice and say that competition issues have already been raised with the UK’s competition watchdog the CMA.’¯

Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer, Gatwick Airport, said: "It’s imperative that the UK Government gets fully behind the recovery of the UK aviation sector by restoring the slot rules so that competition once again flourishes."

"A decision on the summer 2022 slots before Christmas would allow proper planning of resources to enable a smooth ramp up of operations as the industry continues its recovery."

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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.

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