United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Airport slot waiver extended into summer
Airlines will not have to operate ‘ghost flights’ in order to maintain airport slots, the Government has confirmed, after today further extending the slot allocation waiver beyond the spring.
Legislation to extend the waiver will come into force on 26 March – two days before the start of the summer season.
In usual circumstances, airlines must operate flights 80% of the time in order to retain historic slots.
The Government said the extension of the waiver – first introduced last year when travel ground to a halt – will prevent the need for airlines to operate carbon-inefficient ‘ghost flights’ to retain their slots.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "I want to restart international travel as soon as it is safe and the slots waiver is a critical part of making that happen.
"With airlines flying a smaller proportion of their usual schedules, the waiver means carriers can reserve their finances, reduce the need for environmentally damaging ‘ghost flights’ and allow normal services to immediately restart when the pandemic allows."
The move will anger Wizz Air which has long-argued the waiver is allowing rivals to retain slots they have ‘no intention of operating’.
Wizz Air has previously branded the waiver scheme as a ‘fraud against the taxpayer and the travelling public’.
Related News Stories:
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
BA pilot dies during layover
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Protestors now targeting Amsterdam cruise calls