Slot Allocation - Allocation Process
Time-scheduled allocation process
In April (for next Winter) and September (for next Summer)
- Check on 80% rule; if an air carrier can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the coordinator that 80% of allocated series of slots have been operated, it is entitled to the same series of slots in the next equivalent season
- Allocation of historical slots to individual carriers
- Change in timing for operational reasons of historical slots. These so-called retimings have preference to new requests for the same slot also for slots in the night period.
Mid May (for next Winter) and mid October (for next Summer)
- Take stock of requests for the next season.
- historical slots
- retiming of historical slots
- new requests by new entrants/incumbents - Determination of the difference between on the one hand available slots (capacity declaration plus overbooking plus unused slots in previous season (only Winter to Summer)) and on the other hand requested historical slots. These slots go into the slot pool.
Sunday before the IATA Schedules Conference in June (for next Winter) and in November (for next Summer)
- Sending out of allocated slots to individual carriers.
IATA Schedules Conference in June and in November
Slot return date
For winter: 31 August
For summer: 31 January
For summer: 31 January
Dividing the pool (available slots after initial allocation)
- Priority order: commercial scheduled/programmed charters, ad-hoc flights (incl. General Aviation).
- Up to 50% for new entrants (definition in art. 2.b. in EC Regulation, as amended)
- 50% (or more) for incumbent carriers
- Additional criteria:
- commercial scheduled and programmed non-scheduled services
- year round operations
- previous season already started
- effective period of operation - according to Dutch Aviation Policy, in the case of competing requests within the same category of services, consideration should be given to the following factor (as mentioned in IATA WSG par. 7.9):
- type of service and market: the balance of the different types of services (scheduled, charter and cargo) and markets (domestic, regional and long haul), and the development of the airport route network should be considered.
Waiting list
Priority for requests submitted before the deadline date. First come first serve after the IATA Schedules Conference, when all previous other requests have been handled.
Flexibility
After notification and confirmation by the coordinator:
- free exchange of slots on a one for one basis between carriers (swaps)
- transfer by a carrier from one route to another or from one type of service to another
- transfer in case of a (partial) take over, the acquisition of control over the capital of an air carrier and between parent and subsidiary companies and between subsidiaries of the same parent company
- transfer in cases of code-share, franchise, joint operations, contracts
- new entrants (if status claimed by requesting airline): no exchange or transfer in the first 2 equivalent seasons
