Slot Allocation - Slot Monitoring
The Scheduling & Slot Performance Committee (SSPC) has, as subcommittee of the Coordination Committee Netherlands, developed the following procedure, which has been implemented after approval of the Coordination Committee Netherlands on 11 April 2007.
Principles
EC Regulation 95/93, as amended, stipulates that the coordinator shall monitor the conformity of air carriers' operations with the slots allocated to them. These conformity checks shall be carried out in cooperation with the managing body of the airport and with the air traffic control authorities and shall take into account the time and other relevant parameters relating to the airport concerned.
EC Regulation 95/93, as amended, stipulates that the coordinator shall monitor the conformity of air carriers' operations with the slots allocated to them. These conformity checks shall be carried out in cooperation with the managing body of the airport and with the air traffic control authorities and shall take into account the time and other relevant parameters relating to the airport concerned.
Slot monitoring at coordinated airports is a continuous process designed to ensure that most effective use is made of scarce capacity, an adequate level of service quality is maintained and intentional schedule abuse is separated from the normal variations in operational performance.
The main objective of slot monitoring should be to identify possible problems regarding the use of slots and seek solutions before they occur whenever possible, or as soon as possible after the date of operation.
Slot monitoring should be done in a timely manner in order to give airlines the opportunity to correct behaviour during the current season by establishing a dialogue with affected air carriers as soon as possible when potential issues are identified.
All procedures related to slot monitoring must be based on the principles of neutrality, transparency and non-discrimination.
Purposes
- to comply with EC Regulation 95/93, as amended, as well as the EUACA 'Recommended Practice on slot monitoring and the determination of 'historics' and the IATA Worldwide Scheduling Guidelines provided these guidelines comply with Community law;
- to ensure airlines adhere to their allocated slot times within normal operating tolerances;
- to prevent slot abuse arising;
- to identify any instances of repeated, intentional slot abuse, significantly different from the allocated slot timings that cause prejudice to airport operations, and if necessary
- to bring about corrective action.
Procedures
Slot monitoring is performed by the coordinator in cooperation with the airport authorities, comparing the most recent slot information with the actually operated block times of an airline in order to determine whether off slot operations have occurred. Furthermore it is established whether the deviations have happened repeatedly and intentionally, whether the actual times were significantly different from the allocated slot times and whether the deviations have caused prejudice to the airport operations. Coordinator and airport authorities cooperate in the Working Group Slotperformance.
Slot monitoring is performed by the coordinator in cooperation with the airport authorities, comparing the most recent slot information with the actually operated block times of an airline in order to determine whether off slot operations have occurred. Furthermore it is established whether the deviations have happened repeatedly and intentionally, whether the actual times were significantly different from the allocated slot times and whether the deviations have caused prejudice to the airport operations. Coordinator and airport authorities cooperate in the Working Group Slotperformance.
Slot monitoring should take into account the existence and implementation of lease contracts, joint operations, etc. as well as last minute changes. Special attention will be focused on airlines that have operated without obtaining a slot.
One of the main issues of monitoring slot performance at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is caused by the legally set special noise regime during the night and early morning period (23.00 – 06.59 LT). Because of this strict regime it is not allowed to operate in this period without an allocated night or early morning slot as indicated in the capacity declaration and are counted against runway times due to legal rules. Operating in the night or early morning period without a proper slot causes as such prejudice to airport operations.
If airlines have operated during the night and/or early morning period without a proper slot repeatedly and intentionally, fail to re-coordinate their slots and continue their abusive operations, the matter will be handled in accordance with the following steps:
- It is the airline's responsibility to monitor its off slot operations and to inform the coordinator.
- Within 5 working days after the off slot operation the airline concerned must advise the coordinator about the reason(s) thereof.
- Upon receipt of this information the coordinator informs the airline involved within 2 working days whether the off slot operation is to be regarded as 'beyond control'.
- If the airline involved fails to report the off slot operation within 5 working days to the coordinator, it will be classified as an abuse.
- After 4 formally recorded abuses the airline involved will receive a letter from the coordinator confirming the 4 violations, requesting an explanation and measures to prevent future violations and explaining the further steps in the process. The coordinator also gives the airline the opportunity to discuss the situation in a meeting
- After the 5th violation without a valid reason the coordinator informs the airline of such. The Inspectorate of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment shall grant the airline a statutory period of 5 working days effective as from the date of postmark to take the necessary steps to prevent further abuse. After this period an administrative penalty will be imposed by the Inspectorate amounting to € 15.000,-- per slot violation effective on or after the 6th working day of the date of postmark, with a maximum of € 300.000,-- until the end of the applicable IATA season.
- The SSPC will be informed throughout the process.
The following reasons could be considered as being beyond control and unforeseen:
- technical failures and aircraft defects that occurred at other stations than home base;
- return to airport because of in-flight failure (such as: bird strike);
- local ATC directives severely disturbing 'normal' operations;
- unforeseen ATC delays local and/or en-route (strikes, radar failures, political);
- severe weather conditions at foreign stations and/or home stations (effects of 'snowballing' not included);
- limited runway use for exceptional reasons at foreign stations or at home stations (effects of 'snowballing' not included);
- major schedule change due to political reason;
- political instructions (for instance major events with possible effects on safety, Heads of State on board, military);
- urgent matters (such as medical, violence on board, technical).
During daytime (between 07.00 and 23.00 hrs. LT) the performance of operators at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will be closely monitored and airlines will be informed regularly whether their flights have been operated within a time bracket of 30 minutes before and after the allocated slot time. In case their operations have been off slot for more than 30%, airlines will be urgently requested to correct the situation. If operators persist in strongly abusive conduct, further measures in accordance with Article 14 of the Slot Allocation Regulation (see above) can be taken.
