Slot monitoring
Slot monitoring process
In those airports designated as Coordinated, slot monitoring is a continuous process defined to ensure that the little capacity available is used efficiently, maintaining a suitable level of quality of service and contributing to the optimization of the slot coordination processes.
In accordance with EEC Regulation No 95/93 as amended, the Slot Coordinator must monitor the conformity of airlines’ operations with the slots allocated to them. These conformity checks will be made in collaboration with the managing body of the airport and the air traffic control authorities, and must take into account the time and other relevant parameters relating to the airport concerned.
The main task in the slot monitoring activity is identifying possible problems relating to the use of slots (misuse) and trying to resolve them before the operation, if possible, or as soon as possible after the operation. In this last case, it is very important to be able to discriminate between intentional abuse and normal deviations in the operation.
The most important misuses relating to authorized slots are:
- Flights operated without an authorized slot (OnP)
- Flights with authorized slots which are not operated (PnO)
- Flights operated in different conditions to those authorized: time, type of aircraft, type of service, etc. (Dif)
- Series of flights cancelled later than the established deadlines
In all cases the analysis takes repeated and intentional misuses into account and the possible prejudices caused to the airport and other airlines. In the case of flights operated in different conditions to those authorized, it is also important to consider the magnitude of the deviation.
It is important that any action during the slot monitoring process shall take place at the appropriate time, maintaining continuous dialogue with the airline involved as soon as the possible misuse has been identified, and giving the airline the opportunity to correct its misbehavior.
At the end of each coordination season, or near its end in the case of Summer seasons, any misuses that has been identified as a result of the slot monitoring activity and that is not justified, will be taken into account when calculating the airline's historic rights for the next equivalent season.
The following can be considered reasons justifying the non usage of an authorized slot, due to unforeseen and unavoidable causes outside the airline's control:
- The grounding of the aircraft type for safety reasons by the manufacturer or relevant authority
- Total or partial closure of an airspace or airport.
- Serious disturbances of operations at the airport concerned during a substantial period of the relevant season.
- Interruptions in the provision of the service due to actions intending to affect this service, making the operation practically and/or technically impossible for the airline (e.g. strikes or the withdrawal of traffic rights for political or security reasons).
All procedures relating to slot monitoring are subject to the relevant legislation - EEC Regulation No 95/93 as amended- and to the industry recommended practices (IATA Worldwide Slot Guidelines and EUACA Recommended Practices) and are governed by the basic principles of neutrality, transparency and non-discrimination.
Published on 7 October 2010 at 12:18 PM