Slot monitoring
Sanctions for slot misuse
Misbehaviors identified as breaches of the authorized slots or which go against the relevant regulations can lead to the application of different corrective measures or sanctions.
These penalizing measures or sanctions, in cases of breaches of the slot regulations, can be of three types: slot coordination measures, operational measures or administrative measures.
Slot coordination measures
These are the corrective measures or sanctions adopted by the Slot Coordinator as part of its duties. These measures include:
- Loss of historic rights of the series of slots concerned for the next equivalent season (Article 10.2 of EEC Regulation No 95/93 as amended).
- Withdrawal of the series of slots in question during the current season when they are repeatedly and intentionally operated in significantly different conditions than those authorized, causing prejudices to the airport and other airlines (Article 14.4 of EEC Regulation No 95/93 as amended)
- Withdrawal of the series of slots in question during the current season when their percentage of correct use cannot exceed 80% of the period allocated to the series (Article 14.6(a) of EEC Regulation No 95/93 as amended)
- Withdrawal of the series of slots in question during the current season when they have not been used after 20% of the period allocated to the series has passed (Article 14.6(b) of EEC Regulation No 95/93 as amended)
- In the cases of slots being returned intentionally beyond the established deadlines, loss of priority for the airline in the slot coordination processes of the airport concerned for the next equivalent season (IATA WSG Section 7.5.4)
Operational measures
These are corrective measures or sanctions adopted by the airport or the air navigation authorities in the cases of slot misuses and restricted to the context of the operation.
From the airport side, these measures can include not to allocate airport facilities until the authorized time, the use of remote parking positions, etc.
From the Air Navigation side, the most typical operational measure is the cancellation or suspension of the flight plan when this does not match the authorized slot.
Administrative measures
These are economic sanctions imposed by the relevant authority (AESA – Spanish Agency for Aviation Safety) for the breach of the established regulations on slot allocation. The reasons for the sanction and the economic amount per misuse are set out in the Air Safety Law 21/2003 (Articles 49 and 55), for the Spanish airports, complies with the provisions of Article 14.5 of EEC Regulation No 95/93 as amended.
Published on 7 October 2010 at 12:18 PM