10-11-25-Article-Slots-DeCAV.webp
But what are those?.
Slot (Airport slot)Its a permission assigned by a slot coordinator to an aircraft operator (commercial airline or private jet compnay) where an available "spot" is given to an aircraft to depart or land at a specific time and date, the objective is to manage capacity and congestion at busiest airports.
Not all the airports are slots coordinated, only the ones where the demand of flights exceeds the available capacity. There airports are designated as Level 3 (Coordinated) and you can find a complete lisf ot them on the IATA`s web portal:
10-11-25-IATA Airport Levels of Coordination.webp
IATA Coordinated Airport List
How normally slots are allocated?
By following the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG), published by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airports Council International (ACI), and other industry bodies. Where every calendar year is divided into two seasons, Summer and Winter. Months before each season begins; a neutral and independent slot coordinator allocates slots based on declared airport capacity, which goes on a 80/20 rule, where the 80% is assigned to commercial Airlines based on their "historic precedence" and current schedules, and the 20% remaining, private operators can apply for it. Additional there rule called: "Use-it-or-Lose-it" with the pupose to prevent operators to hold slots without using them.
PPR (Prior Permission Required).
Is a requirement for specific types of operations or at airfields with unique constraints such as:
-
Limited parking space.
-
Specific security or operational requirements.
- Flights outside of normal operating hours.
- Specialized operations (e.g. training flights, cargo, special events).
The PPR is issued by the Airport Operator, the designated Ground Handling Agent or FBO, or the local authority depending on the case, for example during the American Football Championship (SuperBowl) FBOs trend to issue PPRs depending on its ramp parking capacity.
The Achilles' Heel: Challenges and Solutions.
Despite the established systems, managing airport slots and PPRs remains a significant pain point for many in the aviation industry, from major airlines to private operators.
The procedures for requesting and managing slots and PPRs vary significantly from one airport to another. Limited Availability and High Competition: Nowadays, the demand consistently goes above the supply and in several cases even if a slot is secured, parking may not be, forcing aircraft to "drop and go" or be ferried to a different airport, incurring additional costs.
Airlines may be forced to operate "ghost flights" which are flights with few to zero passengers, with the main objective to not lose their slots, creating a financial and environmental constraint.
A slot is not a guarantee of a smooth operation. Delays due to weather, air traffic control (ATC) capacity, technical situations can cause an aircraft to miss its allocated slot window. At some airports, this can result in a significant delay or even a diversion to an alternative airfield, leading to a cascade of further issues.
Key Operational insights (Expert Tips).
Duing special events or seasons some airports normally categorized as Level 1 or 2 can be become slot coordinated due to an special event, for example during the UEFA Champions, Formula 1 or other events the restriction can be increased, which normally will affect private-business operators, also it can include an increase of the operational cost, sometimes a single PRR can be around 2 thousand dollars.
How to obtain a fesaible slot? At the beginning of every month, retrieve and create a calendar with the main events for the upcoming month (sports, fashion, arts depending on your main customers) and work on early planning and advanced requests, that will allow you to submit PPR and slot requests well in advance, is important to consider the respecting airport-specific lead times (often a minimum of 48 hours and maximum of 15 days, but sometimes if you have a good ground handler an exemption can be taken).
In cases as Tokyo (Haneda, RJTT) and others, submit your request before the monthly application cutoff. As the Japanese authority JCAB has a monthly cycle coordination and late requests most of the time are not accepted. For example to operate between June and July, application must be submitted before March 10th.
Use your preferred experienced local ground handler, to track, manage, and negotiate slots/PPR requests, especially for busy airports or events.
Adjust itinerary, have flexibility, as our main goal is to achieve the passengers legs departure time, consider alternative airports or staggered schedules to mitigate event-driven congestion or slot denials. Following the same example instead of Haneda (RJTT) plan to operate to Narita (RJAA).
When the slot is not available, prebook the one offered and later on you can seek for an improvement, meanwhile keep your customer aware of it.
Have a contingency plan meanwhile monitor regulatory updates: Stay informed on changes to ATC systems, slot reimplementation, or procedural changes that may affect required permissions. Plan alternative parking and positioning options in case of lack of slot or parking, especially where overnight parking is restricted.
Keep track of slots time frame (+/- minutes) for example airports such as RJAA, VHHH with those frames you can “play around” on last minute changes, RJAA has +/- 1 hour, and VHHH +/- 2 hours, so your slot can be confirmed for arrival at 1820Z, but you are free to arrive early or later following the time window; depending on the airport must of the time you may be allowed to have a +/- 15 minutes or more to land, which is great, Don’t you think?.
Collaborative coordination and transparency: Work closely with airport authorities, ground handlers, and ATC in case of no-shows or excessive delays, is better to request for a new slot and avoid being fined and maybe later denied to operate to a specific airport.
Latest Trends and Developments.
The evolving tendency is driven by technological advancements, the traditional, manual process of requesting and confirming slots and PPRs via phone calls, faxes, or email is being replaced by more streamlined, automated systems. Platforms like “OCS” or "Smart PPR" and dedicated online portals are standardizing request formats and allowing for 24/7 access, significantly reducing administrative overhead and human error.
Market-Based Mechanisms: There is a growing debate about moving away from the traditional administrative allocation model towards a more market-based approach, where slot auctions and trading will allow airports to better monetize their limited capacity and ensure slots go to the airlines that can generate the most economic value, but at the same time it has started a demand to also incorporate what the experts call "demand-side fairness" metrics to better balance the interests of various airlines and stakeholders (Source: MDPI).
Sustainability and Environmental Considerations: The conversation around slots is increasingly tied to environmental goals. Some proposals suggest incorporating environmental factors, such as an airline's carbon footprint or the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), into the slot allocation criteria. This could incentivize greener operations and align airport capacity management with broader climate objectives.
Conclusion.
Airport Slot purpose is to managing air traffic capacity at congested airports (Level 3) most of the time, each slot means you get an approval to operate on a fixed time window for landing and takeoff.
PPR has the purpose to manage ground infrastructure as parking and can be implemented by specific local restrictions, its an autorized number to operate/park.
Reminder:
Implement proactive strategies to transform these challenges into opportunities.
