IATA underscores risks of sale of slots on air connectivity

Sale of slots will lead to uncertainty in an airline's operations as well as harm established networks and future connectivity, according to global airlines' association IATA. A senior IATA official also said re-allocation of slots midway through a season would "probably be too late to enable airlines to publish services and for airports to the resource according to expected demand".

The International Airport Transport Association (IATA) is a grouping of around 290 carriers across the globe. Air India, Jet Airways and Vistara are also members. Recently, Philip Ireland, Manager (World Wide Airport Slots) at IATA said the sale of slots would lead to uncertainty in an airline's operations, which negatively impacts the ability of both airports and airlines to invest in future services and infrastructure.

"It would harm established networks and future connectivity, will compromise competition and create perverse incentives to a process that is fair, neutral and non-discriminatory today. "Disabling entry for many carriers, who today are able to access congested infrastructure - this only serves to undermine the competitiveness of Indian aviation," he told PTI recently.

The civil aviation ministry is planning to revamp the existing slot allocation mechanism. IATA has also sought a single and independent coordinator for allocation of slots at airports across India. Besides, the grouping has stressed on the need for transparency in the process and ensure that slot availability is declared through NAC (Notice on Airport Capacity) charts for all airports.

Ireland said trying to reallocate slots midway through a season would probably be too late to enable airlines to publish services and for airports to a resource according to expected demand. According to him, slot changes, slot swaps, slot transfers and re-allocations between airlines are already taking place. "It is an ongoing process slot coordinators, airlines and airports are familiar with," he added.

(With inputs from agencies.)