Slot Approve and the WASG
The Slot Approval process is the means by which airlines get permission to operate on a specific day and time at a busy airport. Airline slots are highly sought after and in some cases can be worth millions of dollars. This is why Slot approve is so important and is a key part of any airline’s business plan. Slot approval is a complex process that involves a lot of factors, including the type of aircraft, the destination and the time of year. Link Fomototo
The FAA will usually confirm or deny an airport slot request within an hour during normal office hours and may provide options if the requested time is not available. Once a slot is approved it must be used 80% of the time throughout the scheduling season and the flight plan must include the confirmation number in the Remarks 18 section of the form.
Occasionally an airline will hand over a set of airport slots to a new entrant on the basis that they can guarantee more seats or lower prices on certain routes. This is known as “slot swapping” and is quite common across Europe. In many cases this is temporary with the new airline failing to sustain the service and the slots eventually being returned to the original slot holder.
To maintain global connectivity and to support trade and economic growth, the world needs a robust aviation system that is both flexible and efficient. The WASG is an important component of this system and is the best long-term solution for managing limited capacity. However, the system must continue to evolve to adapt to changing demand and technology.
While the Orders limiting flights at JFK, EWR, and LGA are still in place, the FAA published a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (LGA SNPRM) to seek a longer-term solution. The LGA SNPRM proposes to allocate the majority of slots at each airport to historical operators and to develop a robust market by auctioning some slots in the first five years of the new rule.
In addition, the FAA has issued a separate notice of proposed rulemaking to address concerns about the perimeter rules at these airports. This proposal would require airlines flying to destinations outside of the 1,500-mile limit at these airports to use a new procedure to obtain airport slot approval, similar to the existing process for upgauging aircraft size.
The DOT’s Air Traffic Management (ATM) Division has also proposed a new method to determine the best times for flights to depart and arrive at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The proposed method, called the “slot allocation process,” uses a mathematical formula to calculate departure and arrival slot demands for each flight. This is a more dynamic, real-time method that provides more flexibility for air carriers than the current process, which requires each carrier to submit a schedule to the FAA for approval. This new methodology combines ATC-provided data with air traffic control procedures and forecasts to create an optimal slot allocation.