The use of an airport by an airline is expressed in terms of an airport slot. A slot is the scheduled time of arrival or departure available for an aircraft movement on a specific date at an airport. Slot controls at capacity-constrained airports are an effective means to create a balance between demand for airport use and supply of slots. The IATA slot allocation system is widely accepted. Improvements to the existing system can be brought about on the basis of fine-tuning the criteria for slot allocation, covering the treatment of new entrants, stage length, international vs. domestic flights, aircraft size, and airlines of developing countries. There is a renewed interest in market-oriented measures for demand management. However, these require further study and analysis. All interest groups have recognised that detailed capacity analysis, network simulations, and studies of schedules and operations have the potential to squeeze out additional slots for the capacity-constrained airports. Future IATA (International Air Transport Association) schedule co-ordination conferences should include air traffic control components in schedule evaluation. The proposed schedules should be simulated, and schedule delay and potential bottlenecks on the ground and in the air should be identified. The necessary alterations to the schedules should be sought in order to mitigate the risks of congestion and its impacts.
Abstract