Process of slot allocation/schedules facilitation
The prime objective behind the allocation of airport slots is to ensure the most efficient use of scarce airport resources in order to maximise the benefits to the greatest number of airport users and to the travelling public.
Currently Budapest/Ferihegy Airport is schedules facilitated airport.
Slot allocation/schedules facilitation at Budapest/Ferihegy applies to commercial aviation which is defined as flights performed by an air carrier providing scheduled flights, 'programmed' charters or ad-hoc flights, to, from or via Budapest/Ferihegy which are open for individual bookings for passengers and/or freight and/or mail.
In preparation for the biannual IATA Schedules Conference (SC), the historical slots for each individual carrier are to be determined on the basis of the operational data of the previous scheduling season. These historical slots (in the form of SHL messages) are distributed to the carriers prior to the initial schedule submissions.
After the schedule submission deadline all requests are evaluated and operators are informed of the status of their requested slots in SAL messages. Problematic schedules, where changes need to be made to meet capacity limitations are to be discussed at the IATA Schedules Conference. To facilitate the process of meeting scheduling, IATA Appointments Calendar of Airport Coordination Budapest is opened 17 days prior to each SC. www.iata.org/sked
As in other coordinated/schedules facilitated airports, a pool is established for each co-ordinated period, comprised of newly allocated slots, unused slots and slots that have not been utilised by an air carrier during the given scheduling period.
Any unutilised slot shall be withdrawn and placed in the appropriate slot pool, unless non-utilisation can be justified on the basis of the grounding of an aircraft type or the closure of an airport or airspace or any other similar exceptional case, which is beyond the operator’s control.
An air carrier shall not be entitled to the same slots in the next equivalent period unless they can prove that they had used at least 80 % of the slots allocated.
Slots allocated to an air carrier before 15 January for the following summer season or before 15 August for the following winter season but which are returned to the co-ordinator/schedules facilitator for reallocation before such dates, shall not be taken into account for the purpose of the calculation of usage of slots.
If the 80 % usage of a series of allocated slots cannot be demonstrated, all the slots constituting the given series shall be placed in the slot pool unless the non-utilisation can be justified on the basis of reasons that cannot be prevented or influenced by the air carrier.
Airport Coordination Hungary takes part in the work of European Union Airport Coordinators Association (EUACA) and follows its Common Standards and Recommended Practices
The process of coordination is driven by a calendar of activities:
Before the season:
• Capacity Determination
• Allocation of historical slots to individual carriers
• SHL-deadline
sending out the result of the historical slot allocation to the individual carriers
3rd Monday of April for next winter scheduling season
3rd Monday of September for next summer scheduling season
• Collect initial slot requests for next season
• Submission deadline
no later than 23:59UTC on 35th day prior Schedules Conference
• Initial Slot Allocation
• SAL-deadline
no later than 23:59UTC on the 14th day prior start of Schedules Conference, sending out the result of the initial slot allocation to the individual carriers
• IATA Schedules Conference
3rd Thursday to Sunday in June (for next winter season)
3rd Thursday to Sunday in November (for next summer season)
• Long-term coordination
additional slot requests and changes to already coordinated slots
(principle of first come, first served)
• Maintain waiting list
• Slot Return Deadline
15 JAN for summer season, 15 AUG for winter season
• Maintain waiting list
• Start of calculation of 80% slot usage
• Begin of ad hoc slot request handling and ad hoc changes
• Begin of scheduling season
During the season:
• Handling of ad hoc slot requests and slot changes
• Slot monitoring
• Maitain waiting list
Dividing the pool:
priority order: scheduled, programmed charters, ad-hoc flights
50% for new entrants (definition in art. 2b. in EU Regulation and art. 8 of Decree No. 5/2000 issued by the Minister of Transport, Communication and Water Management)
Additional criteria: previous season already started, year round operations
Ad-hoc slot requests are treated according to the “first come, first served” principle. Co-ordination shall, at all times, endeavour to accommodate ad hoc slot requests for any type of aviation. Where a requested slot cannot be confirmed the co-ordinator shall inform the requesting air carrier of the reasons and shall indicate the nearest alternative slot.
Seeking to improve slot requirements, which could not be accommodated, a waitlist is maintained. Unavailable slot requirements will be put on the waitlist on request of the operator.
