Slot Sanctions
The Airport Slot Allocation Regulations 2006
The UK is required under article 14.5 of EC Regulation 95/93 (as amended) to introduce a scheme of sanctions to control air carriers that repeatedly and intentionally misuse airport slots at the UK’s five London coordinated airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and City) as well as Birmingham and Manchester airports.
In July 2005, the UK Department for Transport (DfT) consulted with industry stakeholders on the best means of controlling the misuse of slots at the coordinated airports in the UK. Following the consultation, the DfT concluded that a sanctions scheme, including financial sanctions, was necessary and that ACL as the coordinator of the UK’s coordinated airports should administer the scheme.
On 1 January 2007, the Airport Slot Allocation Regulations 2006 (SI 2006 No. 2665 – the ‘UK Regulations’) came into effect.
The UK Regulations 14-19 give to ACL, as the appointed Coordinator of the seven UK coordinated airports, powers to deal with misuse of slots by imposing fines or in some cases to issue ‘directions’ to achieve this objective. ACL has also been given powers to impose fines where the schedule information it has requested is not properly provided at both the schedules facilitated and coordinated airports in the UK.
The UK Regulations are supplemented by the Misuse of Slots Enforcement Code (the Code), which sets out the processes which the Coordinator and Schedules Facilitator must follow when exercising their powers under the UK Regulation. The Code has been updated in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2017 following consultation by ACL.
UK Regulation 17 provides that decisions to impose a financial sanction may, in certain circumstances, be subject to review by an independent reviewer. Following consultation, ACL has appointed two independent reviewers. Following application for an independent review, you will be allocated one independent reviewer (chosen on availability) who will be the sole decision maker on your case but your submissions will be available to both independent reviewers.
Rules and Regulations
Frequently Asked Questions
ACL Guidelines
ACL Guidance on Slot Allocation and Monitoring – October 2018 |
Slot Sanctions Reports
For subsequent sanctions please see the individual news items for details.
(from 2007) |
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