Runway slots
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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Runway slots
I’ve often wondered as a pilot, the procedure for acquiring scheduled ‘slots’ for scheduled passenger flights.
Recently a newspaper reported on the BMed ghosting flights from LHR-CWL, the reason it was reported was to keep LHR runway slots active.
What is the procedure for allocating slots? I assume when an operator announces a new route; the operator must first of all approach the destination airport for availability of runway slots, possibly not necessary in quiet airports. When the runway slots or availability are determined, the operator then notifies an authority in charge of flow control, which issue scheduled airways slots. If the two ‘slots’, airport and airway, match, the operator is free to operate. This is all an assumption, is it correct?
What kind of time scale is normal for the acquisition of slots, both runway and airway? There must be a lead-time, otherwise the operator would not have time to organise the operation, nor would the airport or ATC authorities have time to finalise their arrangements.
Recently a newspaper reported on the BMed ghosting flights from LHR-CWL, the reason it was reported was to keep LHR runway slots active.
What is the procedure for allocating slots? I assume when an operator announces a new route; the operator must first of all approach the destination airport for availability of runway slots, possibly not necessary in quiet airports. When the runway slots or availability are determined, the operator then notifies an authority in charge of flow control, which issue scheduled airways slots. If the two ‘slots’, airport and airway, match, the operator is free to operate. This is all an assumption, is it correct?
What kind of time scale is normal for the acquisition of slots, both runway and airway? There must be a lead-time, otherwise the operator would not have time to organise the operation, nor would the airport or ATC authorities have time to finalise their arrangements.
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Are airlines still awaiting slot allocation? It just that here at Jet2.con we are being told that our rosters are very late due to the fact that summer slot allocation's have not being finalised.
No roster and it due to go live in the 23rd March!!!!!!!!
No roster and it due to go live in the 23rd March!!!!!!!!
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Airport & Airway (Or ATC) slots are nothing to do with each other. When an airline is planning a route, from say Heathrow, to somewhere else the main thing to obtain will be the Airport slot. This is carried out through an organisation called ACL (Airport Coordination Limited) who carry this out on behalf of many airports in the UK.
Once slots at both ends are sorted out, if needed for the other end, if it is a busy airport, the airline will be free to fly that schedule for that particular season.
I am guessing the schedules from Airlines go to ATC so they know what levels of traffic to expect for a particular period. But 'slots' for airways are not issued in advance as a scheduled flight does not always follow the same route day in day out. Between LHR and ATH there could be 10 or so different routes available to an Airline. It will use whichever ones on a tactical basis due to winds, industrail action and other problems over particular sections of airspace.
ATC slots are then issued tacticaly on the day depending on traffic levels for a particular route. ATC slots are not issued for all flights, it is only those that pass through a section of airspace that has a restriction imposed on it for whatever reason, or for the destination airport that may have an arrival flow restriction, for example where LHR has restrictions due to Fog or High Winds.
Once slots at both ends are sorted out, if needed for the other end, if it is a busy airport, the airline will be free to fly that schedule for that particular season.
I am guessing the schedules from Airlines go to ATC so they know what levels of traffic to expect for a particular period. But 'slots' for airways are not issued in advance as a scheduled flight does not always follow the same route day in day out. Between LHR and ATH there could be 10 or so different routes available to an Airline. It will use whichever ones on a tactical basis due to winds, industrail action and other problems over particular sections of airspace.
ATC slots are then issued tacticaly on the day depending on traffic levels for a particular route. ATC slots are not issued for all flights, it is only those that pass through a section of airspace that has a restriction imposed on it for whatever reason, or for the destination airport that may have an arrival flow restriction, for example where LHR has restrictions due to Fog or High Winds.
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Evening Jet2.con
Your rosters will be late due aircraft allocation (disguised as slot allocation)
e.g. 5 units down for the summer before any engineering delays are added!!!
So all the chiefs are trying to figure out how to cover the flying progamme....
Dont worry they will change there minds about a week later after publication
Causing you numerous duty changes...
Have a good summer
Bartelby
P.s. Wonder who will write your rosters once the current rostering team are made redundant in the not to distant future!!!
Your rosters will be late due aircraft allocation (disguised as slot allocation)
e.g. 5 units down for the summer before any engineering delays are added!!!
So all the chiefs are trying to figure out how to cover the flying progamme....
Dont worry they will change there minds about a week later after publication
Causing you numerous duty changes...Have a good summer
Bartelby
P.s. Wonder who will write your rosters once the current rostering team are made redundant in the not to distant future!!!
