The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is urging governments to temporarily suspend the 80/20 airport slot rule as airlines continue to face severe operational disruption linked to the Middle East conflict.
Under the current system, airlines retain historic airport slots only if they use them at least 80% of the time. But IATA says that threshold is no longer realistic under present conditions and is calling for the activation of the Justified Non-Use of Slots (JNUS) exemption.
If applied, JNUS would freeze slot utilisation calculations until the extraordinary circumstances ease and carriers can reasonably resume normal schedules.
Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice president for operations, safety and security, said the last several weeks have seen a combination of airspace closures, reduced airport operations, major rerouting around conflict zones and fuel shortages. In such a context, airlines simply cannot be expected to maintain carefully planned schedules.
He stressed that the disruption has already lasted for around a month and a half and goes beyond the flexibility normally built into the 80/20 rule. Even if the conflict were to end immediately, he said, recovery would not be instant. Airlines would still need time to reposition aircraft and crews, rebuild schedules, restore fuel supplies and stabilise networks.
IATA wants governments to apply JNUS on a rolling six-week basis until it becomes clear that normal operations can resume. According to Careen, this would give airlines urgently needed certainty that years of investment in their networks will not be undermined by events entirely outside their control.
The association also noted that suspending the rule would help avoid unnecessary flights operated solely to protect slot rights, preserving scarce fuel, reducing disruption and keeping airport capacity available for carriers that are still able to operate. It would also help protect historic slot rights and support a faster restoration of connectivity once the situation improves.
IATA’s call comes amid growing concern across the aviation sector. ACI Europe recently warned that the EU could face a systemic jet fuel shortage if traffic through the Strait of Hormuz does not resume in a significant and stable way within the next three weeks. Airlines for Europe (A4E) has also asked the EU to introduce temporary measures to help airlines cope with the fallout from the crisis.
