Airlines are calling on governments and regulators to introduce urgent flexibility on airport slot rules as the Middle East conflict continues to disrupt global aviation schedules.
At the centre of the debate is the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines system, which governs access to capacity-constrained airports. Under normal conditions, airlines must use at least 80 percent of their allocated slots to retain them for future seasons, with a 20 percent tolerance designed to absorb routine disruption such as weather or technical delays.
Carriers now argue that threshold no longer reflects operational reality.
More than six weeks of airspace closures, forced rerouting, fuel supply pressure and suspended services have severely impacted schedules across multiple regions. Airlines say they should not risk losing long-term network rights because of extraordinary geopolitical disruption beyond their control.
The industry is therefore requesting activation of the “Justified Non-Use of Slots” mechanism, known as JNUS. The provision allows regulators to suspend slot utilisation requirements during exceptional circumstances.
A similar approach was used during the Covid-19 pandemic when border closures made normal operations impossible.
Airlines say the current crisis presents a comparable challenge, although driven by conflict rather than health restrictions.
Operational recovery is also expected to take time. Even if tensions ease quickly, airlines would still need weeks or months to reposition aircraft, restore crews, rebuild schedules and re-establish fuel logistics.
To address this, carriers are proposing a rolling six-week application of JNUS, reviewed regularly until conditions normalise.
Beyond protecting slot portfolios, temporary relief would also reduce unnecessary flights operated only to preserve airport rights, while allowing available capacity to be used more efficiently where carriers can still operate.
Industry representatives warn that failure to act could transform a short-term crisis into a long-term erosion of network connectivity and market access.
