Do airlines pay for airport slots?

Airlines may operate ghost or empty flights to preserve slot allocations. Allocated landing slots may have a commercial value and can be traded between airlines. Continental Airlines paid US$209 million for four pairs of landing slots from GB Airways at London Heathrow Airport, $52.3m each.

What is slot allocation for airports and airlines?

Airport slots are specific points in time allotted for an aircraft to land or take off at an airport. Where the demand for slots exceeds the available supply, the airport can be considered ‘capacity-constrained’, at which time, a ‘slot allocation’ process is implemented.

What do airlines pay to airports?

Airlines act as airport tenants, paying rent for counter and gate space, training facilities, storage facilities, hangars, offices and maintenance facilities. They additionally pay for landing and parking fees, and to hold a lease on ticket counter and gate space to occupy an exclusive area.

How are runway slots allocated at congested airports?

Incumbents have good reason to hoard the best slots. They are allocated according to IATA’s guidelines at no cost, but the money they generate goes to the carrier, which pays the same airport fees in both busy and quiet times.

What is an IATA season?

IATA Season means either a Summer Season or Winter Season as such seasons are defined by IATA.

What is aircraft slot time?

In the context of airport coordination, a slot is an authorization to either take-off or land at a particular airport on a particular day during a specified time period. This authorization is for a planned aircraft operation and is distinct from air traffic control clearance or similar authorizations.

Which airports are slot controlled?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) uses runway slots to limit scheduled air traffic at certain capacity constrained airports. In the U.S., those airports are John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).