Airports association ACI Europe has hit back at Iata after the airline association called for stronger regulation of capacity use at airports, accusing it of “misguided statements” and “misconceptions”.
Iata issued a White Paper on airport capacity and slot regulation this week suggesting there is “an enormous gap between the best and mediocre airports in delivering capacity” and warning of a “capacity crunch”
It argued airports can “not keep pace” with growing demand and urged changes to slot regulations to ensure airports generate more capacity from existing infrastructure.
The report noted large scale airport developments, “especially new runways” are unlikely to be built “due to political constraints”, when currently 400 airports worldwide are unable to meet airline demand for slots
It forecast this number would grow 25% in the next decade, with airport capacity in Europe likely to fall 12% short of demand by 2050 and called on airports “to deliver as much capacity from existing infrastructure as possible”.
Nick Careen, Iata senior vice-president for operations, safety and security, said: “We must squeeze every last unit of capacity out of the infrastructure we have, but too many airports fail to follow the guidance in the [Iata] Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines.”
He noted slot regulations require airlines “to utilise the slots they are granted or face penalties. But airports face no penalties if they don’t deliver promised capacity [and] there is often insufficient transparency for the capacity declarations they make.”
Iata called for regulations “to hold airports to account”, suggesting they be required to review capacity declarations regularly, consult with airlines “to ensure greater transparency”, increase capacity where possible, and face penalties “if declared capacity is not delivered”.
Careen insisted: “We need performance obligations on airports.”
ACI Europe director general Olivier Jankovec accused Iata and Careen of “an attempt to deflect blame and defend the status quo” on airport slot regulation, describing its criticism of airports as “ludicrous”.
He argued: “Airports are economically driven businesses, with a strong focus on maximising use of their facilities. The wealth of technological innovation and optimisation of physical infrastructure airports are investing in is testament to this.”
However, airports have limited control over how capacity is used by airlines, he said, leading to significant capacity wastage under the existing slot regulations “which prevents competitor airlines utilising that capacity”.
ACI Europe noted it called last month for the EU to reform airport slot regulations to ensure better use of capacity.
Jankovec argued: “Airlines should focus their efforts on the ways they can improve airport capacity use, such as returning unused slots more quickly and refraining from hoarding slots that could otherwise be utilised.
“The undue pressure on airports to make promises on capacity that cannot be fulfilled due to physical constraints is an attempt to deflect blame on to others and defend the status quo when it comes to airport slot regulation.”
Iata and ACI Europe have repeatedly clashed over slot regulations, with the airports association accusing major airlines of ‘hoarding’ slots at the busiest airports.
Both sides cite in their support the so-called Draghi Report on European competitiveness and the future of the EU issued earlier this year by former European Central Bank president and ex-prime minister of Italy Mario Draghi.