EU states agree to suspend airline slot requirements until October

[BRUSSELS] The EU agreed on Friday to suspend requirements that oblige airlines to use at least 80 per cent of their take-off and landing slots in order to keep them the following year until Oct 24 due to the aviation industry crisis unleashed by coronavirus.

"This slot waiver will provide the necessary flexibility and certainty for our aviation industry in this unprecedented situation. Nobody wants empty planes in the sky ... " said Croatia's transport minister, Oleg Butkovic, whose country is currently president of the European Council.

Ambassadors representing the 27 EU nations agreed on the move, saying the waiver would also apply retroactively from 23 Jan to 29 Feb 2020 for flights between the EU and China or Hong Kong.

The Council said the measure could be extended quickly if the current serious situation persists.

The proposal needs final approval of EU nations and the full European Parliament, which is due to sit on March 26 and could approve the measure as soon as then. 

REUTERS