Europe’s airports condemn UK Government decision to introduce airport slot waiver

ACI EUROPE has strongly condemned the UK Government’s decision to introduce airport slots usage alleviation for Summer and Winter 2026, despite no verified jet fuel shortages and continued strong demand for air travel.

The existing Justified Non-Use of Slots (JNUS) provisions already provide sufficient flexibility for airlines to cancel flights where genuine jet fuel shortages occur. These provisions, supported by guidance from the European Airport Coordinators Association (EUACA), allow slot usage exemptions to be granted on a case-by-case basis when cancellations are directly linked to verified fuel shortages.

However, the UK Government’s decision goes far beyond targeted relief measures and instead gives airlines broad commercial flexibility to reduce services without sufficient justification. Such measures will cause costs to be fully borne by passengers and other industry stakeholders, including airports.

Olivier Jankovec, ACI EUROPE Director General, said: ‘We support targeted airport slot usage alleviation, where there is clear and documented jet fuel shortage. But no such evidence currently exists – neither in the UK nor elsewhere in Europe. The UK Government is effectively handing airlines a carte blanche to cut services and not deliver their schedules, leaving passengers, communities and airports to bear the full brunt.’

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• PRESS RELEASE: ACI EUROPE strongly condemns UK Government decision to proceed with airport slot waiver for Summer and Winter 2026