Member

The first key provision of the SI revises the definition of a new entrant in the context of airport slot allocation. As we have heard, the amendment increases the threshold for airlines to qualify as new entrants from those holding fewer than five slots per day to fewer than seven. This change is a significant shift in policy, with the potential to broaden access to congested airports for smaller carriers, thereby encouraging greater competition. This change is intended to make it easier for smaller airlines to obtain slots at busy airports, because the threshold for being considered new has been raised. We hope it will encourage greater competition by giving smaller airlines a chance to access slots at crowded airports.