'Ghost flights' to keep airports slots are criticised

Airlines are conducting near-empty flights in European skies to protect their time slots. 

The representative body for the world's airports said there was no viable reason for airlines to operate empty flights on certain routes just so they can maintain their landing and takeoff slots at key airports.

The trade body ACI Europe, of which Ireland's main airports are members, was reacting to reports this week that Brussels Air would have to fly 3,000 empty or near-empty flights this winter to avoid losing take-off and landing rights at major airports. 

German giant Lufthansa said it would have to fly an additional 18,000 "unnecessary" flights through the winter to hold on to landing slots.

Landing and departure slots for popular routes in the biggest airports are an extremely precious commodity and to keep them, airlines have to guarantee a high percentage of flights. 

As a result, airlines will continue to operate near-empty flights' or 'ghost flights' on valuable routes.

Normally, airlines had to use 80% of their given slots to preserve their rights, but the EU has cut that to 50% to ensure as few empty or near-empty planes crisscross the sky as possible.

In a statement, ACI Europe said it was dismayed at the escalating industry and political rhetoric around ‘ghost flights’ and reiterated its strong support for the European Commission’s position on the thresholds for use of airport slots by airlines. 

It said there was a specific provision that would allow airlines to present the case to their slot coordinators allowing them to effectively use their allocated airport slots for less than 50% of the time.

Major airlines such as Lufthansa, Air France, and KLM say they are counting on further flexibility, including further decreasing the threshold level on the time slots.

"More flexibility in the short term is required, not just in summer but also in the current winter schedule," a Lufthansa statement said.

"Without this crisis-related flexibility, airlines are forced to fly with planes almost empty, just to secure their slots."

EU transport commissioner Adina Valean last month acknowledged the threat of Omicron to the travel industry, but as of yesterday, she had not announced any new regulations.

Belgian transport minister Georges Gilkinet wrote her a stinging letter and was lobbying his EU counterparts to join the initiative and increase pressure.

"The high-level pollution created by these flights runs totally counter to the EU's climate objectives," according to the letter obtained by the Associated Press.