Berlin-hosted IATA Scheduling Conference enhances Asian airports’ network planning role

During the last week, network and scheduling representatives from many of the world’s leading airlines have been attending the 126^th IATA Schedules Conference in Berlin to meet with the various organisations responsible for allocating and managing take-off and landing slots at major airports across the world.

These organisations are independent of airlines and adhere to strict guidelines when it comes to managing the often demanding changes that existing airlines wish to make as a result of changes to their operations, and the demands of new operators (to that airport) who wish to start services.

While much of the process is done electronically via agreed processes and protocols, twice each year airlines and slot co-ordination companies get together to try and finalise details for the season (either summer or winter) ahead.

European airlines and slot co-ordination bodies dominate

Slots are usually co-ordinated at the national level so, for example, Airport Coordination Limited UK (ACL) looks after UK airports while Aena, Assoclearance, Cohor and FRG perform similar functions for airports in Spain, Italy, France and Germany respectively. Other countries with relatively large national slot co-ordination organisations include Austria, Australia, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Switzerland and Thailand.

With such a heavy concentration on European countries, it is not surprising that Europe’s leading legacy carriers (Air France, Alitalia, British Airways, Iberia, KLM and Lufthansa) all had their own private rooms to plan and analyse developments during the course of the four day conference. The airport slot co-ordination process is most prevalent in Europe as the major airports have a vast number of competing airlines vying for slots. In contrast, although the largest US airports are often extremely busy and suffer from delays, because many of them are dominated by a single carrier (who can manage their own slots in any way they see fit), only one US airport, New York’s JFK airport, is currently fully slot co-ordinated.

Multiple meetings help finalise plans for the season ahead

During the course of the conference, airlines may meet the same slot co-ordination company several times as plans are firmed up and the different needs of competing airlines become clearer. Needless to say, the whole process is helped by sophisticated software, which keeps track of all the planned changes and checks that such changes are viable.

Despite its core purpose of serving the apparently very technical back office needs of slot allocation, this event is also increasingly been used by airports as an opportunity for network development and now supports a growing exhibition. European airports were well represented in Berlin, but there were also displays from Abu Dhabi, Dallas/Fort Worth, Halifax, Melbourne, Tokyo Narita and Vancouver airports. The next IATA Scheduling Conference, to assist with planning the summer 2011 season, will be held in Melbourne in November.

Berlin Airports hosts “Summer Night” Gala Dinner on apron at new airport

Hosts Berlin Airports hosted a gala dinner in a giant marquee, between the terminal building and the control tower, on the apron of the still under construction Berlin-Brandenburg International airport. On arrival, guests were welcomed by a band and Armin the ant, the airport’s construction mascot.

Once inside, a Big Band offered up a variety of musical entertainment (including opportunities for karaoke), and a separate area was set aside for those folk desperate to see the English football team take on the might of Algeria. Sadly, the game ended in a disappointing (for England) nil-nil draw and the loudest cheer of the match was reserved for the English goalkeeper David James catching the ball without dropping it.