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IATA and industry update
Digest
IATA wins Dutch slot rule case
IATA has succeeded in legal action
in the Netherlands to prevent the application of a new Policy Rule for slot allocation.
IATA alleged the Policy Rule would have signifi cant negative eff ects on the globally functioning system of slot allocation and would result in signifi cant commercial damage for IATA members.
IATA argued the Rule compromised the effi cient development of air connectivity as it allowed the Royal Schiphol Group (RSG) to directly infl uence all future new slot allocation for their airports, ignoring key global principles of the slot allocation, such as encouraging competitive markets and providing consumers choice for products and services. IATA also believed that the Rule posed signifi cant harm to the independent, impartial role of slot coordinators in the European Union and that it contravened both EU law and the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG).
The successful legal action means that Netherlands slots coordinator, ACNL, is prohibited from allocating slots according to its Policy Rule and prohibits the coordinator from using destination lists to give priority to certain routes to these heavily congested airports.
The court ruled that ACNL had acted beyond its neutral and independent role in defi ning a defi nitive priority for all slots to be allocated according to one criteria; connectivity. Furthermore, and importantly, it recognized that allowing the airport managing body, Royal Schiphol Group, to determine destination lists was giving them disproportionate infl uence on the distribution of slots at key Dutch airports.
The decision emphasizes the value of harmonized slot regulations and shows why it is so important that regulators and airports adhere to the European Slot Regulations and the WASG.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General
IATA confirms priorities for ground handling
IATA is focusing on standards, digitalization,
and addressing the skilled labor shortage to build resilience and ensure long-term sustainability post pandemic for ground handling activities.
“There will be challenges as ground handling operations ramp up to meet growing demand [as the aviation industry recovers from COVID-19]. Overcoming labor shortages, ensuring safety with strict adherence to global standards, and digitalization and modernization will be critical to achieving a scalable restart,” said Monika Mejstrikova, Director of Ground Operations, IATA.
“Many skilled employees have left the industry and are not coming back. And recruiting, training, and accrediting new staff can take up to six months. So, it is critical that we retain current staff and fi nd more effi cient ways of onboarding new personnel,” said Mejstrikova, who also outlined a number of priority solutions. To retain skilled staff , governments should include ground handlers in wage subsidy programs To speed up training processes, the use of competency-based training, assessments and online training formats should be increased, and training requirements harmonized To increase the effi ciency of staff utilization, a training passport should be developed that would mutually recognize skills across ground handlers, airlines and/or airports
Global standards are the foundation for safe operations. Two key tools for ground handlers are the IATA Ground Operations Manual (IGOM) and the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO).
“The aim is for global adoption of IGOM and ISAGO. The IATA online portal will give a boost to this eff ort,” said Mejstrikova.
AIR CARGOINDUSTRY MUST MAINTAIN MOMENTUM POST-PANDEMIC
The air cargo industry must
continue working together at the same pace, with the same levels of cooperation as during the COVID-19 pandemic to overcome future challenges and build industry resilience. Sustainability, modernization, and safety were highlighted as key priorities for the industry post pandemic.
The outlook for air cargo in the short and long-term is strong. Indicators such as inventory levels and manufacturing output are favorable, world trade is forecast to grow at 9.5% this year and 5.6% in 2022, e-commerce continues to grow at a double-digit rate, and demand for high-value specialized cargo, such as temperaturesensitive healthcare goods and vaccines, is rising.
This year cargo demand is expected to exceed pre-crisis (2019) levels by 8% and revenues are expected to rise to a record $175 billion, with yields expected to grow 15%. In 2022 demand is expected to exceed pre-crisis levels by 13% with revenues expected to rise to $169 billion, although there will be an 8% decline in yields.
The outlook for air cargo is strong:
Demand should exceed pre-crisis levels
$129 bn 11
In 2020, the air cargo industry generated $129bn, approximately a third of airlines’ overall revenues, an increase of 10-15% compared to pre-crisis levels
IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh
PASSENGERS WANT TO USE BIOMETRICS
IATA’s 2021 Global Passenger
Survey (GPS) delivered two main conclusions:
Passengers want to use biometric identifi cation if it expedites travel processes. Passengers want to spend less time queuing.
“Passengers have spoken and want technology to work harder, so they spend less time standing in queues. And they are willing to use biometric data if it delivers this result. Before traffi c ramps-up, we have a window of opportunity to ensure a smooth return to travel post pandemic and deliver long-term effi ciency improvements for passengers, airlines, airports, and governments,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security.
73% of passengers are willing to share their biometric data to improve airport processes (up from 46% in 2019). 88% will share immigration information prior to departure for expedited processing. Just over a third of passengers (36%) have experienced the use of biometric data when traveling. Of these, 86% were satisfi ed with the experience. Data protection remains a key issue with 56% indicating concern about data breaches. And passengers want clarity on who their data is being shared with (52%) and how it is used (51%).
Global connectivity must be restored
IATA urged governments to use the
commitments reached at the ICAO High Level Conference on COVID-19 (HLCC) to make progress toward restoring global air connectivity.
States attending the ICAO HLCC declared their commitment to 14 measures which, if acted upon, would enable airlines to meet the demands of consumers worldwide for a revival of air travel. In particular, two commitments need the most urgent action by governments. These are: • “We commit to taking eff ective measures to prevent the spread of
SARS-CoV-2 … and other communicable diseases by international air travel, in particular through the implementation of the ICAO CART guidelines, and encourage the harmonization of
Member States’ multilayer risk management strategies to safely restore international connectivity and support the revival of the global economy as a critical step towards achieving our goal to enhance the social, environmental and economic sustainability of aviation, ensuring the interoperability and mutual recognition of, and accessibility to, digital applications, secure transmission and validation of pandemic-related testing, vaccination and recovery certifi cation that protects privacy and personal data.” “We commit to promoting … a harmonized and inclusive approach to facilitate safe international air travel, including alleviating or exempting testing and/or quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated or recovered passengers, taking into account the diff erent circumstances of individual States and their national policies, in keeping with WHO’s policy and technical considerations for implementing a risk-based approach to international travel in the context of COVID-19, and providing exceptions for non-vaccinated passengers.”
Earlier this month, ICAO published recommendations that will assist the realization of the HLCC declaration.
Known as CART 3 (the Council Aviation Recovery Task Force), the outputs build on previous recommendations from CART as well as the Take-off guidance and Cross-border Manuals.
