Tag Archives: Slots

Rafael de Reyna, Jerez Airport Director, passed away Airports

Rafael de Reyna

We have been terribly shocked by the piece of news from Diario de Cádiz which informs that Mr. Rafael de Reyna, Jerez Airport Director since June 2011, passed away last Friday at the age of 53. Mr. De Reyna was Head of Spanish slot coordination between 1994 and 1997. We thank him very much for his labor during that time in which slot coordination in Spain was transferred from Iberia to Aena. We also thank him for his work in Jerez airport and in the other different posts he had in Aena and Enaire. Our thoughts are with him, his family and…

Aena asked to open Málaga airport’s second runway Airports

Malaga Airport by Rob Stokes - Flickr

Having Málaga airport’s second runway closed during peak days can generate between 30 and 45 minute delays according to USCA. This was reported by LaOpiniónDeMálaga on October 3. Controllers say that, if Aena left the runway open they would achieve a significant improvement in the quality of services provided to passengers and airlines. In their opinion, Aena follows an incorrect criteria to determine whether or not the second runway must be opened. On September 19 with the second runway opened, there was a peak of 35 movements in one hour. However, in other days like June 21, there were peaks of…

Unprecedented lobby group formed by Air France KLM, Easyjet, IAG, Lufthansa and Ryanair Airlines,Airports,Regulations

Violeta Bulc- European Commissioner for Transport by epp group - flickr

On June 17th, ElEconomista reported on the formation of an unprecedented lobby group made up of some the biggest names in European commercial aviation. Air France KLM, Easyjet, IAG, Lufthansa and Ryanair have formed a lobby to defend their interests before the drafting of new European air transport policy. The lobby is expected to put pressure on the European Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, on 80% of the subjects to be covered in this new policy. The lobby has its priorities clear, one of the most important being the reduction of fees in the main European airports. European airport fees…

Menorca seats up 12% in summer 2015 Airports,FC Tools

Ciutadella de Menorca by Pablo Fernández

Another step forward has been taken in the slot coordination process for the Summer 2015 season. During the month of January the airlines were requested to cancel all the slots that they had booked but did not intend to operate in summer 2015 in the Spanish airports. IATA establishes January 15 for such purpose and the European regulation takes January 31 into consideration for the calculation of the corresponding historical rights for the schedules at the airports. Thus, as soon as these deadlines had passed, Aecfa started to deal with the slot requests that they had received for the ad-hoc flights. In terms of slot…

Air Europa has slot problems before beginning its inter-island flights Airlines

Air Europa, A330 landing at Madrid airport / José Luis Celada Euba

As reported by El Mundo, last week at an intervention in a conference of economists from the Balearic Islands, Juan José Hidalgo (President of Air Europa) reviewed his entire business career, which he defined as “very difficult”, and he took advantage of the occasion to repeat his dedication to Mallorca and the Islands in general. During which, he reminded that his company pays taxes there and that more than 3,000 people carry out their work in the headquarters of the company in Llucmajor. At the event, Hidalgo emphasized that his hope for inter-island flights is serious and he announced that…

Barcelona airport capacity to increase by 9% Airports,FC Tools

Air Canada Boeing 767-300ER taxiing at El Prat Airport / Wikimedia Commons - Russavia

The Spanish slot coordinator, AECFA, announced that Barcelona airport capacity is increasing by 9% with effect from the next summer season. This increase may result as significant as the  Palma Airport capacity increase that we have already explained. While Madrid airport lost passengers by 0.4%, 9.0% and 12.1% in 2011, 2012 and 2013 respectively, Barcelona increased traffic by 17.8%, 2.2%, and 0.2%. In 2014 Madrid is recovering and increased traffic by 4.1% between January and September. However, Barcelona, which did not lose traffic at all in the previous years, keeps gaining passengers in 2014 as well. Barcelona served as much as 6.9% more passengers until September…

Palma Airport Capacity Increase to give more traffic Airports,FC Tools

Can Pastilla, near Palma Airport, Mallorca, Spain, seen from an Easyjet A319 just taken off from Palma Airport on its way to Bristol, England / Arpingstone

The deadline for the summer 2015 slot submissions was yesterday, October 9. All airlines intending to operate in the Spanish airports between March 29 and October 24 2015 were supposed to submit their schedules to AECFA, the new Spanish slot coordinator. Before that, and after the capacity analysis performed by Enaire and Aena, AECFA distributed the new airport capacities for this season. Among other items, it is worth noting the significant Barcelona and Palma airport capacity increases. We will go through the Barcelona airport capacity increase in a separate post. Now, let’s focus on Palma: Palma de Mallorca is one of…

Spanish slot coordination, AECFA started operations Charges,FC Tools,Regulations

Spanish slot coordination. Airplane ascending while another one is queing / Jumbero

Last Monday, September 15, the Spanish association AECFA started operations. As of that day, AECFA is responsible for the Spanish slot coordination and schedule facilitation in the airports. The name AECFA stands for Spanish Association of Coordination and Facilitation (in Spanish Asociación Española de Coordinación y FAcilitación). Flight Consulting has been following this information very closely since September last year, when we already informed about the ongoing restructuring process in Aena. During the first day, AECFA distributed the Slot Historical Lists (SHL) which make a start for the Summer 2015 season in terms of slot coordination. These lists are being used…

Gran Canaria airport works: finished the second phase Airports

Vehicles parked in front of a Gran Canaria airport’s entrance / Flickr - Håkan Dahlström

In September we informed that the first phase of the Gran Canaria airport works had been concluded. Last week Aena published another press release: The second phase is now finished too. The third and last phase is left.This way, the improved terminal started working on July 15th. It has 42,000 more square meters. On the first floor a new check-in area has been built. This new area has 18 counters which could increase up to 34 in the future. Also, there is a new security control zone with two double filters, a boarding lounge and shops. The intermediate floor has another boarding lounge, mainly…

Canary Islands expect strong grows for winter 2014 Airports,FC Tools

Aircraft connected to airbridge at Adolfo Suárez Madrid Barajas airport / daniele paccaloni

According to the data we have just uploaded to our Customized Airport Statistics Canary Islands expect strong grows for winter 2014. If we compare the actual offered seats in winter 2013 with the current offered seats in winter 2014 based on the coordinated slots, we find heavy increases of 15-20% in most of the Canary Islands airports.Canary Islands airports are the most congested Spanish airports for next winter 2014 season. Please find below some highlights. For further information you can go into our application (only for registered clients) and make your own inquires (who operates which route, etcetera).All the figures below refer…