Government Seeks Airlines' Slot Requests After IndiGo Flight Reductions
In a significant development for India's aviation sector, the government has formally requested airlines to submit their preferences and requests for flight slots that have become available following IndiGo's recent schedule reductions. This move comes after the aviation ministry mandated a 10% cut in IndiGo's current winter schedule flights due to operational disruptions experienced last month.
Official Communication and Conditions
The aviation ministry issued this directive to both airlines and airport operators on Thursday, outlining specific conditions for the temporary allocation of these vacated slots. According to the official communication, airport operators have been instructed to compile all requests received from airlines and forward them to the ministry for further processing.
The ministry has established clear guidelines for slot allocation, emphasizing that surrendered slots should not remain unutilized where additional capacity can be introduced. Priority will be given to airlines that can demonstrate genuine capacity expansion rather than merely reshuffling existing flights.
Capacity Demonstration Requirements
To qualify for these temporary slots, airlines must provide evidence of:
- Additional aircraft availability
- Sufficient pilot and cabin crew resources
- Adequate ground support equipment
- Maintenance engineering capacity
The official note explicitly states that existing routes or sector connectivity shall not be discontinued to utilize vacated slots, ensuring that current air connectivity remains unaffected by the redistribution process. Airlines failing to demonstrate operational preparedness risk having assigned slots cancelled and reallocated to other carriers.
Slot Coordination Committee Established
The aviation ministry had previously established a dedicated Slot Coordination Committee specifically for redistributing slots vacated by IndiGo's cancellations. This committee, led by Joint Secretary Rubina Ali, held its inaugural meeting on January 13, where the procedural framework and rules for slot redistribution were finalized.
This panel will be responsible for evaluating all slot requests and making final allocation decisions based on the established criteria. The current winter schedule, during which these IndiGo reductions apply, concludes on March 28, with the summer schedule commencing from the last Sunday of March.
Industry Response and Challenges
Officials from other major Indian airlines have expressed mixed reactions to this development. While acknowledging the ministry's well-structured conditions that prevent capacity shifting from existing routes, they note significant practical challenges.
Most major carriers currently operate with nearly fully deployed capacity, leaving limited room for taking advantage of these temporary slots. Additionally, the uncertain duration of slot availability creates planning difficulties for airlines considering expansion.
Industry representatives have highlighted that the most favorable outcome would involve IndiGo resolving its operational issues and returning to pre-reduction flight levels. As one airline official noted, "till the 65% market share company is not operational 100%, the fare caps will remain in place that are hurting our yields."
The aviation sector now awaits the compilation of slot requests and subsequent committee decisions, which will determine how these temporarily available flight slots are distributed among competing airlines seeking to expand their operations during the remaining winter schedule period.
