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Slot Coordinated Airports (EHAM, for example)

I was over 40 minutes late into EDDL, and no they did not refuse me landing. With departures that will be different as you can’t fall out the sky on the ground, I think into Prague I was also 20 minutes behind my planned scheduled arrival, maybe more and that was no issue. I think if it’s a few hours they might be a bit baffled at your planning skills.

Buckerfan wrote:

I have often wondered how much leeway you are allowed with slots if you arrive way later or earlier than you planned and allocated arrival slot time. With GA aircraft it is much harder to be super precise about exactly when you are likely to arrive after a 3 hr flight at 180 kts or whatever. Do they have the right to refuse you permission to land if you are 20 minutes late.
Last Edited by pilotrobbie at 01 Jul 12:26
Qualified PPL with IR SP/SE PBN
EGSG, United Kingdom

pilotrobbie wrote:

I was over 40 minutes late into EDDL, and no they did not refuse me landing.

Beware at big German airports ATC might not enforce many rules but other authorities later on might do so. I once did mess up a slot into EDDB. Nobody cared but the slot office send a latter a while later complaining and announcing possible fines if it happens too often etc. The same for night flying restrictions. I once came a across an Airbus captain and they fined him a large amount for landing 15 minutes too late at EDDH but ATC did not care at all and did clear him to land (his company apparently paid the fine back then as they told him to land).

www.ing-golze.de
EDAZ

Are there other purposes that require having slots? (other than ATC and managing traffic? they do not seem to care)

Last Edited by Ibra at 01 Jul 13:45
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

Nearly all slots are to do with airport officials’ empire building.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Sebastian_G wrote:

Beware at big German airports ATC might not enforce many rules but other authorities later on might do so. I once did mess up a slot into EDDB. Nobody cared but the slot office send a latter a while later complaining and announcing possible fines if it happens too often etc. The same for night flying restrictions. I once came a across an Airbus captain and they fined him a large amount for landing 15 minutes too late at EDDH but ATC did not care at all and did clear him to land (his company apparently paid the fine back then as they told him to land).

Interesting story, I know that sometimes if you land after the airport has officially closed this can be an issue. But never if you landed after your slot. Mostly when you are delayed, let’s say by an hour, slots go out the window as someone else landed in your slot that was 5-10 minutes early or so.

I think there’s slots that airline pay big money for to schedule at specific times and then there’s slots that are specific restrictions, like enroute or weather.

Ibra wrote:

Are there other purposes that require having slots? (other than ATC and managing traffic? they do not seem to care)

I had a weather slot via PARIS on the way to Girona, due to CBs which restricts the sectors capacity. In America, they have TSRs that can give you a slot too.

Qualified PPL with IR SP/SE PBN
EGSG, United Kingdom

I was referring to airports IFR slots like in Zurich, why do you need that? if ATC do not care (at least for my 1h late arrival) then why anyone should care?

Reminds me of UK airports with ATC & ATIS that require PPR…

The en-route CTOT on FPL is obvious, it has to do with sector capacity than individual ATC…

Last Edited by Ibra at 02 Jul 12:35
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

Each airport has an ATM movement capacity. When I worked at Heathrow it was at 98% for the 16 hour period. Most of which was staffing, airport capacity, runway capacity and staffing to ensure the shear number of people moving don’t clog up the airport and that’s when it’s CAT1 + and no severe weather or wind.

https://www.acl-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/S22-Declaration-Appendices.pdf

Most of it as Peter says is political. Heathrow has an ATM cap as part of building terminal 5, but could schedule more like Gatwick does at night and allows Airbus/Boeing Light/Medium to land at night. Zurich also has a night curfew which means that they have to restrict the total runway occupancy, thus arrival/departure slots.

In the case of a 1755 arrival delayed till 1850, the 1805 slot may land at 1757 and have no impact on the runway occupancy or ATM of the 1800-1900 period as you’ve just swapped your slot automatically. I used to have Heathrow’s ACDM when I was an apprentice on the ground, and the system would reflect everything as such. Sometimes the system would move departures as such that you’ll get a quicker CTOT based on taxi time and your place in the queue system and thus the airport wouldn’t bust the limit for that hour.

It also depends on the controllers on shift and the aircraft seperation. Gatwick did 60 movements on the one runway one day many many years ago as the aircraft types were perfect. That’s well above the ATM for the runway.

Ibra wrote:

I was referring to airports IFR slots like in Zurich, why do you need that? if ATC do not care (at least for my 1h late arrival) then why anyone should care?

Reminds me of UK airports with ATC & ATIS that require PPR…

The en-route CTOT on FPL is obvious, it has to do with sector capacity than individual ATC…

Qualified PPL with IR SP/SE PBN
EGSG, United Kingdom

Why the existing CFPL slots like CTOT & ETA time are not enough? why you need an extra airport slot?

Last Edited by Ibra at 02 Jul 13:29
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

Well at places like Gatwick & Heathrow, they are scheduled slots so there’s some form of organisation.

The CTOT is based on EOBT + TAXI TIME or DLA code/measure.

The AD-HOC slots are there to fit you in with the other traffic and not delay the Scheduled slots.

Ibra wrote:

Why the existing CFPL slots like CTOT & ETA time are not enough? why you need an extra airport slot?
Qualified PPL with IR SP/SE PBN
EGSG, United Kingdom

Hi guys, wanted to quickly weigh-in on 2 airports LFMD Cannes (where I need to be today) which is slot coordinated in summer, simple email does the job to the handler and they sorted for me. There is an online tool that gets it done as well.
And then Amsterdam Schiphol, which you would think is difficult but is actually a lot easier than you would think. Flew in there on Sunday, used Aviapartner Executive (handling was 143 euros) and flew out on Tuesday afternoon. the handler took care of all the slots for me including moving my flight plan and the slot forward when I ended up leaving 45 mins earlier.
Interesting enough the whole CTOT nonsense in France has started again due to ACT staffing issues in the Paris area I got a delayed slot going to EHAM from LFHN on Sunday, but the handler took care of moving the arrival slots around with no issue at all. Yay for the Dutch… no ATC issues there, even got 36R so taxi to GA parking was really easy and got a very nice leaflet explaining the whole departure shebang (you get your clearance first, then start-up, then taxi, then tower) which I know is in the AIP but very helpful in how it is explained. Worth the money and worth the experience overall…

LFHN - Bellegarde - Vouvray France
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