WIZZ Air’s chief executive Jozsef Varadi said legacy airlines should not retain their airport slots if they are not able to use them.
“We would be able to operate those slots at constrained airports, so why are they protected for the benefit of legacy carriers who are incapable of operating them because they are inefficient?” Varadi told Reuters yesterday. The chief executive’s comments came a day after Ryanair’s boss Michael O’Leary re-ignited the airport slots or ‘ghost flights’ debacle when he accused carriers such as Lufthansa of “blocking their slots” to protect themselves from competition with low-cost airlines.
“The solution to Lufthansa’s ‘ghost flights’ problem is a simple one – just sell these seats to consumers,” O’Leary said in a statement.
In December, Lufthansa’s boss Carsten Spohr said the airline was forced to operate around 18,000 flights just to retain its airport slots under EU rules. According to the European Commission (EC), airlines need to use their slots if they want to retain them the following year.
Before the pandemic carriers needed use at least 80 per cent of their airport space, but they now need to use just 50 per cent.
“The relief has worked very well for almost two years now, providing the necessary support that has prevented harmful flights operating for the purpose of maintaining slots,” a spokesperson said.
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