Slotting In

Increasing airspace and airport efficiency

Initiatives to improve airspace and airport capacity in Australia have entered a second phase of evolution. Earlier initiatives concentrated on balancing traffic demand with runway capacity. While these initiatives continue, attention is now being placed on increasing efficiency through improved terminal operations and integration of air and ground functions. This is based on airports, airlines and Airservices Australia sharing greater volumes of information and making decisions collaboratively.

Managing aircraft operations takes place over three time horizons. Assigning slots is a strategic activity involving airports and airlines that generally takes place a number of months prior to the aircraft movement.