CAAC recently issued the Methods for Management of Civil Aviation Slots (hereinafter referred to as Methods) in order to further facilitate fair, efficient, competitive and incorrupt allocation of slot resources, promote normal and orderly operations of flights, press ahead with supply-side structural reform in the civil aviation industry in an in-depth way and boost realization of the strategic goal of building China into a civil aviation power. The Methods will come into effect on April 1, 2018.

The Methods consist of 8 chapters with 59 clauses, specifying the meaning, goals and tasks of and ways of management as well as principles for slot management, basic rules for slot allocation, qualifications of legacy priority over slots, requirements for implementation rate of slots. Besides, the Methods adjust the regulatory body for slot management and its duties, and what it oversights and manages.

In terms of quantitative rules regarding prioritized allocation of slots, the Methods have realized a significant innovative change from qualitative management to quantitative management, clearly stipulating that order of prioritized allocation will be determined in the order of size of number, based on the base quota of airlines multiplied by allocation parameters of slot efficiency. Then air carriers will choose slots from the slot pool according to the order of prioritized allocation.

In respect of classification management of slots, the Methods also make great reform. In light of contradictions between supplies and demands of slot resources, airports are classified into 3 types including coordinating airports, facilitating airports and non-coordination airports, and they are managed accordingly. At the same time, slots of the coordinating airports are divided into international slots and domestic ones.

Concerning slots for air transport of cargo and mail, the revised Methods provide that airports whose main functions are transport of cargo and mail and airports that are distributing centers for cargo and mail transported by air are handled in accordance with the policy of treating passenger and cargo equally. For other airports, windows of slot arrangement during rush hours are gradually liberalized, that is, arrival slots can be arranged from 6 am to 8 am and departure slots from 10 pm to 12 pm.

In addition, the Methods specify exchange and swap of slots, code sharing, joint operation, transfer, voluntary return and revocation of slots that happen in the slot secondary market; and a provision is added, namely Slot Coordination Committee shall be established to further promote fair, efficient, competitive and incorrupt allocation of slot resources.