(Posted 19th April 2026)
An airport slot is critical. And at many airports there are not enough slots to fulfill the demand for travel at all times of the day. That’s why airlines, airports, and regulators worked together to create the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG).
WASG provides the rules by which slots are allocated and by which a slot can be reallocated. This is the famous 80-20 rule. Basically, a slot must be used 80% of the time for an airline to keep it. The 20% non-utilization provides flexibility for cancellations for things like weather events or mechanical issues.
Nick Careen, Senior Vice President, Operations, Safety and Security, argues that JNUS is a necessary, rules based safeguard that prevents today’s crisis from permanently harming airline networks and passengers, while allowing the industry to recover quickly once conditions stabilize.
KEY QUOTE:
We all hope that JNUS will not be needed for long. The faster this war ends, the better. IATA will continue to keep governments—who have the power to invoke JNUS—fully informed of the extraordinary challenges that airlines are facing. Until the situation stabilizes and airlines can return to normal flying, JNUS is a critical lifeline to protect the air connectivity that is important today, and that will be even more important as we rebuild from conflict.
Read the full blog here.
