A Complete Manual for Conducting International Flight Operations

Slot Time Review

Slot Time Review

There are generally three different slot request types, the GCR (General Aviation Clearance Request) , SCR ( Slot Clearance Request) and SSIM (Standard Schedules Information Manual). GCR is the most common form of Slot request followed by SCR and SSIM. When a slot confirmation has been granted it is important to make sure that the slot confirmation is contained in block 18 of the ICAO flight plan (third party flight planners will occasional omit it). It is recommended that the flight crew review their slot specifics and have a digital or printed copy of the slot confirmation readily available on the flight deck.

 

During peak travel periods it may be difficult to obtain desired arrival slots, for that reason, slots should be requested early. Some airports may even require slots to be requested the month prior to arrival as is the case at some Japanese airports.

Airway Slots

In Europe there will usually be airway slots as well as arrival and departure slots. In such cases, an airway slot will take precedence over an arrival or departure slot. This can be a source of frustration for passengers, if you prepared for your departure slot and then airway delays prevent an on-time departure.

Slot Time Tolerance

It is very important for the flight crew to know the tolerance of their slot time. Generally slot times will be valid +/- 30 minutes, however, busier airports may have a slot tolerance of +/- 10 minutes. It is recommended that the flight crew speak with their handler to determine the slot tolerance, and to have their dispatch or 3rd party handler revise the slot should the passenger or flight depart early or late. Generally a handler will be able to obtain revisions to the slot time, but this is not always possible.

 

Revision date: July 29, 2015

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