Airport slot allocation system reform

This consultation seeks views on the proposals for reform that will apply to slot allocation at Level 3 slot coordinated airports. Level 3 airports in the UK are:  

• London Heathrow 
• London Gatwick 
• London City 
• London Stansted 
• London Luton 
• Manchester 
• Birmingham 
• Bristol 

Leeds Bradford airport has been approved by the Secretary of State to be designated as a Level 3 airport for the summer season in the night-time only from summer 2024. 

Proposals laid out in the consultation will apply to slots held by both passenger and cargo-only flights at these airports. These reform proposals will set out how the slot system will be:  

• more efficient, dynamic and transparent 
• well-prepared for the allocation of new slots  

The reform proposals are not related to – and without prejudice to – the consideration of existing or future airport expansion applications by local planning authorities or ministers.  

Slot coordination cannot increase an airport’s capacity. It is the administrative process that makes use of an airport’s existing capacity. It is also a planning tool that helps ensure the operations of an airport remain within set capacity limits and environmental obligations – including night flight and noise limits.

This consultation is published alongside the Slot allocation at Heathrow: runway expansion research and the Slot allocation at an expanded Heathrow: alternative mechanism experiment reports.

This consultation forms part of the smarter regulation programme that began in May 2023 with the publication of Smarter regulation to grow the economy.