Airlines are flying empty planes so they can keep their flight slots during the coronavirus outbreak

[Recursion]

https://www.businessinsider.fr/us/coronavirus-airlines-run-empty-ghost-flights-planes-passengers-outbreak-covid-2020-3

Airlines have wasted thousands of gallons of fuel running empty "ghost" flights during the coronavirus outbreak because of European rules saying operators can lose their flight slots if they keep their planes on the ground.

Demand for flights has collapsed across the globe amid growing fears about the outbreak.

Under Europe's rules, airlines operating out of the continent must continue to run 80% of their allocated slots or risk losing them to a competitor.

This has led to some operators flying empty planes into and out of European countries at huge costs, The Times of London reported.

[sakabatou]

1. So damned stupid

[PJMcK]

10. Perhaps this will help explain

Mentor Pilot is a YouTube channel for aviation enthusiasts and the host explains many of the aspects of flying and the airline industry. In this video, he explains what "slots" are and how they work.

&t=286s

Airlines not only need to preserve their slots at airports, they need to keep their equipment moving to different places in order to keep their schedules intact.

If these business necessities are so "damned stupid," what would you suggest?

[sakabatou]

13. Not the slot times being stupid, but the waste

However, the needs of times being filled, I guess it's also to save space at terminals.

[PJMcK]

15. I think I owe you an apology

Upon re-reading my post, I sound snarky and I didn't intend that.

Enjoy your weekend.

[LizBeth]

2. I work in the tourist industry and I am not seeing an effect yet. We are booked and busy.

Though a law conference for the University canceled their conference. But we were booked with other events.

[Recursion]

3. *Lots* of conferences are cancelled

That particular branch of travel, at least, is hurting

[uponit7771]

5. Where? There are a lot of mass meetings that aren't happening

[LizBeth]

6. I am in an intersting spot with all this. I am in a central spot in Oregon. So we get the people

Stopping for the night from Washington and the people stopping for the night in southern Calif. I wash my hands lots and disinfect with counter and pens a lot.

[uponit7771]

4. K&R, I was on a nearly empty plane from SNA to DFW

[HarlanPepper]

18. Sounds like a dream, if not for the reason

I had an empty seat next to me on a flight home from London in January. Felt like I was flying first class.

[gab13by13]

7. Daughter just flew from Pittsburgh

to NYC and back on half full flights.

[bucolic_frolic]

8. Why would a competitor want more slots to fly empty planes?

Really wasteful regulation. No one with the power to suspend the rules for a few months?

[beachbumbob]

9. reality, business never had a "plan" to deal with a pandemic and therefore are clueless

not just airlines and the travel industry, BUT ALL businesses.

This mess is just in the beginning with Nero playing the fiddle while Rome burns

[Takket]

11. How long would it take EU countries...

To draft bills saying “the flight slot rules re suspended until further notice”, and pass those bills?

I can’t fathom that it would take any more than a day.

[DFW]

16. You are asking Europeans to suspend RULES????

That's like asking fish to suspend the use of gills.

[Talitha]

12. This is insane. How did they handle things years ago when that Icelandic volcano erupted?

IIRC lots of flights were stopped cold. A friend who works at Heathrow as a loading supervisor nearly lost his job due to flight inactivity.

[treestar]

14. If the competitors are in the same boat

They’d have to do the same thing. Everyone should agree on what happens.

[DFW]

17. I WISH!!!

I just heard that my Wednesday morning flight down to Spain was canceled, and they put me on an evening flight "for my convenience" even though my appointments during the day on Wednesday WERE my only convenience.

Pls, my wofe, who is supposed to come home from Israel tomorrow, is still clueless as to how she is going to do it, seeing as how Israel has forbidden flight into their country by European airlines. El Al has a limited fleet, and there are tens (maybe hundreds) of thousands of European visitors in Israel at any given moment. Istanbul may be our best hope for her to find SOMETHING back to northwestern Germany. Köln-Bonn or even Dortmund would be preferable to her staying stuck in Israel or Turkey.