Wednesday 9 October 2024

Sydney Airport welcomes the legislation introduced by the Albanese Government today to reform the airport’s slot system, the first changes in 27 years.

The reforms will deliver benefits to passengers in terms of reliability, competition and choice through an improved compliance regime, with potential penalties for misusing slots, and a recovery mechanism that will reduce cancellations and delays when disruptions occur.

Sydney Airport is currently restricted to 80 movements per hour, with no provision for these to be ‘caught up’ following a period of disruption like bad weather. The new recovery mechanism will allow for a temporary, two-hour window where five extra movements per hour will be allowed following disruptions.

This will allow some flights that otherwise would have been cancelled to be recovered, providing a better and more reliable experience for passengers. Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton said: “This is an important and positive step that will deliver better results for passengers by reducing cancellations and delays.

“These are the first improvements to the legislation that governs Sydney Airport’s operation in more than 27 years, and we commend the Government for seeing these through.

“We look forward to the legislation’s passage through the Senate and, once enacted, will continue to work with the Government and its agencies on implementation.”