22 February ATIA Welcomes Federal Government’s Reforms to Sydney Airport Slot Management February 22, 2024 By Amanda Rixon Media Release 0 ATIA has been calling for reforms of this nature to address the growing and significant economic impact of flight cancellations and delays and to ensure an efficient and competitive environment for Australia’s Travel Industry. The reforms announced today include a reduction in peak periods, allowing for better utilisation of slots and enhancing operational efficiencies at Sydney Airport. This strategic change is expected to facilitate increased domestic and international flights and provide more options for consumers, benefitting the overall aviation network. Sydney Airport, Australia’s busiest airport, handled around 35 million passengers in the 2022-23 period. The new reforms address the current limitations of the demand management framework and are poised to optimise the 80 aircraft movements per hour cap. These measures will unlock unused slots, especially during previously restricted peak times, and will also provide regional NSW services with improved access. ATIA’s advocacy on this issue included a detailed analysis over two decades, conducted by former Qantas economist Tony Webber, which showed airlines often cancel flights for purely commercial reasons, impacting both the travel industry and consumers. That ATIA report showed that a 5% decrease in travellers due to flight cancellations would lead to an estimated A$405 million loss in domestic tourism from Australia’s top ten airports annually. Sydney Airport’s cancellations alone would reduce domestic tourism expenditure by between A$143 million and A$572 million per year. QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO ATIA CEO DEAN LONG (AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW) “These reforms not only enhance the operational efficiency of our busiest airport but also support the many people and businesses in Australia’s Travel sector. It’s a significant step towards fostering an environment that delivers tangible benefits for everyone involved in and reliant on travel in Australia.” “We all know that passengers bear what are often significant out-of-pocket costs and lose valuable time due to cancellations. The opportunity cost for delayed passengers is usually significant, particularly for business travellers. Cancellations also lead to seats being withdrawn from the market, which raises airfares for those yet to book a flight.” “There are also massive knock-on effects to travel professionals as a result of cancellations.” “Today’s reforms are the first step towards fairer flying, and we thank the Federal Government for these common-sense improvements.” “ATIA will continue to call for action on the 80-20 rule, which is outdated and needs to go. Under the rule, airlines can keep a specific timeslot as long as they don’t cancel more than 20 per cent of flights in that slot over the year.” Related Articles Travel has a new home – the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) The Australian Travel Industry has a new peak industry body representing travel agents and advisors, tour operators, consolidators and wholesalers replacing the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) effective today. ATIA’s asks reflected in main Senate Inquiry Report Many of the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA)’s recommendations to the Senate Select Committee’s Inquiry into Commonwealth Bilateral Air Service Agreements on how Australia’s aviation industry can be reformed to better support consumers have been accepted. ATIA tells Senate inquiry a revolution is needed With international fares from Sydney in 2023 up to 99% higher than pre-COVID, and a lack of competition and capacity, the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) has told the Senate Committee Inquiry into Bilateral Air Service Agreements a revolution rather than a recalibration of Australia’s aviation industry is needed to ensure consumers are better supported. Rising Costs and Impacts of Flight Cancellations on Australian Travel and Tourism, Revealed by ATIA Research The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) today draws attention to the significant economic impact of domestic flight cancellations, as detailed in a recent research paper commissioned by the ATIA. ATIA Canberra-bound in strong support for Australian Travel With Parliament sitting again this week, The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) is Canberra-bound to lobby across a number of key areas for its members and the future success of the Australian travel industry. ATIA Advocacy - September This month we have continued to be active in discussions with political leaders in Canberra to progress key member priorities. The rebranding to ATIA has already proven to be beneficial from a political perspective. Showing 0 Comment Comments are closed.