Designing a scoring methodology to quantify the effects of ‘Level 4’ slot allocation at super-congested airports

Abstract

Before the Covid-19 pandemic significantly reduced the demand for air travel, several European airports were experiencing high levels of congestion. The slot allocation process at these super-congested airports has reached a state of gridlock in which slot mobility is limited and a large block of the available slots is allocated to a small number of airlines. The lack of available capacity has halted the growth of certain airport and/or governmental objectives, such as improving connectivity or minimizing the environmental footprint. As a response to this congestion problem, A.R. Odoni has proposed the implementation of an additional level to the slot allocation process, which would be designed specifically for the saturated airports. This ‘Level 4’ slot category focuses on introducing a set of measures that stimulate the mobility of the slot allocation process whilst simultaneously improve the role of the airport within the local, national and European community. To highlight the importance of this new concept, this research will propose a scoring methodology that will be able to quantify the effectiveness of ‘Level 4’ slot allocation. The methodology will focus on scoring a slot on five different parameters which will allow for a better understanding of the added value of that slot. These parameters are based on the objectives an airport and/or its related government might have. The methodology focusses on the generated connectivity of a slot, the slot’s impact on the competition levels, the welfare contribution of the slot, the slot’s environmental footprint and the capacity offered by the slot. By using the min-max normalization technique, a number of scales are developed that allow for a homogenous scoring method. By using this methodology, the slot allocation process at ‘Level 4’ airports can be based on the added value of a slot, rather than focusing on uncontrolled growth. This will become even more important in a post-pandemic industry where the super-congested airports will likely be the first to recover and slots will need to be re-allocated.