CAAC introduces new policy on airport slot allocation for cargo flights

China has adopted a new policy on airport slot allocation for cargo flights to boost the country's air logistics industry.

It is the first slot allocation policy specifically designed for cargo flights and will be implemented starting from Oct. 25, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The new policy is aimed at increasing the daily utilization of cargo airplanes and airport facilities, improving China's international air cargo capacity, and strengthening the competitiveness of its aviation logistics sector.

It is drafted in accordance with the functional orientations of various airports, and their supply-and-demand status of flight schedules, the CAAC said.

The policy calls on airports to implement slot allocation for cargo flights in classified, quantitative and differentiated ways. It takes into consideration the differences in flight densities, passenger and cargo flights, as well as scheduled and nonscheduled flights among various airports.

According to the CAAC, optimizing the flight schedules would greatly improve timetables for cargo flights.

The policy relaxes the timetable limits for cargo flights by balancing the airport's current operation conditions, functional orientation, peak and low time windows and other major factors.

Those hub airports with stronger freight handling capacities could schedule international cargo flights during the peak time window, according to the new policy.

The cargo flight slot allocation will examine the carriers' previous flight records, the value of flights, on-time performance, safe operation records and other major indicators.

The CAAC has introduced a series of measures such as simplifying approval procedures and offering flexible flight timetables to ensure the transport of anti-pandemic supplies and sustain the global supply chain.

In the summer flight season of 2020, the total slot amount for cargo flights has seen a 50 percent increase compared with that in 2019, said statistics from the CAAC.