ACI World calls for modernization of outdated airport slot allocation system

The global airports trade body is calling on regulators to overhaul the way landing slots are allocated at the world’s busiest airports. 

The call comes as Airports Council International (ACI) World warns that a framework designed more than 50 years ago is holding back competition, limiting passenger choice, and failing to keep pace with the growth of modern aviation.

ACI World released a white paper on July 15, 2026, titled “Airport Slot Policy — Rethinking Airport Access in a Capacity-Constrained World,” outlining how the current system creates structural barriers across the aviation ecosystem and calling for a transparent, modernized approach to slot allocation before the capacity crisis deepens further.

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A 1970s system running a 2026 industry

The scale of the problem, according to ACI World, is significant. 

The number of the world’s most congested, slot-restricted airports has surged by more than 25% in the last decade alone, and global passenger traffic is projected to nearly double by the mid-2040s. Yet the foundational rules governing who gets access to those airports have remained largely unchanged since they were first designed.

Justin Erbacci, Director General of ACI World, put it bluntly: “We are trying to run a 2026 aviation industry on a 1970s operating system.” 

He said the inflexible rules are preventing the industry from adapting to modern passenger demands, providing competitive fares, and building resilient networks, and called on regulators to sit down with the industry to deliver what he described as an overdue upgrade.

How the current system works against competition

The concentration of capacity at major airports tells part of the story. 

Fewer than 10% of the world’s airports handle nearly two-thirds of all passengers, and 85.5% of the busiest airports, those serving more than 40 million passengers a year, are already operating at or near full capacity.

At the 50 most congested airports, the four largest airlines account for 67% of all flights. Historic access rights accumulate over time and are rarely released, with existing guidelines heavily favoring incumbent airlines and historical allocation patterns. 

The result, ACI World argues, is a system that makes it difficult for the market to evolve, limits competition, and ultimately reduces the quality of connectivity available to passengers.

What a modernized system would look like

ACI World is not calling for the dismantling of stability, but for a framework that is more adaptable and transparent. 

The white paper argues that a modernized system would provide greater visibility into who is requesting airport access, who receives it, and why, so that scarce infrastructure is used efficiently and in the public interest rather than locked up by incumbents.

Erbacci said airports are ready to do the work but cannot build the future of aviation alone. 

“We strongly urge airline representatives and legacy industry bodies to move past historical resistance and a ‘zero-sum’ mentality and join us in improving the slot allocation system,” he said, calling for a framework that unlocks operational efficiency, fosters healthy competition, and delivers the routes that the modern global economy demands.

The full white paper is available at store.aci.aero.

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