Coordination | Airport Coordination Limited

Bringing the Board Closer to the Business

23/09/26

One of ACL’s Independent Directors, Deb Bowen Rees, recently joined our Coordination team alongside Nominated Director Brendan Kelly (TUI) as part of a Board development programme designed to strengthen understanding and connection across the business.

With a career spanning the RAF, executive leadership roles and her time as CEO of Cardiff Airport, Deb brings extensive aviation and transport expertise to ACL’s Board. The programme aims to give Board members a deeper understanding of ACL’s operations and the people behind them. As Deb explained, ACL’s structure means Board members do not always have the same opportunities for day-to-day interaction found in other organisations, making purposeful engagement especially important.

Before the visit, Deb and fellow Board members completed theory sessions led by Stuart Finlayson, covering airport coordination and its vital role within the aviation industry. The office visit provided an opportunity to see this knowledge in practice.

During the day, Deb spent time with Head of Coordination Fernando de Freitas and colleagues from across the business. Reflecting on the experience, she highlighted the value of seeing ACL firsthand. Observing customer interactions, learning about operational processes and hearing directly from employees gave her a greater appreciation of the expertise, dedication and teamwork that drive ACL’s success.

“I was amazed at what we managed to pack in,” she said, describing the experience as both insightful and rewarding.

The visit also allowed colleagues to learn more about the Board’s role. During an open Q&A session, employees asked questions about governance, strategic decision-making and how the Board supports the company’s long-term success. These conversations helped strengthen understanding and transparency across the organisation.

For Deb, this kind of engagement benefits everyone. Board members gain a clearer understanding of the business, while employees gain insight into how decisions are made and the experience Board members bring. Having previously attended ACL company away days, Deb stressed the importance of continuing these opportunities.

“It shouldn’t be a one-off. Maybe once a year, Board members should be encouraged to do it, because it really is invaluable.”

The visit reinforced the importance of staying connected. Effective Board members do more than attend meetings; they take time to understand the business, its people and its challenges. By encouraging meaningful conversations and shared learning, initiatives like this help strengthen relationships across ACL and ensure the company continues to benefit from the collective expertise of its people and leadership.

A huge thank you to Deb for spending the day with the Coordination team and sharing her insights. The feedback from colleagues has been overwhelmingly positive, and we look forward to building on these connections in the future.

Why Coordination Matters More Than Ever

16/09/26

“A question I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is this: when airport demand keeps growing, what comes first? More infrastructure or better coordination?

The default answer is often more infrastructure. More gates, more terminal space and more runway capacity. But building infrastructure is expensive, complex and slow. In many cases, there are years between identifying a capacity issue and delivering a solution. In the meantime, airports still need to maintain performance, support growth and deliver a good experience for airlines and passengers alike.

To me, that’s where coordination becomes critical.

As airports grow, they inevitably start seeing pressure points emerge. Morning peaks become busier, infrastructure reaches its limits for short periods and demand begins clustering around the same preferred times. At that point, the challenge isn’t necessarily creating more capacity. It’s about making better use of the capacity that already exists.

A simple way to think about it is a restaurant. If every customer wants a table at 6pm, the answer isn’t automatically building a bigger restaurant. First, you’d look at how bookings are managed, how demand can be spread across the evening and how you can provide a better experience with the resources already available.

Airport coordination works in much the same way. It’s not about restricting growth. It’s about helping airports achieve sustainable growth while maintaining performance, reliability and service levels.

Demand growth isn’t the problem. Managing that growth effectively is the challenge. That’s why coordination matters more than ever.”

Darren Batty is the Coordination Manager for ACL Asia Pacific, leading slot coordination activities at Sydney Airport. With more than 25 years in the aviation industry, he works with airlines, airport operators, regulators, and industry stakeholders to optimise airport capacity, improve operational performance, and support sustainable growth.

The Power of a Slot

16/09/26

“I’ve spent a lot of time talking to airports, airlines and industry stakeholders about coordination, and one thing I’ve realised is that many people underestimate the value of a slot.

To some, a slot simply looks like a scheduled arrival or departure time. It’s an operational requirement. A timestamp on a schedule. A necessary process to manage demand.

In reality, it’s much more powerful than that.

A slot creates certainty, and certainty is one of the most valuable commodities in aviation. Once an airline knows when it can arrive and depart, it can align everything else around that operation. Ground handling, crew scheduling, aircraft parking, aircraft movements on the ground and in the air, catering, check-in, baggage systems, passenger flows and onward connections can all be planned against a known outcome.

Without that certainty, every part of the operation starts compensating for risk. Airlines build buffers into schedules. Resources are allocated less efficiently. Delays in one area have a habit of creating delays elsewhere.

I sometimes think of a slot as the foundation stone of an operation. Once it’s in place, everything else can be built around it with confidence. Without it, you’re constantly trying to line up a complex series of moving parts, often with limited visibility and no guarantees.

The value of a slot isn’t the time itself. The value is the certainty it provides to everyone who depends on it.”

The Hidden Cost of Not Coordinating

16/09/26

“When people hear the word congestion, they usually think about delays. What they don’t always see is everything happening behind the scenes.

An airport without effective coordination doesn’t magically avoid constraints. Those constraints still exist. The difference is where the cost shows up.

Aircraft spend longer holding in the air waiting for a landing opportunity or on the ground waiting for a gate to free up. They spend longer at the gate or taxiing on the ground before departure. Airlines start building additional buffers into their schedules because they know certain delays are likely to occur. Passengers experience longer and less predictable journeys. Operational teams spend more time responding to disruption rather than managing performance proactively.

Eventually, somebody pays for those inefficiencies.

The airline pays through higher operating and passenger disruption costs. The airport pays through reduced operational performance, lower infrastructure utilisation and customer satisfaction. Passengers pay through delays and uncertainty. The environment pays through additional fuel burn and unnecessary emissions.

One of the biggest misconceptions in our industry is that coordination creates constraints. In reality, coordination helps manage constraints that already exist. Without coordination, congestion gets resolved on the day through holding patterns, delays and operational workarounds. With coordination, much of that congestion can be managed before the day even arrives.

That’s a very different outcome.

Good coordination isn’t simply about operational efficiency. It’s about creating better outcomes across the entire airport ecosystem, from airlines and airports through to passengers and the communities they serve.”

UK Alleviation related to fuel related issues: Update on permitted slot returns for NW26

03/09/26

ACL guidance on UK Alleviation related to the fuel situation has been updated to include the number of permitted slot returns for Northern Winter 2026 (NW26).

The UK Government amended the Slot Regulation to permit additional alleviation to manage potential fuel shortages at UK Level 3 Coordinated Airports.

For NW26, carriers are permitted to return 10% of slots subject to certain criteria. The first 5% are to be returned to the coordinator by 15 November 2026.

A further 5% is permitted to be returned before 14 March 2027.

For Northern Summer 2026, carriers can return up to 5% of slots if they are returned before 11 October 2026.

ACL Guidance related to this alleviation can be found here

ACL Update on the Middle East Conflict

19/08/26

19 August 2026

Operations in the Middle East have seen some stabilisation despite disruption continuing in some countries/airports.

ACL has updated its Guidance on Military action and related airspace restrictions over the Middle East and Gulf Region to reflect its view on which countries/airports are no longer experiencing serious disturbance and therefore detailing that date at which alleviation will no longer be applied . see here for the latest version (10).

For UK Airports:

The UK Government has amended the UK Slot Regulation to provide additional alleviation during NS26 and NW26. Additional guidance related to this provision can be found here.

For Dubai Airports:

Reduced capacity will impact the airport for the remainder of the NS26 season.

Behind the Scenes at a Slot Conference

10/08/26

For ACL Coordinator Jamie Whyte, slot conferences are one of the most rewarding aspects of his role, bringing together airlines, airports and aviation professionals from across the globe.

“Everyone is there for the same reason – to plan, discuss challenges and make sure future schedules work as effectively as possible.”

While the conference itself may only last a few days, months of preparation take place behind the scenes. Coordinators work closely with airports and airlines, reviewing requests, assessing capacity and preparing for countless discussions ahead of the event.

“There’s a lot more preparation involved than people realise. The conference is the visible part, but there’s a huge amount happening before you even get there.”

Once the conference begins, the pace quickly intensifies. Meetings run back-to-back throughout the day as airlines and airports discuss schedules, capacity constraints and plans for the season ahead.

“You’re helping people understand what’s possible, what’s challenging and what options might be available. Sometimes it’s about finding solutions, and sometimes it’s about helping everyone understand the bigger picture.”

These conversations provide valuable insight into the priorities and challenges faced by different stakeholders across the aviation industry.

“You get to hear directly from airports and airlines about what they’re dealing with. It gives you a much broader perspective than you can get from a screen.”

For Jamie, the opportunity to travel is a major highlight of the conference and was one of the reasons he was initially drawn to the role. Coordinators can make the most of visiting destinations they might not otherwise have the chance to experience.

“The travel is a huge benefit of this role with ACL. If you’re travelling halfway across the world for a conference, being able to add a bit of personal time onto the trip and experience a new city or culture makes it even more rewarding. It’s great that we have the flexibility to do that.”

For Jamie, that combination of technical expertise, relationship building and international travel is what makes slot conferences so unique.

While attendees may see a busy schedule of meetings, for coordinators it represents the culmination of months of planning, collaboration and industry engagement. Much of the work happens behind the scenes, but it plays a vital role in helping airports and airlines prepare for successful future seasons.

Special Event Coordination: Hajj 2026

29/07/26

Supporting Hajj is a powerful example of ACL’s expertise in Special Event Coordination. Let’s take a moment to reflect on the incredible scale, complexity and global collaboration required to support one of the world’s largest annual gatherings.

Our team were working for seven months behind the scenes, managing significant demand from airlines while aligning with strict regulatory requirements and carefully controlled capacity at the Hajj Terminal in Jeddah Airport.

This year’s operation saw:

• 4,949 Hajj charter slots and 989,567 seats coordinated
• 59 airlines involved
• 67 countries connected
• All coordinated against 893 quota constraints

Together, the team processed all Hajj-related slot messages alongside an additional surge in slot messages and enquiries related to the recent Middle East conflict, and delivered the operational arrival phase alongside the NW26 initial coordination period. The scale of the operation is immense, with tightly managed quotas governing both aircraft movements and passenger volumes, all set in collaboration with GACA (General Authority of Civil Aviation) Saudi Arabia and the airport operator. Every request must be carefully handled, with no margin for error, and systems configured to reflect the unique nature of Hajj operations, from dedicated charters to adapted scheduled services.

We also recognise the exceptional work of the Matarat airport teams and wider partners in Saudi Arabia. The organisation and management of the Hajj Terminal, and the wider infrastructure that supports the movement of pilgrims, is unlike any other airport operation.

Events like this demonstrate our ability to manage highly complex, high-pressure scenarios, work closely with international partners, and deliver coordinated solutions for events of global significance.

Well done to everyone involved – let’s get ready for Hajj 2027!

Inside the Role of a Slot Coordinator

23/07/26

If you ask Jamie Whyte what a typical day as a coordinator looks like, the first thing he’ll tell you is that no two days are ever quite the same.

Working closely with airports and airlines, coordinators sit at the centre of a constantly evolving aviation landscape, balancing demand, capacity and operational requirements to help make the most effective use of airport infrastructure.

“It’s still very much a demand-based role,” Jamie explains. “You’re looking at capacity, understanding demand and working out how everything fits together.”

A typical day can involve analysing schedules, reviewing requests, communicating with stakeholders and responding to changing operational needs. It requires a mix of analytical thinking, problem-solving and relationship management, as coordinators work with multiple parties to understand constraints and identify solutions.

For Jamie, one of the most rewarding aspects of the role is the variety.

“There’s so much to learn. Aviation is such a huge industry with so many different fields and specialisms. You’re constantly learning about something new.”

That exposure provides a unique perspective on the industry. Coordinators work with airports of different sizes, airlines with varying operational requirements and regulatory frameworks that continue to evolve, making every day a learning opportunity. The role also offers a level of flexibility that Jamie values highly.

“In my previous role, I spent much more time in the office. The flexibility here is huge for me. I can plan my time around travel and work in a way that really suits me.”

Despite playing an important role within the aviation ecosystem, coordination remains a career path many people have never heard of.

“I think a lot of people don’t realise that coordinators exist. I didn’t either.”

Yet the skills developed in coordination can open the door to a wide range of opportunities across the industry.

“The good thing about coordination, and with ACL being such a well-known company in our field, is that it opens a lot of different opportunities.”

Former coordinators have gone on to careers in airline scheduling, airport capacity management and business development, taking with them a deep understanding of how different parts of the aviation industry work together.

For anyone considering a career in coordination, Jamie recommends gaining exposure to aviation wherever possible.

“Try and get some experience in aviation, even if it’s minimal. There are so many acronyms, so much jargon and so many different areas of the industry to understand. Getting a foot in the door somewhere gives you a good foundation.”

For Jamie, that’s what makes the role so interesting. It’s a career that combines analysis, collaboration and continuous learning, while offering a front-row seat to the challenges and opportunities that shape global aviation every day.

Use it or lose it at Sydney Airport where slot utilisation exceeds 90%

16/06/26

Nine out of ten scheduled take-off and landing slots at Sydney Airport were operated in the six months to March 28, according to new data from slot manager ACL Asia Pacific.The Northern Winter 2025 (NW25) end of season report from ACL reveals that total utilisation of slots allocated for Australia’s busiest airport was 95%.

This figure was calculated by combining the 90% of allocated slots flown with the 5% of slots airlines cancelled due to circumstances beyond their control such as war and weather.

Jetstar, Virgin and Qantas, the biggest users of Sydney Airport, operated at close to all their allocated slots, maintaining usage rights for the NW26 schedule, which starts in late October.

It is the first time such detailed slot usage data has been publicly released for any of the world’s major airports, part of the Australian Government’s push to bring transparency to slot management and enforcement practices at Sydney Airport.

The number of operated flights were in some cases heavily impacted by the US-Israel war with Iran through March, when airspace across the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other Middle Eastern countries closed due to the conflict.

In such cases, impacted airlines – notably Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Qantas and Virgin – were given slot usage dispensation, allowing them to retain the unused slots for next season.

Airlines that consistently breached the 80:20 ‘use it or lose it’ rule* during the period, without a valid reason, lost the automatic right to that slot in NW26.

Most airlines operated the vast majority of their slots and had retention rates of more than 95%.

At the other end of the spectrum, Tianjin Airlines retained just 33% of its slots, Hong Kong Airlines 71%, and China Eastern Airlines 76%.

On time performance

More than 25% of operated flights missed their slot (a 15 or 30 minute window to either take-off or land depending on sector length) over the period.

Most of these flights were late, potentially disrupting the airport logistics and passenger flow.

International flights were more likely to be on time with 83% of flights landing or taking off within their allocated slot window, while domestic on slot movements were 72%.

The major reason for missing slot windows was airlines arriving late due to consequential delays from previous sectors.

Comment from Darren Batty, Coordination Manager – Asia Pacific, ACL

“Airports need confidence that every available movement is being used effectively. ACL’s approach delivers strong utilisation and operational performance while preserving capacity for future growth – a key priority for airports across Australia,” said Batty.

“At Sydney, we continuously refine how slots are used – aligning schedules, clearing waitlists and responding to operational changes in collaboration with airlines, Sydney Airport and Airservices Australia to deliver strong utilisation and ensure the system remains responsive to demand so that there’s still available capacity for airline expansion.”

Click: Northern Winter 2025 end of season report.

*The ‘80:20 rule’ is the global benchmark for slot management. Slots are allocated every six months for the so-called northern summer and winter seasons and an airline must use their allocated slots at least 80% of the time to ensure they retain them at that airport for the next equivalent season. Either use it or lose it.