Amsterdam Airport Schiphol’s (AMS) has announced that its slot procedure has changed after Airport Coordination Netherlands (ACNL) temporarily lifted the Local Rule 2 (LR2) due to the global COVID-19 outbreak.

In a statement, AMS said the purpose of LR2 at AMS is to provide sufficient ad hoc capacity for full freighter airlines, but ACNL said in the current “exceptional circumstance” caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, LR2 works “counter-productively”.

Under LR2, the number of slots available for reallocation is limited, but the temporary lifting of the rule frees up freight operations.

“In these difficult times, it is important that we work together to ensure that the supply chain keeps moving,” said Bart Pouwels, head of cargo, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

“The lifting of LR2 will enable us to operate temporarily more ad hoc full-freighter flights at AMS, which is much needed to offset the current decline in belly capacity.”

Effective immediately, ACNL will not use LR2 for ad-hoc slots to be allocated up to and including 6th June 2020.

In addition, slots which have been handed back to the slot coordinator by passenger carriers who are not using them, are to be offered to full freighter operators first on an ad hoc basis until 6th June 2020.

ACNL said that due to the proposed temporary 80/20 waiver, which required airlines to use 80% of their slots or risk losing them, it expects a large number of slots to be handed back.

With this decision ACNL is aiming to provide sufficient slots in line with the purpose of LR2 and so that the necessary freight capacity is maintained in the general interest for goods transported to/from the Netherlands.