The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is urging governments to grant temporary slot relief as airlines continue to adjust operations in response to the Middle East crisis.

Airport slots—pre‑allocated takeoff and landing permissions—are tightly regulated under the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG).

The system includes the long‑standing 80‑20 rule, which requires airlines to use a slot at least 80% of the time to retain it, while allowing 20% flexibility for cancellations due to issues such as weather or technical problems.

Nick Careen, IATA's Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security, said the Justified Non‑Use of Slots (JNUS) provision is essential to prevent long‑term damage to airline networks during the current instability.

"We all hope that JNUS will not be needed for long. The faster this war ends, the better. IATA will continue to keep governments—who have the power to invoke JNUS—fully informed of the extraordinary challenges that airlines are facing," he said.

"Until the situation stabilizes and airlines can return to normal flying, JNUS is a critical lifeline to protect the air connectivity that is important today, and that will be even more important as we rebuild from conflict," Careen added.

IATA argues that applying JNUS would allow airlines to maintain essential connectivity without risking permanent slot losses while the region remains volatile.