ALLOCATION OF SLOTS AT AIRPORT ġ L.S.232.13 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 232.13
ALLOCATION OF SLOTS AT AIRPORT 
REGULATIONS
16th December, 2002
LEGAL NOTICE 300 of 2001.
Title.
Airport Regulations.
Interpretation.
"air carrier" means any person including bodies corporate or
unincorporated who, regardless of their nationality, place of
habitual residence, principal place of business, place of
incorporation or management and administration, operate aircraft,
regardless of the place of registration of such aircraft, on a
commercial basis for the purpose of carrying persons, cargo and
mail;
"aircraft scheduling" means the allocation of slots;
S.L.232.05
Cap. 405.
"airport" means the Malta International Airport; it shall also have
the meaning assigned to the term "aerodrome" by article 2 of the
Air Navigation Order, and the meaning assigned to the term
"airport" by article 2 of the Airports and Civil Aviation (Security)
Act.
"Airport operator", in relation to an airport, means the person for
the time being having the management of that airport;
"Director" means the Director of Civil Aviation and, to the
extent of the authority given, any person so authorised by him;
"IATA" means the International Air Transport Association;
"major home based carrier" means the Maltese registered carrier
that carries the greatest number of passengers per year to and from
Malta;
"slot" means the scheduled time of arrival or departure available
or allocated to an aircraft movement on a specific date at an airport
designated in terms of these regulations.
Scheduling co-
ordinator.
3. (1) A scheduling co-ordinator shall be appointed in
accordance with the following procedure: the Airport operator,
after having consulted the air carriers using the airport regularly,
shall submit to the Director for his written approval or otherwise, a
list of not more than three persons who are knowledgeable in and
have experience of aircraft scheduling; in the event that the
Director approves more than one person, the Airport operator shall
appoint the nominee of his choice.
(2) The scheduling co-ordinator shall hold office for a period
of four years, which may be renewed for a further term.
(3) The Airport operator and the Director shall jointly have the
power to dismiss the scheduling co-ordinator if he knowingly fails
2 L.S.232.13 ħ ALLOCATION OF SLOTS AT AIRPORT
to observe his duties under subregulation (5)( a ) to ( d ).
(4) The scheduling co-ordinator shall be solely responsible for
the scheduling of slots.  He may consult the Airport Scheduling
Committee on the scheduling of the slots, and, subject to the
provisions of regulation 6, his decision shall be final.
(5) In the exercise of his duties, the scheduling co-ordinator
shall:
( a ) act in an independent, neutral, non-discriminatory and
transparent manner;
( b ) ensure that air carriers’ requirements are met;
( c ) ensure that aircraft, passengers, cargo and mail are
handled in the most efficient and expeditious manner;
( d ) monitor the use of slots; and 
( e ) participate, as appropriate, in scheduling conferences
of air carriers or their representative international
organisations.
(6) The scheduling co-ordinator shall have the power to request
any information from any air carrier that may be required in order
for him to carry out his scheduling responsibilities.
(7) Air carriers operating or intending to operate at the airport
shall provide the scheduling co-ordinator with such information as
may be requested in terms of subregulation (6).
(8) The scheduling co-ordinator shall, on request and within a
reasonable time, make available for review to the Airport operator,
the Director and air carriers the following information:
( a ) historical slots, in a chronological manner, of all air
carriers at the airport;
( b ) requested slots (initial submissions) by air carriers and
chronologically, for all air carriers;
( c ) all allocated slots and outstanding slot requests, listed
individually in chronological order, by air carriers, for
all air carriers;
( d ) remaining available slots; and
( e ) full details on the criteria being used in the allocation
of slots.
(9) The information in subregulation (8) shall be made
available, unless otherwise notified, at the latest at the time of the
relevant scheduling conferences and as appropriate during
conferences and thereafter.
Airport Scheduling 
Committee.
4. (1) An Airport Scheduling Committee, hereinafter referred
to as "the Committee", shall be established and shall be composed
of:
( a ) the representative of the Airport operator, who shall
act as Chairman;
( b ) a representative of non-Maltese registered air carriers
or of their representative organizations;
ALLOCATION OF SLOTS AT AIRPORT ġ L.S.232.13 3
( c ) the Director or his representative;
( d ) a person nominated by the air traffic services provider;
( e ) a representative of the major home based carrier; and
( f ) a representative of the ground handling agents,
provided that that representative does not represent a
person already represented in any manner by virtue of
paragraphs ( a ) to ( e ), both inclusive.
(2) The tasks of the Committee shall be to:
( a ) review on a regular basis possibilities to increase air
traffic capacity;
( b ) review and recommend improvements to air traffic
conditions prevailing at the airport;
( c ) adopt and review on a regular basis a set of guidelines
on the allocation of slots to be followed by the
scheduling co-ordinator giving due consideration to
local conditions;
( d ) keep a record of the use of allocated slots; and
( e ) hear and determine complaints on the allocation of
slots as provided for in these regulations.
(3) The Committee shall meet at least twice yearly.  Meetings
shall be called by the Chairman. The Chairman and one other
member shall constitute a quorum.
(4) The Committee shall convene without delay whenever it is
required to be consulted by the scheduling co-ordinator.
(5) The Committee shall have the right to require the
scheduling co-ordinator to submit all relevant information at his
disposal pertaining to a particular case in respect of which a
complaint has been filed under regulation 6.
(6) The scheduling co-ordinator and the complainant shall have
the right to be present at hearings of the Committee in respect of
complaints filed in terms of regulation 6.
Records.
written records of all relevant correspondence, meetings and
decisions.
Complaints.
writing, to the Committee which shall investigate that complaint
and may make recommendations to the scheduling co-ordinator to
review or alter his decision.
Offences.
ordinator or the Committee with the relevant information requested
within the time specified in a written notice shall be guilty of an
offence.
(2) Any person who knowingly provides false information to
the scheduling co-ordinator or to the Committee shall be guilty of
an offence.
Penalties.
4 L.S.232.13 ħ ALLOCATION OF SLOTS AT AIRPORT
7(1) shall be liable, on conviction, to a fine ( multa ) not exceeding
five hundred liri, and, in the case of a second or subsequent
conviction, to a fine ( multa ) not exceeding one thousand liri.
(2) A person who commits an offence under regulation 7(2)
shall be liable, on conviction, to a fine ( multa ) not exceeding one
thousand liri or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six
months or both such fine and imprisonment.
