In response to Unstarred Question No. 847 for the Lok Sabha, to be answered on December 4th, 2025, regarding slots at international airports, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) stated the following:
(a) Airlines, including Indian carriers, may face slot issues at airports like Amsterdam and Heathrow. Securing slots is the responsibility of the airlines, who must engage with airports or slot coordinators.
(b) The utilization of traffic/flying rights depends on factors such as aircraft availability, airport slot allocation, regulatory approvals, and economic viability.
(c) Winter 2025 schedule slots were finalized by respective airports/slot coordinators by October 26, 2025.
(d) Slot matters are not usually a government matter; however, the Government of India, upon request from an airline facing challenges, raises the issue in bilateral meetings and requests the concerned country to facilitate slot allocation.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Civil Aviation: Indian government ministry responsible for the formulation of national policies and programmes for the development and regulation of the Civil Aviation sector in the country.
International Airports: Foreign airports where Indian airlines face challenges accessing slots, specifically Amsterdam and Heathrow.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 847
th
(To be answered on the 4 December 2025)
SLOTS AT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS
847. DR. C M RAMESH
Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:-
(a) whether it has come to the notice of the Government that Indian airlines are facing hurdles
in accessing slots at major foreign airports such as Amsterdam and Heathrow and if so, the details
thereof;
(b) whether it is true that Indian airlines are not able to fully utilize their flying rights granted
to them and if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether winter slots of Indian airlines have not yet been finalized by airport authorities in
other countries, particularly in European countries and if so, the details thereof; and
(d) whether any discussions have been held in this regard with the concerned authorities and
if so, the outcome thereof?
ANSWER
Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION
( Shri Murlidhar Mohol )
(a) Airlines across the world, including Indian carriers, may occasionally face slot issues at
various airports including Amsterdam and Heathrow. The onus of obtaining slots lies with the
airlines, and all carriers engage with the respective airports or slot coordinators for this purpose.
(b) The utilization of traffic/flying rights by Indian carriers depends on the availability of
aircraft for the route, the allocation of airport slots, necessary regulatory approvals, economic
viability and other related factors.
(c) Slots for the Winter 2025 schedule were finalized by respective airports / their slot
coordinators well in advance of the commencement of the schedule (26th October 2025)
(d) Slot matters typically do not fall within the purview of governments. However, whenever
any Indian carrier faces challenges in obtaining slots, the Government of India, on the requestfrom the airline, raises the issue during bilateral meetings and requests the concerned country to
facilitate slot allocation at their airports.
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