The shortage of staff, increased refueling time and competition with commercial aviation have resulted in some charter orders being significantly delayed or, in some cases, impossible to fulfill. The problem is regional in nature, with delays more likely at busier airports. On islands such as Mykonos, which is served only by Mykonos-Manto Mavrogenous Airport, slot waiting times can reach up to three days.

Ilya Pevtulidi, charter sales manager at Swiss charter broker Simply Jet, noted that this summer was quite busy, especially compared to 2021. “As everyone returned to travel, competition with commercial aviation and staff shortages came into play. And all of this created "real traffic jams" on the apron, which became one of the biggest problems this summer.

Competition for slots is not a new issue, it changes depending on the season. “Across southern Europe, including the Greek islands, Mykonos will be the best example. Then we have Ibiza, Palma, Nice, Cannes, etc. Then the same question comes up again if we're talking about slots in the winter and Christmas period in places like the Alps, Pevtulidi said.

In the U.S., they are not fighting so much for slots. Often, airports in the U.S. have more spacious airspace and larger areas because they can afford it. However, this means that brokers still have to inform customers about the realities when flying to popular European airports. It's about managing their expectations to really tell them how it works in Europe. And because of the high traffic, there can sometimes be competition for slots.” In popular places like Mykonos, where opportunities for infrastructure expansion are slim, this problem is likely to get worse with each summer season.

“Year after year, as the demand for private and commercial aviation grows, aircraft become more frequent and fly more frequently, but the capacity of most airports remains limited. There are some expansions, but they do not match the increase in demand.”

Pevtulidi has some tips for charter booking customers to minimize the risk of competing for a slot. “Book a flight as early as possible. For most destinations, you can apply for slots 14 days before departure. If the flight is already on your schedule, we advise you to book it as soon as possible. Two or three weeks in the summer is quite enough, he said.

Another solution may also be to arrive or depart at a later time. There are many more flights during the day than in the evening or at night, making it easier to get a slot if flights depart later in the day.