A Basic Legal Framework Concerning the Administration of Airport Slots in Malaysia

(Kerangka Asas Undang-undang Pentadbiran Slot Lapangan Terbang di Malaysia)

Abstract

Airport slots refer concerns the managing of the processes surrounding the landing or departure of an aircraft to ensure the airport is able to receive landings and departures, especially when there are multiple requests from aircraft operators at one time. Slots need to be managed and managed in order to ensure that the airport's capacity and facilities are able to support the demand for landings and departuresm, especially during the busiest times. The provision of airport slots in Malaysia relies on the World Slot Guidelines (WSG, GPSD in Bahasa Melayu) introduced by International Air Transport Association (IATA). At present, there are no written laws governing airport slots in Malaysia. Thus, this article examines the extent to which the WSG rules bind the slot allocation administration system in Malaysia using comparative law methodology. The findings show that there are still too many gaps and shortcomings in the laws associated with slot management. The current WSG model is not made express in the MAVCOM Act 2015 or any provision of law governing the aviation sector. At the same time, the application of the provisions of competition law in the management of slots also needs to be clarified.

Keywords : international law, aviation law, airport slots