Airport Coordination Limited To Run Sydney Airport Slot Management

UK-based Airport Coordination Limited will take over as the slot manager at Sydney Airport (SYD) from April 1, replacing longtime SYD slot manager Airport Coordination Australia.

ACL has a three-year contract with the Australian government to manage SYD’s slots. Local arm ACL Asia Pacific will oversee the slot coordination.

“It is a strategically important win for ACL, introducing a change of slot coordinator in Sydney for the first time,” the group said in a statement. ACL manages slots at nearly 80 airports globally.

“ACL Asia Pacific will position its headquarters in Sydney to be run by a dedicated country manager, complementing the group’s existing Auckland office,” ACL said, adding its slot management system will enable “greater visibility of slot holdings for all airline users.”

“We are committed to delivering effective and transparent slot management and will publish the slot information held in our database to ensure the best use of capacity,” ACL CEO Neil Garwood said. “Drawing on our extensive experience managing slots … we’re committed to boosting efficiency with advanced automation and a faster, more responsive service that meets the evolving needs of Sydney Airport.”

SYD CEO Scott Charlton said the appointment of ACL is a “step toward a more competitive, transparent and efficient slot framework at Sydney Airport.” 

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reported this week that SYD earned an A$570.5 million ($359 million) operating profit (as measured by earnings before interest, taxes and amortization) from aeronautical revenue in the 2023-24 fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, up 126.7% year-over-year and 17.6% above fiscal year 2018-19 levels. In its annual Airport Monitoring Report, ACCC warned “there is a concern that at some [major Australian airports, including SYD] airport users, including airlines, do not possess enough bargaining power to ensure appropriate commercial outcomes.”