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Slot usage requirement
At all Level 3 airports, slots are subject to a "use-or-lose" provision, requiring a carrier to use allocated slots at least 80 percent of the time. The applicable rule for DCA is codified at 14 CFR § 93.227 (PDF) and the applicable usage rules for JFK and LGA can be found in the FAA Orders limiting operations at these airports.
The FAA may grant a waiver of the usage requirement at DCA as provided in § 93.227(j). The FAA may also grant a waiver of the usage requirement as provided in the FAA Orders limiting operations at JFK and LGA.
Schedule submissions
At JFK, the failure to submit a schedule by the prescribed deadlines consistent with the WSG could result in the loss of a carrier's historic slots.
Carriers that provide initial or revised submissions at Level 2 or Level 3 airports after the announced deadline may receive a lower priority.
Corona Virus Update
The FAA is waiving the minimum slot usage requirements for all carriers canceling scheduled flights at JFK, LGA, and DCA as a direct result of the Coronavirus. These waivers are effective for Coronavirus-related flight cancelations through May 31, 2020.
In addition, the FAA will prioritize flights canceled at designated IATA Level 2 airports in the U.S. due to Coronavirus through May 31, 2020, including at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and San Francisco International Airport (SFO), for purposes of establishing a carrier's baseline in the next corresponding season.
The FAA is granting relief to carriers worldwide impacted by the Coronavirus. In doing so, the FAA expects that U.S. carriers will be accommodated with reciprocal relief by slot coordinators in other countries.
This decision is intended to provide limited relief to allow airlines to adjust schedules to changing demand projections at U.S. slot-controlled airports directly resulting from Coronavirus. Carriers should advise the FAA Slot Administration Office of Coronavirus-related cancelations and return the slots to the FAA by e-mail to 7-awa-slotadmin@faa.gov to obtain relief. The information provided must include the dates for which relief is requested, the flight number, origin/destination airport, scheduled time of operation, the slot identification number, as applicable, and supporting information demonstrating that flight cancelations directly relate to the Coronavirus outbreak.
Coronavirus Waiver Signed March 11, 2020