Patrick Legros, Estelle Cantillon The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a substantial drop in air travel. Valuable time slots at major airports in the EU and elsewhere are largely allocated based on a use-it-or-lose-it scheme. However, airlines currently cannot use the slots to a sufficient degree and are at the risk of losing them. This is perceived as a threat by incumbent airlines but as a opportunity by others who have been trying to get access to major airports for a long time. The European Commission recently adopted a proposal on airport slot relief for the summer 2021 scheduling season, which allows airports to retain their slots if they use them at 40% rather than the usual 80% minimum.