How regulators can make fair, consistent decisions when war and fuel shortages disrupt normal flight operations

An airport slot is critical. And at many airports there are not enough slots to fulfill the demand for travel at all times of the day. That’s why airlines, airports, and regulators worked together to create the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG).

WASG provides the rules by which slots are allocated. And, because nobody wants such a precious resource as airport capacity to go under-utilized, the WASG also provides the rules by which a slot can be reallocated. This is the famous 80-20 rule. Basically, a slot must be used 80% of the time for an airline to keep it. The 20% non-utilization provides flexibility for cancellations for things like weather events or mechanical issues.

Of course, when all is normal, airlines use their slots to the fullest—that’s how they do business. And the system, while not perfect, works well. There are times, however, when circumstances change so dramatically that extra flexibility is needed. Recall the COVID-19 pandemic when governments shut down their borders and prevented people from flying. It would have been unfair to penalize airlines for not using their slots when they were literally unable to fly.

The WASG has provisions for this called the Justified Non-Use of Slots (JNUS) exemption. Essentially the utilization calculation is frozen until the extraordinary situation normalizes, and airlines could reasonably be expected to operate their schedules.

The war in the Middle East is another situation where JNUS needs to be applied. Over the last month we have seen headlines about closed airspace, reduced operations at some airports, major re-routing to avoid conflict zones, and fuel shortages. For many airlines it has been impossible to operate their carefully planned schedules. At the time of writing, this has been going on for a month and a half. And that goes beyond the flexibility afforded by the normal 80-20 rule.

And even if the war ends today—which we all hope for—remedies for airline schedules will not be immediate. Some airlines have made pre-emptive cancellations to give passengers time to plan around the disruptions. And re-starting operations will take time for aircraft and crews to re-position, schedules to be rebuilt, and fuel supplies replenished, and networks need time to recover. Getting back to normal will take months, not days.

That’s why airlines are asking for governments to apply JNUS for a rolling six-week period until it is clear that normal operations are possible. This will give airlines something they urgently need right now: the certainty that their network—and all the years of investments to support it—is not in peril because of circumstances beyond their control.

And that’s not all. Implementing JNUS has broader implications:

• Avoids unnecessary flying, saving scarce fuel, and reducing disruption.
• Keeps airport capacity available, allowing airlines that can operate to step in.
• Protects historic slot rights, so today’s crisis doesn’t create long‑term damage to airline networks and the customers who depend on those connections.

All this adds up a situation that will enable airlines to restore connectivity as fast as possible when the situation stabilizes. That will be in everybody’s interest.

Not only is JNUS written into the rules, we also have practical experience to guide slot coordinators (experts who administrate WASG at airports) in applying JNUS to the best effect.

• Granting JNUS at either end of a disrupted route where operations cannot reasonably take place.
• Recognizing the knock‑on effects across airline networks, not just the immediate cause of a cancellation.
• Treating official notices and government advisories as sufficient justification and allowing extra recovery time where conditions remain unstable.
• Avoiding rigid interpretations that would penalize airlines for necessary rerouting or network adjustments.
• Using coordination committees or similar bodies to help resolve disputes and maintain consistency.

We all hope that JNUS will not be needed for long. The faster this war ends, the better. IATA will continue to keep governments—who have the power to invoke JNUS—fully informed of the extraordinary challenges that airlines are facing. Until the situation stabilizes and airlines can return to normal flying, JNUS is a critical lifeline to protect the air connectivity that is important today, and that will be even more important as we rebuild from conflict.

More than 95% of Ethiopia’s imports and exports travel along a single corridor linking Addis Ababa to the Port of Djibouti. Every truck on that road carries the weight of an economy serving more than 120 million people. What happens at those checkpoints shapes the price of food in the capital, the viability of a flower exporter in the Ethiopian highlands and the credibility of Africa’s ambitions under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Ethiopia is landlocked but land-linked with its immediate neighbours. Geography fixes that reality. Policy determines what the country does about it. The Djibouti-Ethiopia corridor stretches roughly 900 kilometres from the Red Sea to the Ethiopian highlands. When goods move smoothly, businesses reach markets on time and supply chains hold. When procedures slow at ports or borders, the consequences ripple outward – raising the time and cost of moving goods and weakening the competitiveness of businesses that depend on them.

The scale of the problem is well documented. According to a recent World Bank report on Ethiopia’s transport and logistics sector, it takes 40 days to clear inbound goods from seaports into the country, compared with a middle-income country average of three days. Ethiopia’s total logistics costs as a share of GDP stand 26% above that same middle-income average of 10 to 15%. A 2024 UNCTAD report estimates that road transport alone accounts for roughly 29% of the final price of goods traded within Africa, compared with around 7% for goods traded beyond the continent. These figures translate directly into business decisions- whether a shipment remains profitable, whether exporters can meet delivery schedules, whether producers remain competitive in international markets.

Reform, then, is not a technical exercise. It is an economic necessity.

The AfCFTA, which entered into force in 2021, connects 54 countries with a combined GDP exceeding $3 trillion. Yet trade agreements alone cannot deliver economic integration. Goods must move quickly and predictably across borders. A single certificate delayed by manual procedures can hold an entire shipment in place.

Progress along the Djibouti-Ethiopia corridor shows how such systems can begin to change.

In October 2025, Ethiopia introduced an electronic phytosanitary certification system- ePhyto, enabling agricultural exporters to obtain and verify plant health certificates digitally. The platform connects to international verification systems and Ethiopia’s electronic single window. Exporters who previously relied on paper documentation can now submit certificates electronically, allowing regulatory agencies to verify compliance more quickly and with greater transparency. The system was developed with technical support from TradeMark Africa in partnership with the Government of Ethiopia, with financing from the European Union through Agence Française de Développement.

A parallel reform targets freight visibility along the corridor. The Integrated Fleet Management System will allow authorities and logistics operators to monitor truck movements in real time, improving coordination between regulators, transport operators and logistics companies. Together, these reforms reinforce a broader lesson: efficient corridors depend not only on roads and ports, but on institutions capable of coordinating policy, managing digital systems and sustaining reform over time.

Corridor governance remains the most complex piece of this work. Last month, Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Uganda agreed to establish the DESSU Corridor Management Authority – a joint structure designed to coordinate oversight and operations across the corridor. For traders and transport operators, such coordination reduces uncertainty. For investors, it signals that the corridor will function predictably.

Progress on these reforms was reviewed during the 9th National Oversight Committee meeting held in Addis Ababa this week, where government institutions and development partners assessed implementation of the TradeMark Africa Ethiopia Country Programme. The programme supports digital trade systems, logistics management, standards infrastructure and regulatory reform, with financing from the European Union through Agence Française de Développement and additional support from the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden.

The meeting also acknowledged that significant work remains. Laboratory infrastructure for sanitary and phytosanitary compliance has yet to be fully deployed. Ethiopia continues to make progress on its WTO accession negotiations. Plans to pilot electric freight vehicles along the corridor will require sustained cooperation between transport operators, regulators and energy providers.

Such challenges are characteristic of structural reform. Progress rarely follows a straight line. What matters is whether institutions continue to review outcomes, address bottlenecks and maintain the political commitment to improving how trade moves.

The Djibouti-Ethiopia corridor already carries the overwhelming share of Ethiopia’s trade. Improving its efficiency benefits farmers, manufacturers and exporters across the country, while reducing costs that ultimately reach consumers.

Its significance, however, extends beyond Ethiopia. Across Africa, regional trade corridors face the same fundamental questions-how to align regulations, digitise certification systems and coordinate governance across borders. If reforms along this route continue to take hold, the Djibouti-Ethiopia corridor may offer something valuable to the continent: not a template to replicate, but evidence that sustained institutional reform can change how trade moves.

Africa’s economic integration will not be achieved through declarations. It will emerge through the practical work of building systems that allow goods to cross borders with speed, transparency and trust.

Eugene Torero is Regional Director for Horn of Africa and Rwanda, TradeMark Africa