Background for Airport Coordination

With the onset of congestion during some periods of the day at a few major airports in the early 1960’s, the scope of the schedule discussions was broadened to cover the adjustments needed to reduce anticipated delays to an acceptable level. Where services planned during certain periods at an airport exceeded what the airport could accommodate without unacceptable delays, some services would have to be moved, usually with some economic penalty. This induced IATA (International Air Transport Association) to establish coordination offices at such airports, usually embedded within the organisation of the national airline. Over the years, a consensus developed as to which services should be moved, in fairness to all planning to operate during the period. The recommended procedures and priorities for such schedule adjustments are contained in the “IATA-Worldwide Scheduling Guidelines (WSG), first issued in 1976.

Nordic Coordination Bodies was formed in During the period 1996-1998, based on the EU regulation EEC95/93 – telling within the European Union the airports/schedule coordinations shall be established and operated as independent entities acting according to the regulation EEC95/93 which came in force 1993.

Appendix 7.3 of the WSG recommends also the independence of the coordinator.