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Slot Wizard

Modified on: Mon, 4 Oct, 2021 at 7:14 AM

        

 
 

Explanation of how the slots work in N-OC

 
Slots are separate objects in the system. This means that they are completely independent and can exist without the need to first create a schedule.
 
However, slots can of course be linked to an existing schedule. This can be considered a kind of a reference, stating that a slot belongs to a specific schedule.
A slot can belong to no schedules at all, or one or two schedules, depending on how it is created. 
 

Unlinked

 
If the slot is created in the slot wizard it will belong to zero schedules. This is referred to as 'unlinked'.
 

One Schedule

 
If it is a Departure or an Arrival slot, then it belongs to one schedule.
 

Two Schedules

 
If it is a so called 'Turnaround' slot, then it belongs to two schedules.
 
 
Here is an example of how a slot is displayed in the Schedule Gantt. The semicircular yellow display on the left side of the leg indicates that the schedule is linked with a slot for the coordinated airport CPH. 
 
On the right side, there is no such display, indicating that no slot for AAC as required. (as it is not a coordinated airport).
 

Schedules without slots

 
Schedules can also exist in N-OC without a slot in the system, even if the schedule has coordinated stations. (If checked in the slot wizard it would not display the slot at all  - more on this later on).
This is rectified by generating slots required (based on the loaded schedule). The system will run a check for all coordinated stations, and if any schedules are missing slots , the Slot Wizard will create them. We will look at this further on.
 
In this example, the schedule is missing a slot for the coordinated airport CPH, but there is a slot for the same schedule for the coordinated airport EDI.
 
 
 

Slot Wizard

 
The Slot Wizard is located on the icon bar at the the top of the Schedule Gantt.
 
 
The Slot Wizard handles all slot tracking and communication for sending airport slot clearance messages such as: SCR/SMA, as well as receiving responses from the Slot Coordinators. 
To that end, it also tracks such things as slot statuses (based on the responses received and requests made), and Historical slot tracking.
 
SCR    Schedules Clearance Request is used for Coordinated Airports (Level 3) - see below
SMA    Schedule Movement Advice is used for requests at Schedules Facilitated Airports (Level 2) - see below
 
 
The user can also access the Slot Wizard by right clicking on a flight leg or legs (Single or multi slot icon) - as shown below:
 
Single mode (one flight leg):
 
 
Multi Mode (Multiple flight legs selected:
 
 
 

Slot Levels

 
Before using Slot Wizard for an airport, the user first needs to set up the required airport slot level. 
 
 
 
The Slot Levels are set up in the Station window.
 
 
 
 
 
 
There are three types of airport slot levels:
 
  • Level 1 - 'Non-Cooordinated'
  • Level 2 - 'Schedules Facilitated' (SMA)
  • Level 3 - 'Coordinated' (SCR)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note:
 
At a 'Schedules Facilitated' airport, a schedules facilitator assists the operations of airlines who propose to operate to or from that airport. 
 
At a 'Coordinated' airport, an airline may not operate there unless a slot has been approved by the airport coordinator.
 

Setting up the slot level

 
In the Slot Level drop down list select the correct slot level for the airport and click on Save.
 

Setting up receivers for the slot clearance messages

 
The user also needs to set up the receiver (or recipient) for the messages. This is done in the Automation Factory. (Use the event name: 'Slot') 
 
For more information about setting up receivers, please see: Reference Information > Factories > Automation or contact Aviolinx Support.
 
 
 
 

Slot Wizard

 

Main Grid Grid columns:

 
 
  • Checkbox
  • Station: station for the slot.
  • Link Type: If the slot is an arrival slot or departure slot or both (turnaround).
  • Action: refers to the latest of what has been received from the slot coordinator. Example: H, K or if it is a new slot N.
  • Arr Flight:  arrival flight number (Max 7 characters).
  • Dep Flight: departure flight number (Max 7 characters).
  • Valid from: the start date of the slot schedule.
  • Valid to: the end date of the slot schedule.
  • Freq: frequency (also called 'days of operation').
  • Seats: number of seats in the aircraft.
  • Type: aircraft type.
  • Origin Arr STN: origin arrival station.
  • Prev Arr STN:  previous arrival station.
  • Arr Time: arrival time.
  • Dep Time: departure time.
  • Next Dep STN: next departure station.
  • Dest Dep STN: Destination departure station.
  • Arr STC: arrival service type code.
  • Dep STC: departure service type code.
  • Week Freq: Weekly frequency.
  • Schedule: if the slot is linked, unlinked or bad link (L, U, B) to a schedule.
  • Status:  latest action on the slot, also indicated by the row color.
 
 

Main Grid, functionality

 
 
1. Each row in the grid represents a slot, which displays the latest status received from the slot coordinator, such as H or K.
 
2. The colour of the rows indicate the slot status.
 
3. The columns in the header of the grid are all clickable, so the user can sort by that column in ascending order or by descending order (if you click a second time).
 
4. By clicking on a slot row you can expand it and show the history of actions taken on that slot, in chronological order.
 
5. Depending on the action of the slot history row you can perform various actions, by right clicking on the row, it will open the context menu.
 
6. Context menu
 
  • View Message, opens a dialogue and displays the message related to that row. (All rows)
  • Delete, 
  • Accept, available for offers and accept the offer that is clicked on. (Action code O)
  • Improve, available for offers, same as accept but you want improvement. (Action code O)
  • Decline, available for offers and declines the offer. (Action code O)
  • Historical Accept, available for historical right and accepts the historical slot. (Action code H)
  • Change, available for slots accepted by coordinator, will open the modify existing clearance dialogue. (Action codes H, K, N)
  • Undo, available for all rows that were added by actions in the wizard, they are identified by a dark grey background.
 
 
 
7. Checkboxes are used to send the message for selected slots (Not Sent slots).
To select multiple at the same time click one and then hold shift and click another one and all the rows between will also be selected. To select/unselect all rows click the checkbox in the header.
 
 

Dialogue buttons

 

Loading

 
  • Valid from and valid to are dates to load slots from, they are initially set to today's date and the end of the season.
  • Filter is if you want to filter out specific slots, the filters are created in a filter dialogue.
  • Update button loads data with the parameters from 1 and 2 and then populates the grid.
 
 
 

Quick filters

 
  • Quick filters are filters that temporary filters out data in the grid without reloading data, each field can have multiple filter data separated by a space character.
  • Stations, the station that the slot is connected to.
  • Link Type, if the slot is an arrival slot or departure slot or both (turnaround).
  • Flight, flight number/designator (airline code, operation number, suffix) max 7 characters.
  • Frequency, days of operation.
  • Aircraft Type.
  • STC, service type code.
  • Schedule, if the slot is linked to a schedule.
  • Status, the status of the slot, if it is sent or if it have offers etc.
  • Clear button empties all the quick filter fields.
 
 
 
 

Legend

 
Shows information about the grid row colors and status.
 
 
 

New button

 
Opens the create new slot dialogue.
 
 
 

Generate Slots

 
Finds all schedules that does not have slot data and generates slots for them if they are connected to coordinated stations.
 
 
 

Cancel button

Closes the Slot Wizard without saving.
 

Next button

Generates messages for all the work made in the grid and goes to the next step.
 
 

Delete button 

If you have a select a slot with checking the checkbox and press delete, it will delete all the slots and slot transactions connected to that slot from the Database.
 
 

New dialogue

  • Buttons around the dialogue includes the x button and the cancel that closes the new dialogue without saving. The add button adds a new row if you want to create multiple new slots in the same go. The save button saves the slot to the main grid and closes the new dialogue.
  • Table, the columns are the same as in the main grid except for 
  • Overnight, set overnight value (number between 0-9) ‘indication that the aircraft transit/turnaround occurs over midnight’.
  • GI, General information not related to the data line, example BRGDS.
  • SI, Supplementary Information is such free text information that cannot be stated within the frames of the standard format for a message or record.
    Remove, removes the row without saving it.
 
 
 

Change dialogue

 
1. Have the same surrounding buttons as the new dialogue.
2. Table, the columns are the same as in the main grid except for
  • Action Code, here you can select ‘C’ or ‘M’ for the change slot data line. And between ‘R’, ‘L’ and ‘I’ for the revised row.
  • Overnight, set overnight value (number between 0-9) ‘indication that the aircraft transit/turnaround occurs over midnight’.
  • Remove, removes the row without saving it.
3. GI, General information not related to the data line, example BRGDS.
4. SI, Supplementary Information is such free text information that cannot be stated within the frames of the standard format for a message or record.
 
 
 
 

Explanation of functionality in the Slot Wizard

 
Loading data
Select valid from and valid to dates in the top left corner,
you can also select a filter in the drop down list
and then press update to load data.
Note that this will clear all old data in the grid, so any unsaved changes will be lost.
 
 
Sending/resending slots
First select the slots you want to send by clicking the checkbox to the right on the slot row.
To select a range of slots check the checkbox of the first one and then hold down the shift-key when pressing the last in the range and all the slots in between will be selected.
To select all slots simply check the checkbox in the header of the grid.
 
 
 
To send the selected slots simply press next and leave the messages checked and save.
 
Note, if you have selected a slot but apply a quick filter that hides it, it will not count as selected when pressing next.
 
The slot wizard will create slot messages in four cases.
Is the one mentioned above, by selecting slots with the status Not Sent and Sent for sending and resending messages.
If an old slot is edited in any way.
If you create new slots with the new button.
If you generate slots with the generate slots button.
 
 
It is only the first case that require that the slot is selected with the check box.
All the other cases will create messages even if they are filtered out with the quick filters.
 
 

Deleting slots

There are two distinct ways of deleting a slot.
First is by sending a delete message to the coordinator, this is done by expanding the slot in the grid and right clicking on the last slot in the conversation history and selecting delete, it will create a delete conversation that will be sent when you click on 'Next'.
 
 
Second is by selecting slots with the check boxes and then press the delete button, this will not send a message and it will permanently remove the slot and all of its conversation history from the whole system.
 
    

                                                    

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