Slot Delay Cost Calculator

Work out slot delay cost instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Slot Delay Cost Calculator

Delay cost has two parts: the airline's own tactical cost per minute (crew, fuel burn while holding, aircraft and knock-on rotation effects) and the passenger cost of welfare, rebooking and statutory compensation. Both scale differently, so reporting them separately shows which lever matters.

Formula

Delay cost

Total = delay minutes x cost per minute + passengers x compensation per head

Worked example

With the default values below, Slot Delay Cost Calculator returns Total delay cost of $5,745.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Delay: 45 min
Cost per minute of delay: 85
Passengers affected: 160 pax
Passenger compensation per head: 12

Results

Total delay cost: $5,745.00
Airline operating cost of the delay: $3,825.00
Passenger compensation and welfare: $1,920.00
Cost per passenger: $35.91

Step by step

1Values used
2Delay cost
3Total delay cost= 5,745.00
4Airline operating cost of the delay= 3,825.00
5Passenger compensation and welfare= 1,920.00
6Cost per passenger= 35.91

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is cost per minute non-linear in reality?

Short delays are cheap; once a delay breaks a crew duty limit or misses a slot, costs jump because a rotation or a night stop must be rebuilt.

Are compensation rules the same everywhere?

No. Fixed compensation regimes such as EU261 apply above certain delay thresholds and distances, so check the applicable rules.