AN ASTRA PLT RPTS OPERATING A FLT WITH A SLAT MALFUNCTION WITHOUT A FERRY PERMIT WHEN THE MEL OFFERS NO RELIEF FOR FLT WITH A SLAT PROB.

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THE CREW WAS SCHEDULED FOR 2 OUT AND BACK TRIPS BTWN ZZZ AND A NORTHERN ZZZ1 ARPT. THE 2 TRIPS TO ZZZ1 HAD 6 PAX EACH AND THE RETURN; ZZZ1 TO ZZZ; WAS EMPTY. THE TRIP WAS PLANNED TO ARRIVE WITH ENOUGH FUEL TO FLY THE ROUND TRIP WITHOUT REFUELING. THE CREW WAS CLRED ON A STANDARD CLBOUT AND THE TKOF WAS NORMAL. PASSING 900 FT MSL; FLAP RETRACTION WAS CALLED FOR: FLAPS -- UP; YAW DAMPER -- ON; FOLLOWED BY SLATS UP; APR -- OFF. THE FLAPS CAME UP NORMALLY AND THE YAW DAMPER ENGAGED. WHEN THE SLATS WERE SELECTED UP; THE MASTER CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH THE SLAT OUT AND SLAT UNBAL LIGHTS ON THE MASTER WARNING PANEL ALSO ILLUMINATED. THE SLAT LEVER WAS RETURNED TO THE DOWN POS; AND THE SLAT UNBAL LIGHT WENT OUT. THE CREW CONTINUED THE DEP AND ADVISED ATC THAT A MALFUNCTION EXISTED AND WOULD LIKE VECTORS TO THE N WHILE THE PROB WAS INVESTIGATED. THE CREW COMPLETED ALL REQUIRED ABNORMAL AND NORMAL CHKLISTS PER THE QRH. MAINT WAS CONTACTED VIA RADIO AND A RESET OF THE SYS WAS ATTEMPTED. THE STATUS OF THE SLATS DID NOT CHANGE. AFTER FULLY EVALUATING THE PROB; THE CREW WAS FACED WITH A DILEMMA. THEY NEEDED TO BURN DOWN FUEL OR DUMP FUEL FOR LNDG. IT WOULD TAKE APPROX 3 HRS TO BURN ENOUGH FUEL TO LAND AND DUMPING WAS DEFERRED DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. IT WOULD TAKE LESS THAN 3 HRS TO REACH ZZZ1 AND AT LEAST COMPLETE 1 OF THE SCHEDULED LEGS. THE WX IN ZZZ1 WAS CLR WITH UNLIMITED VISIBILITY; LIGHT WIND AND COLD. ENRTE WX WAS ALSO CLR. WITH MAINT SUPPORT; THE CREW ELECTED TO BURN DOWN FUEL ENRTE TO ZZZ1 AND RE-CONTACT MAINT THERE. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FLYING LOWER AND SLOWER THAN NORMAL; THE ENRTE PORTION OF THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL. A NORMAL DSCNT AND VISUAL APCH WAS FLOWN. AFTER THE PAX WERE SAFELY ON THEIR WAY; THE CREW CONTACTED MAINT. CREW AND MAINT WORKED TOGETHER TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB. THE SLATS REMAINED EXTENDED AND THE ACFT WAS CONFIGURED FOR A NORMAL; 0 DEG FLAP TKOF. THE CREW CALCULATED A 6700 FT BALANCED FIELD LENGTH (RWY LENGTH -- 10000 FT) WITH ENOUGH FUEL ON BOARD TO MAKE ZZZ AT FL190. FINAL ALT ENRTE TO ZZZ WAS FL190. THE FLT TO ZZZ WENT WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE AGAIN REVIEWED THE QRH AND FLT MANUAL AND WERE PREPARED FOR OUR LNDG IN ZZZ. DSCNT INTO ZZZ WAS NORMAL. WHEN THE COPLT SELECTED THE FLAPS TO 12 DEGS; THE FLAPS DID NOT MOVE. NO WARNING OR CAUTION LIGHTS OF ANY KIND ILLUMINATED. THE CREW FOLLOWED THE QRH CHKLIST AND RECALCULATED APCH REF SPD AND RWY REQUIREMENTS FOR A SLATS DOWN; NO FLAP LNDG; CONFIRMING THERE WAS SUFFICIENT RWY AVAILABLE. WITH ALL CHKLISTS COMPLETE; A 0 DEG FLAP APCH AND LNDG WERE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER REVIEWING THE FLTS WITH ALL PARTIES INVOLVED; THE CREW BELIEVES THERE MAY BE A CONFLICT WITH FLT MANUAL PROCS AND LIMITATIONS AND THE MEL. WHILE SAFETY WAS NOT COMPROMISED AND THE ACFT OPERATED WITHIN FLT MANUAL PARAMETERS AND LIMITATIONS; THE MEL DOES NOT PROVIDE RELIEF FOR OPERATING THE ACFT WITH A SLAT MALFUNCTION. THIS PUTS THE FLT MANUAL AND THE MEL IN CONFLICT. IN RETROSPECT; THE DEP FROM ZZZ1 SHOULD HAVE BEEN DELAYED UNTIL A FERRY PERMIT WAS OBTAINED.