Brussels, 22/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - In a press release published on Thursday 22 April, the European Air Traffic and Safety Organisation (Eurocontrol) confirmed that it expected air travel to return to normal in Europe that same day. Between 28,000 and 29,000 flights, the normal number of flights in European airspace each day, are expected to fly on Thursday, ending a period of severe disruption of air travel in Europe such as never before witnessed (see EUROPE 10122). A limited number of cancellations may still be announced on Thursday because of restrictions in flights in some parts of Europe and because of the logistical problems faced by some airlines. Southern Finland, southern Norway, northern Scotland and western Sweden are still affected by the clouds of volcanic dust that led to the closure of much of European airspace on Thursday 15 April. On Wednesday 21 April, 22,189 flights flew in Europe, explains Eurocontrol, nearly 80% of the normal total. At a press conference, Helen Kearns, a spokesperson for the EU transport commissioner, said that the European Commission's main job was to get people home and member states must fully respect the fulfilment of airlines' duties with respect to passengers' rights (see EUROPE 10021). She said lessons had to be learnt and Europe had paid a high price for a fragmented patchwork of 27 different air traffic control centres. In response to questions, Kearns said that member states had acted appropriately to the dust clouds, in line with the internationally recognised model for airlines (the International Civil Aviation Organisation's guidelines), but the model had to “evolve and has evolved”.
In another press release published on Thursday, the Belgian consumer umbrella group CRIOC (Centre Belge de Recherche et d'Information des Organisations de Consommateurs) explained that airlines and travel agents had found it difficult in the first days of the crisis to fully comply with EU passenger rights. Some companies' call centres did not answer calls or left people in a queue without answering at a cost of €1.50 a minute. Other airlines allowed people to continue making reservations for cancelled flights! (A.By./transl.fl)