Brussels, 28/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission intends to bring some order to Europe's airports, particularly with regard to questions relating to the allocation of take-off and landing slots, assistance during stopovers and noise pollution. The institution will therefore unveil on Thursday 1 December, an “airport initiative” consisting of three regulations on these subjects. This is likely to create quite a stir because the challenges involved are significant for both airlines and airports, stopover service providers and their employees, as well as the local authorities.
Maintaining a leading position and avoiding saturation point. The challenge involved is hidden behind the goal of maintaining the Union's leading position in air transport, which is facing significant threats at major city airports. In Europe, there are currently five airports operating at optimum capacity (Düsseldorf, Milan, Gatwick and Heathrow in London and Paris-Orly). By 2030, 19 airports, however, will be threatened by congestion problems, delays, surcharges and other related problems. The Commission therefore intends to unveil a legislative package in an effort to help Europe catch up in the world's rankings (from next year, Europe will find itself overtaken by the Asia Pacific region and will fall from second into third place).
The end of free airport slots. The first raft of the legislative package involves take-off and landing slots, which are currently allocated free of charge by the airports to airlines twice a year according to the level they use these slots (on the basis of the 80/20 rule, slots remain controlled by the airlines if they use 80% of the slots allocated to them; if this is not the case, slots will return the following season to a common block and could be reallocated to new entrants on the basis of the first-come, first-served principle). The Commission would like to go beyond the purely administrative approach and ensure that market rules apply in the next two or three years. Commissioner Siim Kallas will exert pressure in this sense, explained an official Commission source. Slots could therefore be sold between airlines in a fair and transparent way, coordinated by member states. This system already informally exists in the United Kingdom and has been further endorsed through a European regulation authorising the practice throughout the Union. Nonetheless, this manoeuvre will not be appreciated by airlines, all of which are opposed to this mechanism. According to the Commission model, the purchase of slots should not be incurred in increased passenger prices, according to assurances provided by an official institution source.
Improving stopover services. The Commission's second raft in the initiative seeks to improve performance and quality provided by stopover assistance providers and intends to revise the 1996 directive by transposing it into this regulation. This regulation would open up competition in the airports to a level where there are three different stopover service providers and would put a stop to two companies exercising a monopoly in certain states for baggage handling and mail, maintenance and supplies. Contracts between airports and providers would be valid for 10 years instead of seven, in an effort to ensure profitability and stability for these companies, whilst at the same time ensuring better monitoring of working conditions for sector employees, which is an issue the unions regard as being very important.
Noise pollution - the local authorities become ultimate arbiter. A new regulation would complete the airport package and would at the same time examine the question of noise pollution. The Commission would like to have the right of inspection regarding decisions made by local authorities, which are often tempted to make hasty decisions for electoral reasons, before banning certain flights. This approach is usually upstream and reactive rather than proactive. This regulation would also define more precise standards to ban the noisiest planes flying over Europe. (MD/transl.fl)