Brussels, 22/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - In 2012, low cost airlines again had the wind in their sails. Boosted by their success, they criticise inadequate European policies including delays in the European Single Sky and the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Low cost airlines urge the European Council and the European Parliament to reject the moratorium on the ETS that is applied to flights outside the EU.
According to the European Low Fares Airline Association (ELFAA), 200 million passengers were apparently carried in 2012 by their ten members, which is a record for this type of transporter. In 2012, the low cost airlines apparently counted 7.2% more passengers than in the previous year - a notable accomplishment in a time of crisis. This makes ELFAA secretary general, John Hanlon, say that “these results demonstrate that the low cost business model is not only sustainable, even during difficult economic times, but also provides an attractive and affordable travel option for consumers”. Hanlon adds that these airlines intend to continue this trend but “to do this we need a regulatory landscape which enables our sector to perform at its potential” and “remain highly competitive”. ELFAA denounces the failure to implement the Single European Sky and the aid injected into the Scandinavian airline SAS, which Hanlon describes as “illegal state aid”. In his opinion, these failures “impede the further development of the low cost sector, threaten open competition in passenger aviation in Europe, and undermine environmental protection through the enforced circuitous routings of aircraft through a patchwork of national airspace blocks”.
Furthermore, Hanlon deplores the suspension of the ETS for flights outside the EU, believing that “this highly discriminatory proposal will, if adopted, not only distort competition but decimate the environmental effectiveness of EU ETS, 80% of EU aviation emissions of CO2 resulting from long-haul flights”. ELFAA urges the European Council and Parliament to reject his proposal. (MD/transl.fl)