Brussels, 12/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) rapporteur on state aid in aviation has called for the review on this aid currently taking place to ensure that subsidies are an exception and not the rule.
At a conference organised by the EESC on the subject on 8 November, rapporteur Jacek Krawczyk spoke about the ongoing review on state aid in aviation (airports and airlines). A draft review was presented by the European Commission last January and was put out to consultation this summer. Krawczyk believes that this aid should be granted in a transparent way and in a specific timeframe, according to clearly defined purposes.
He underlined that the lack of clarity in the current rules had led to competitiveness being compromised when investment decisions, such as those for regional airports, were made on the basis of “the ambitions of regional airports” and not on “economic considerations”.
The debates at the conference highlighted deep divisions in the sector. Network carriers strongly support the European Commission's proposals to introduce clear rules and limit state aid, whereas low-cost carriers, charter airlines and business aviation consider state aid a necessity if they are going to be able to continue operating. Krawczyk wonders whether the aviation sector really has become a sector that is unable to make a profit. (MD/transl.fl)