Brussels, 27/07/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commissioner for Transports, Loyola de Palacio, tried to reassure the French air traffic controllers during her meeting this week in Brussels with representatives of the national union (France) for air navigation. I do not intend to privatise anything in the framework of the planned "single European skies, reaffirmed Mrs. de Palacio. The aim of the project, launched last December, is to ensure more effective management of air space by assuring that security be the basis of everything, explained the Commissioner following the meeting.
The unionists did not seem convinced since they indicate in a letter to the national air navigation union/force ouvriere that the meeting did not satisfy the workers delegates who intend continuing their action with the European Council of Transport Ministers and organise a week of European demonstrations during the autumn.
The controllers union notably have doubts over the single skies project in the superior European air space, or above 29.500 feet. This generous forward-looking concept is still being run through simulations in the consultancy firms and the first results in the reduction of delays will not arise before ten years, assured the unionists. Among others they underline that the real causes of delays are not sufficiently studied. When a plane misses its slot following a technical or catering problem, and must wait for a take off on a new slot, the delay will be "counted as a delay by the air traffic controller and not by the airline, underline the air traffic controllers.
The airlines and the air traffic controllers have for several months been fighting over the figures blaming each other for the delays. According to the unionists, 30% of the delays are due to the air traffic control service and 70% due to airport infrastructure (access to runways etc,) and to the airlines (technical problems with the planes, gangways, luggage, etc.). The Association of European Airlines (AEA), assures on its behalf that in its annual report that 72% of delays in Europe in 1999 could be attributed to airports and the management of air traffic.