Brussels, 04/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European airline companies and airport associations will be presenting voluntary commitments on respect of passengers' rights on 10 May in Lisbon at the joint conference with the European Commission. These voluntary agreements prepared with the Commission and the consumer associations should then be signed by all members of the different associations.
The Association of European Airlines (AEA), which represents the regular European airlines, and the International Air Carrier Association (IACA) representing the charter and regular airline companies for tourism and non-business flights, are expected to present a joint 14-point, the draft of which was finalised last week in Paris. They should make commitments regarding passenger information and assistance in the event of delays or loss of luggage, define a code of conduct on information to be given to passengers on tariffs, as well as on the time limits for reimbursement should problems arise. At IACA's request, however, a note should specify that the commitments on assistance to passengers delayed and travelling within an organised package tour will be those agreed in the context of the contract concluded with the tour operator.
The Airports Council International (ACI) will, for its part, present commitments on passenger information and assistance, aid to disabled persons, infrastructure (availability of check-in counters, luggage trolleys, signalling), and information on appeal procedure in the case of disputes.
Jean-Cyril Spinetta, Air France and AEA President, feels the airlines have made a positive response to the requests of the European Commission that had demanded more transparent and passenger-friendly procedures. "The liberalisation process (of air transport) in Europe has made airlines far more accountable to their passengers. Nonetheless, for passengers, the fact of buying a ticket and undertaking a flight may still be a bewildering experience over which they feel they have no or almost no control", admitted Mr Spinetta in a press release.
The Commission believes this is a first major step forward but that it will then be necessary to go onto the second stage, that of creating a mechanism to monitor compliance with commitments. The Commission is expected to present a legislative proposal in June on passengers' rights in the case of refused embarkation and overbooking (except blocking further to the dispute between the United Kingdom and Spain over the Gibraltar airport). The text should provide for appeal procedure in the event of overbooking and above all increase, in a deterrent manner, the amount of reimbursement that companies would have to pay to passengers who are refused embarkation. The Commission should also present by the end of the year a text on the contracts concluded between passengers and airline companies.