Brussels, 08/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - In a press release, the Association of European Airlines (AEA) criticises various measures in the new draft regulation to increase the rights of reduced mobility air passengers, unveiled in February (see EUROPE No. 8890). The AEA does not criticise the general idea. On the contrary, the AEA states that it fully supported facilitated assistance for passengers in all European airports, but it is the measures foreseeing the centralisation in the hands of airports of the organisation of assistance services to reduced mobility passengers that it finds problematic. In recent years, European airlines have made huge investments in necessary staff and equipment to be able to provide the best services to their customers, points out the AEA. In addition, in 2001 they signed a Passenger Service Commitment whereby reduced mobility individuals should not have to pay for special assistance provided to them nor be refused a reservation, explains the AEA, regretting that European airports had not committed themselves to this fundamental principle. The AEA feels that the centralised system foreseen in the new regulation would create an inefficient, monopolistic, bureaucratic situation by establishing a new monopoly in the hands of the airports, which is incompatible with a liberalised European air transport market and will do nothing to improve the quality of services provided.