Brussels, 19/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 19 October 2007, the European Commission invited comments from interested parties on commitments proposed by eight members of the SkyTeam airline alliance. These commitments are designed to meet the concerns raised in the Commission's statement of objections of 15 June 2006, with regard to the alliance's dominant position on several air routes. The interested parties, including the other market players, have now been invited to comment on the proposed measures within one month.
Aeromexico, Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM, Korean Air, Northwest Airlines and Air France have undertaken to free up a number of slots at EU airports serving several air routes, where the Commission feels that the dominance of these companies could create obstacles to the entry of new competitors. The routes affected are: Amsterdam-Detroit, Amsterdam-Minneapolis, Paris-Atlanta, Paris-Cincinnati, Rome-Atlanta, Milan-New York City, Paris-Prague, Milan-Prague, Rome-Prague, Amsterdam-Prague and Paris-Seoul. The companies also propose to conclude agreements with new entrants, enter into special prorate agreements for so-called “behind and beyond traffic” on the intra-EU routes (these are agreements between two or more airlines on the apportionment of through-fares on journeys with two or more legs operated by different airlines) and facilitate inter-modal services (i.e. provision of air travel as part of an itinerary that includes surface transport, such as by railway). The full text of the proposal is published in the Official Journal of the European Union, C 245 of 19 October 2007. Interested parties are invited to send their comments to DG Competition, marked COMP/37.984, either by fax to +32 2 295 01 28, or by email to COMP-GREFFE-ANTITRUST@ec.europa.eu
In the light of the responses received, the Commission will decide on whether to suspend the procedure and ensure that the proposed commitments are implemented, or to continue with the procedure and require the break-up of the alliance on the routes affected. (C.D.)