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In a meeting yesterday with the European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, AIRE airline CEOs called for concrete steps towards improving the most critical air transport policies.

Airlines count on the new European Commission to safeguard through smart regulation the benefits of liberalization for passengers, European connectivity and resulting social cohesion.

The Director General of AIRE, Sylviane Lust commented: “Europe has lost valuable time to address the unjustifiably high cost of its aviation infrastructure. Airports with significant market power should be subject to economic regulation at EU level. Air navigation services can only become efficient through a genuine performance scheme that penalizes bad performers.”

AIRE’s President Rafal Milczarski added: “Passengers and airlines rely on a stronger EU regulator to stop these monopolies abusing their power. Inefficiencies of the European ATM system and misuse of airport monopoly power have long been proven, it is now time to act. Huge sums are wasted on monopolies and unnecessary CO2 emissions produced as a result of the misfunctioning EU ATM system. Not addressing these is no longer an option since now is the time to focus on the decarbonisation of the airline sector.”

AIRE indeed called on the Commission to establish an incentivising framework for the production and availability of commercially affordable sustainable aviation fuels, a key component in the aviation strategy towards reducing the sector’s carbon footprint. The European Commission also should continue to steer the EU’s support of CORSIA as global market-based instrument towards mitigating the aviation sector’s environmental impact.

Airlines also expect the European Commission to advocate successfully the benefits of its legislative proposal for the revision of EU air passenger rights legislation, in particular the need for a binding list of extraordinary circumstances.

AIRE reiterates its long-standing commitment to cooperate with the Commission and to share its expertise towards developing the most efficient regulatory framework.

AIRE President Rafal Milczarski concluded: “Our association will continue to strive for healthy competition, good rule making and a level playing field between airlines. We believe in building a sustainable future for aviation.”

 

For further information, please contact:
AIRE
Sylviane Lust
Director General
Tel: +32 (0) 2 546 10 60
Email: Sylviane.Lust@aire.aero