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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 2002.PDF
"Why don't motorists pay for traffic cops the way we pay for en route navigation charges?" CARLOS BERTOMEU, AIR NOSTRUM mounting costs through different nations' interpretation of rules. "Each new or revised regulation should enhance safety but also level the playing field so that no player is prejudiced," says Nick Mower, the ERA'S general manager of technical services. Double standards Regional airlines are aggrieved that their main competitors, intercity buses, ferries and trains, have had their enhanced secu rity measures provided by police forces, usually at government expense. Bertomeu asks: "Why don't these security costs apply to trains as well?" The ERA perceives an EC bias against air transport, which means that infrastructure grants given to other means of transport are not given to airlines, which are also saddled with extra costs. This is backed up by the EC's White Paper on European Transport for 2010, which gives high priority to improv ing the rail network, and cautions against further growth in air transport without "striking a balance with the environment". As such, the less frequent use of larger air craft is promoted, which is potentially dam aging to regionals' business. This perceived Air Nostrum anti-small aircraft policy translates to such says 54% of matters as minimum third party insurance cancell- cover, which applies disproportionately to ations in commuter aircraft. The levels of third party first quarter insurance were reduced by the European 2003 were Parliament after hearing evidence from avi- outside its ation consultants, a move then overturned control by the Commission, without expert help. "When dealing with dossiers like these, the parliament recognises its lack of techni cal expertise and is very open to hearing outside views, before making an informed decision," says Clarke. Key future legislation expected includes a bill of rights for disabled passengers, guaran teeing equal access to air transport for peo ple with reduced mobility. Despite some reservations about the feasibility of fitting wheelchair access toilets on small turbo- props and other costs to be borne by small operators, the ERA is broadly in favour of the proposal, but asks why it has not been applied equally to trains, or even public buildings. "Why should a disabled Belgian resident face more difficulty in negotiating the train station at Ostend than at the air port in Brussels?" Clarke asks. Furthermore, despite other modes of transport being potential terrorist targets, they have not been required to have mini mum insurance levels, another sign of com petition distortion, say the regional airlines. The Commission maintains that few rail and waterway services fall under its compe tence to govern, since the majority of ser vices are national. This misses the point, says Bertomeu, since national air services are subject to EC regulations. Proposals are being drawn up to protect consumer rights for rail travellers, the EC says, although it is unclear what these will include. Clarke believes that air transport is targeted "again and again" as each new cost is small in the eyes of legislators. Mandatory bankruptcy insurance, expected next year, for example, would raise airfares "only by €1 per ticket" the EC says, but "it's the cumulative effect that really damages airlines, especially smaller ones," says Clarke. The EC counters accusations of an anti- air transport agenda by pointing out that tax-free kerosene already provides airlines with a competitive edge over other modes of transport. It also says that air transport does not require any assistance, unlike rail, since it is already a successful industry, largely thanks to earlier EC intervention. Clarke says: "one of the EC's biggest achievements was to take on the USA and force through liberalisation of the air trans port sector between 1987 and 1993, in the face of major opposition from national gov ernments." Attempts to liberalise Europe's rail network are likely to hit even more vociferous protests from the states, but the Commission should take its experience of battles with government-owned flag carriers as an example, he adds. Single European Sky Clarke cites the creation of the Single European Sky, a series of specific proposals establishing EU legislation on air traffic and introducing effective co-operation both with the military authorities and with Eurocontrol, as an example of what the EC can achieve when all parties are consulted. Bertomeu says if the air traffic manage ment reform is implemented even "one- third as efficiently as it could be", it will lead to substantial cost savings for airlines. However, the ERA is concerned the long- promised benefits of the SES could turn into additional burdens if navigational charges are changed from weight-based calculations to fixed rates, as proposed by air transport policy officials at the Commission. "We esti mate that under any such flat-fee approach, only airlines operating Airbus A320-sized aircraft or above would benefit," says Clarke. The end result would be that long- haul operators, predominantly foreign carri ers, would be subsidised by short-haul, pre dominantly European carriers, he adds. The ERA fears economists will conclude that "one blip on a radar screen equates to the same workload," he says. With this issue added to passenger com pensation, slots and security charges, the ERA anticipates heavy attendance at its ses sions in Dublin this week. Later in the week the mood is blackened further, as ERA mem ber Arkia Israeli Airlines has been invited to speak about a more direct threat to regionals in the future: surface-to-air missile attacks. • 40 16-22 SEPTEMBER 2003 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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