Following the International Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (IAOPA) outcry against its draft rules for air navigation service provision at aerodromes, the European Commission says it is going to redraft the rules before another consultation. IAOPA vice-president Martin Robinson says he remains concerned, however, because he reveals that the Commission has nonetheless repeated its insistence that "no service provider will be exempt from the requirements". He argues that many small aerodromes will still become unviable and have to close (Flight International, 21-27 September).
Robinson says that the regulatory redrafting considerably increases the proposed figure for annual airfield income above which units have to meet the full statutory requirements. In the first draft, the turnover above which airfields have to meet the full regulatory requirements was set at €400,000 ($485,000), and IAOPA has called for the figure to be increased to €5 million.
Belgium, Italy and Spain have already said that they would face legal problems implementing some of the regulations, and maintain that the draft rules differ from International Civil Aviation Organisation standards which are supposed to be the common international template for legislation.
The French and Portuguese, most of whose small aerodromes are local authority- or chamber of commerce-owned, are also up in arms about the problems the legislation may cause, IAOPA reveals.
DAVID LEARMOUNT / LONDON
Source: Flight International
