PILOTS HAVE "HIJACKED" the issue of joint European flight-time limitations (FTL) as a route to securing improvements in their working conditions, claim the region's airline chiefs.
The draft Joint Aviation Regulation on FTL was highlighted as one of the major threats to the airline industry's fledgling recovery as the Presidents' Assembly of the Association of European Airlines (AEA) met in Vienna, Austria.
The criticism has brought an angry response from the International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations. It claims that the AEA has misrepresented the pilots' case and their degree of influence with the European rulemakers, who will ultimately determine any legislation.
The pilots add that it is the task of the European Joint Aviation Authorities to set a base for FTL, but that, in reality, the airlines and unions will continue to agree rostering practices.
Other European "disadvantages" debated at the AEA conference included:
the high cost and low efficiency of air-traffic management in Europe;
the fear that Europe will pre-empt International Civil Aviation Organisation dates and standards for environmental issues such as noise and nitrous-oxide emissions;
the fact that value-added tax is "back on the agenda" for intra-European Union airline tickets;
lack of action to restrict urban development in airport vicinities, thus creating environmental problems which do not yet exist.
Source: Flight International
