European regional airport representatives are claiming a major boost in efforts to amend new European Commission (EC) proposals on airport charges, after a European Parliament transport committee supported applying the proposals only to airports handling in excess of 5 million passengers annually.
The EC unveiled the proposals on airport charges on 21 Novewmber, as part of three measures covering the regulation of airports. The directive on airport charges was aimed at easing relations between airlines and airports by increasing transparency in the setting of charges.
But the scope of the measures in the proposals, applying to airports handling more than 1 million passengers a year, was criticised by low-fare airlines and the Forum of European Regional Airports (FARE).FARE argued these reporting requirements would unnecessarily saddle regional airports with a heavy regulatory and high administrative costs and has welcomed a vote by the European Parliament’s transport committee to raise the application threshold to airports handling 5 million passengers.
FARE chairman Bart de Boer says: “FARE has campaigned hard for changes to this proposal because of the prospective cost to already competitive regional airports.
“We have worked closely with legislators to come up with a solution that would ensure transparency and effective regulation without crippling regional airports. [The] vote demonstrates that policymakers are beginning to understand the important role that regional airports play.”
The full Parliament will vote on the committee’s report in January, while FARE is optimistic that member-state ministers will take a similar approach when they meet to review the airport charges directive next month.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
