Express package carrier United Parcel Service may alter its European hub strategy and take the Paris airports authority to court over increased night flight restrictions at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport.
The company flies 55 aircraft on its European network, and has been working on a system of sub hubs at East Midlands airport in the UK and Bergamo, Italy, in addition to Paris, to work alongside its main European hub at Cologne-Bonn airport. CDG has told cargo operators slots cannot be retimed and no new ones will be issued - severely reducing the airport's effectiveness as a sub hub, says Morgan Foulkes, UPS manager for international public affairs.
UPS believes the airport is in breach of the European Commission noise management directive which requires all solutions to be examined, not just operating restrictions. With airports in Germany and Portugal planning changes to night time operations, Foulkes says UPS may take airport authorities to the European Court of Justice if a breach can be proved. He adds that such bans would violate any open skies agreement.
Source: Flight International
