ATW Daily News

Expiring slot relief frustrates AEA

Monday October 19, 2009

Assn. of European Airlines expressed disappointment that the EU Council of Transport Ministers did not discuss the prolongation of the slot waiver for the . . .winter season and summer 2010 at its recent meeting.

In June, the EU approved the waiver of the 80-20 slot utilization rule for the current summer schedule (ATWOnline, June 11), but this "arrangement expires in two weeks. We urgently need it to be extended through the winter. The summer cutbacks have allowed us to eliminate a million empty seats a month. In the absence of a waiver for the winter, we have a stark choice--put back that excess capacity or risk our future product integrity," AEA Chairman and Croatia Airlines President and CEO Ivan Misetic said at AEA's Presidents' Assembly Friday.

AEA also expressed frustration over the fact that the EC failed to bring the state of the industry to the table at the Council. "We do not believe that the Commission fully realizes the importance of the mobility that the AEA network airlines bring to the EU economy, its cohesion and its administration," Misetic noted, adding, "In the past 35 years we have not seen such devastation of value. And we will not return to 'normal' again."

The association expects its members to post a combined operating loss of €2.9 billion ($4.33 billion) this year, 50% greater than the previous high in 2001. During the course of the year, some 35,000 jobs within AEA airlines will have been lost (ATWOnline, Oct. 9).

by Cathy Buyck

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