Representatives of the European Union countries gave the green light Friday to a suspension of the rules on airport slots at least until October, to help air transport hard hit by the coronavirus crisis. This suspension still needs to be approved by the European Parliament and the Council, an institution representing the member states.
The European Commission announced last week that it would propose a temporary relaxation of these rules which force airlines to use at least 80% of the slots allocated to them at airports, otherwise they will lose their rights in season next. This measure was demanded by the airlines, faced with a drop in traffic, to avoid having to fly empty planes to keep their slots.
Not a first
EU ambassadors on Friday approved a suspension of the rules from March 1 to October 24, which will also apply retroactively from January 23 to February 29 for flights between the European Union and China or Hong Kong , the council said in a statement. The date of January 23 corresponds to the first airport closure in China. If the current situation persists, this suspension could be extended through a rapid procedure, it said.
This moratorium must be approved by the European Parliament at its session on March 26 and then formally by the Council. "This exemption from slots will give flexibility and certainty to our aviation industry in this unprecedented situation," said Croatian Transport Minister Oleg Butkovic, whose country holds the presidency. EU. "No one wants planes to fly empty, it is a top priority for the Croatian presidency that this amendment be adopted as soon as possible," he added.
The EU had already used such derogations after the attacks of September 11, 2001, during the SARS epidemic in 2003 and the financial crisis in 2009.
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