The European Parliament is preparing to vote tomorrow on the so-called ground handling regulation, which is an essential part of the ‘Better Airport Package’ proposed by the European Commission and which aims at a balanced opening of ground handling services at EU airports. In its report, the European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee concludes that the new regulation, once adopted will require a third ground handler for airports with more than 15 million passengers per year, concerning merely 7 out of the over 400 airports in Europe.
“The European aviation industry needs a level playing field with decreased costs and increased service levels and a more liberalised value chain” said Mr Athar Husain Khan, acting Secretary General of AEA. “Therefore the Association of European Airlines (AEA) calls on the Members of the European Parliament to facilitate the gradual opening of the ground handling market.”
Whereas the Commission’s proposal will strengthen the position of European hubs with respect to global competitiveness, the amendments proposed by the European Parliament will lead to the contrary. Unfortunately, these amendments will result in additional operational and financial burden on European airlines and protect inefficient and state-owned ground handling service providers. Moreover, the proposals on social security of ground handling staff will discourage new actors to enter the market. Due to the proposed ‘transition period,’ third handlers will not be able to offer their services before 2019. These implications are unacceptable.
