ELFAA calls on SES committee to prioritise interests of consumers and the environment
20-Apr-2010 The European Low Fares Airline Association (ELFAA) is urging state representatives in the Single European Sky Committee (SSC) to prioritise the interests of consumers and the environment and vote for a truly effective European Air Traffic Management (ATM) scheme, that meets the objectives of SES II.
In particular, ELFAA is calling on participants to reduce the avoidable cost of ATM. At current cost, European consumers are paying €20 per return flight to fund the inefficiencies, which result from the patchwork of providers, that together form European Air Traffic Management (ATM).
Reports by Eurocontrol's Performance Review Unit suggest the excess cost of European ATM to be €5 billion p.a. At present all of this is recovered by states from users and passed on to air passengers in fares.
"More than a decade after voting for a Single European Sky, it is time to put aside the protectionist status quo and push for a better deal for consumers and the environment," said ELFAA Secretary General John Hanlon.
The very fragmented and notoriously inefficient European ATM system is at last up for reform as part of the new SES II legislation which was adopted last year by EU decision-makers.
Regrettably, draft proposals by the European Commission in the form of implementing rules and revisions to previous Regulations, following adoption of SES II, have been progressively watered down by states, casting into doubt the prospect of any material benefit to consumers, as intended by SES II.
The cost per flight of European ATM is double that in the USA, where there is a single provider of ATM.
It is vitally necessary to introduce greater efficiency, in the process eliminating the circuitous routeings, which currently result in unnecessary flying-time (up to 12% of any given journey) and resultant emissions.