| Author (Person) | King, Tim |
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| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.12, No.16, 27.4.06 |
| Publication Date | 27/04/2006 |
| Content Type | News |
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By Tim King Date: 27/04/06 An uneasy peace has broken out between European airlines and airports in their argument over airport charges. The Airports Council International Europe (ACI) said the discussion had been helped by a meeting hosted by the European Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot. Things were "much less confrontational" after the meeting, said Olivier Jankovec of ACI Europe, adding that his organisation was hoping to set up further discussion with the Association of European Airlines (AEA). The AEA and ACI Europe are to hold a joint board meeting today (27 April) as a first step in a new era of dialogue. "We can't go on bickering and being at daggers drawn," said an AEA spokeswoman. ACI had come under strong criticism from IATA, the worldwide trade association for the airlines, which has been urging the EU to regulate airport charges. The European Commission is not expected to come up with any conclusions on whether to regulate airport charges until summer at the earliest. But the spokeswoman for AEA said that, while it was still unhappy with airport charges, there was hope of "a reasonable compromise". ACI's stance is that with public authorities now reluctant to bankroll airports, charges are necessary to fund future investment in runways and terminals. The Austrian presidency will be hosting what it has styled an 'aviation summit' next week in Salzburg (3-4 May), to be attended by the heads of the national civil aviation authorities, industry representatives and the European Commission. The first day, devoted largely to dialogue with the aviation industry will discuss the European air industry's global competitiveness and the challenges of infrastructure and capacity. Article reports that the dispute between European airlines and airports in their argument over airport charges was less confrontational after a meeting hosted by the European Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot. |
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| Source Link | http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Subject Categories | Business and Industry, Mobility and Transport |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
