Air transport: allocation of slots at Community airports

PURPOSE: to allocate slots for air carriers for summer 2010 scheduling season and amend Regulation (EEC) No 95/93.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EC) No 545/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EEC) No 95/93 on common rules for the allocation of slots at Community airports.

CONTENT: following a first reading agreement with the European Parliament, the Council adopted a regulation amending regulation (EEC) No 95/93 on common rules for the allocation of slots at Community airports.

To recall, the global economic and financial crisis is now seriously affecting the activities of air carriers. It has led to a significant reduction in air traffic over the winter 2008/2009 scheduling period. The summer 2009 scheduling period will also be affected by that economic crisis.

In order to ensure that the non-utilisation of slots allocated for the summer 2009 scheduling period does not cause air carriers to lose their entitlement to those slots, it is necessary to specify clearly and unambiguously that that scheduling period is affected by the economic crisis. This temporary measure will help airlines cut costs by allowing them to cut capacity more easily at busy airports, knowing that their slots will be safeguarded for the next summer season 2010.

Resulting in a compromise reached by the European Parliament and the Council, the Regulation stipulates that the Commission should continue to analyse the impact of the economic crisis on the air transport sector. Should the economic situation continue to deteriorate prior to the winter 2009/2010 scheduling period, the Commission could make a proposal to renew the arrangements contained in this Regulation for the winter 2010/2011 scheduling period. Such a proposal should be preceded by a full impact assessment.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 30 June 2009.