European Union states should establish national regulators to settle disputes between airports and airlines over infrastructure fees, the EU executive proposed today.
The European Commission presented draft legislation that seeks to make airport charges more transparent and non-discriminatory. It requires airports to consult with airlines about the fees, which airlines body IATA has called among the most expensive in the world.
"(This) represents a milestone in the formation of a pan-European regulatory framework for European airports," Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot said in a statement.
The Commission also laid out a plan to reduce congestion at Europe's busiest airports. It said airports should make better use of existing capacity and improve technology. The rules will apply to all airports with more than a million passenger movements or 25,000 tonnes of cargo a year. Airport charges make up between 4 and 8 per cent of major EU airlines' operational costs, the document said.
IATA said last year Europe had 15 of the world's most expensive airports, singling out Charles de Gaulle in Paris as one of the worst offenders for increasing its charges by 26.5 percent over five years. In a separate report, the EU executive said groundhandling services throughout Europe were becoming more competitive after a first phase of liberalisation