Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-05-03-Speech-3-102"
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"en.20000503.6.3-102"2
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"Mr President, first of all I would like to thank Mr Sterckx for his report which addresses an important aspect of the civil aviation industry. There is no doubt that civil aviation has grown considerably over the last ten years and it is predicted to continue growing in the foreseeable future. There are those who would argue that this is due solely to the liberalisation process within that sector. Whilst I and my Group recognise that this has had a considerable effect on aviation’s growth, other factors have also contributed. In the initial stages of liberalisation, a lot of people lost their jobs, those who remained had to work longer hours and others suffered a deterioration in their working conditions. Also, on some routes, fares increased while others were so cheap that airlines went bust or built up huge losses.
Another result of liberalisation has been the practice of co-sharing, of airline alliances, and in some instances even takeovers. We are beginning to see now an increase in aircraft registered outside the EU similar to the maritime sector’s flag of convenience. At my own airport in Manchester there are Icelandic-registered aircraft and I have been to Iceland more times than they have.
The reason why I mention these points is just to lend some balance to the argument. It is very easy to say that liberalisation in aviation has been a glowing success, without ever recognising that there is also a negative side. My Group accepts that gradual liberalisation is a way forward but only if safety, working conditions and passenger rights are safe-guarded and strengthened. We accept that an increasing number of EU citizens are demanding better services. My Group welcomes the latest decision by the Commission to launch a campaign to inform passengers of their rights – something which the airlines in particular have failed to do over many years.
We believe we need something more to ensure that passengers are better protected from delays and cancellations. We have all heard the excuses offered by the airlines, ranging from “aircraft going technical”, which is aviation-speak for ‘I’m afraid there are not enough people booked on so we are going to consolidate’. “Air traffic delays” is the next one, but of course that is an easy excuse because there is never anyone from air traffic control there to say that is not the issue. Then of course there is the ‘get them on board’ scenario, irrespective of whether the plane is going to leave or not. Without doubt aviation has made considerable progress, but I also believe that aviation has a responsibility to its passengers, to its workforce, and also to the environment.
Finally, my Group looks forward to receiving from the Commission its new proposals regarding slot-allocation, even though they have been a long time in coming. I hope this document will embody the view of the fair market access for all, in particular in clarifying the present legislative position regarding the trading of slots."@en1
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