easyJet launches 'Vision for European Aviation' in Brussels

easyJet launched (26-Feb-2015) its 'Vision for European Aviation' in Brussels, which calls on the EU, governments and regulators to improve competitiveness in European aviation. In addition to airport charges, easyJet outlined four issues which would bring benefits to airlines and passengers "if properly addressed":

• Single European Sky: easyJet proposes a rethink based on three principles:
  • A pragmatic approach to address the deep rooted underlying concerns of key stakeholders. For example, there will be no compulsory redundancies amongst air traffic controllers. Airspace sovereignty is guaranteed and Member States can ensure they have control over their airspace;
  • Governance is shared, so airspace users have an equal seat at the table;
  • Single European Sky should be on an opt-in basis, but with EU funding only available for those who opt in‎;
• Social dimension: The current framework enables easyJet to do the right thing but this should be enforced equally and fairly across countries;
• Ground handling services: There is not enough competition on ground handling services which means passengers still pay too much and do not receive the right level of service;
• Slot trading: It is critical that airlines are allowed to trade slots to ensure they are used as efficiently as possible.

easyJet CEO Carolyn McCall, in a speech to the European Aviation Club, stated: "Europe is currently debating which policy framework to put in place, at a national and EU level, to promote the competitiveness of EU aviation. In order to get the best outcome for consumers, we believe that this framework should be based on fair competition, freedom of choice, and with passengers at the heart of policy making. We are calling on EU policy makers to revise the Airport Charges Directive and to rethink how we deliver Single European Skies. If we just tackled these two issues, they would improve the efficiency of our industry, drive down fares for consumers and create billions of Euros of GDP, equivalent to hundreds of thousands of jobs."‎ [more - original PR] [more - original PR - Speech]