RT.com
14 Jan 2022, 23:42 GMT+10
The European Commission claims EU rules don?t oblige air carriers to fly
EU authorities are urging airlines to stop operating empty flights as they are economically inefficient and bad for the environment, saying that making empty or near-empty trips is a commercial decision for each carrier.
EU rules therefore do not oblige airlines to fly or to keep empty planes in the air. On the contrary, they permit the avoidance of empty flights, according to a senior spokesman for the European Commission, Stefan De Keersmaecker.
"Deciding to operate routes or not is a commercial decision by the airline company and not a result of EU rules," he wrote on Twitter.
The official cited data and forecasts from Eurocontrol, which reported that initial traffic from 2022 was at 77% of pre-pandemic rates.
"In addition to the lower slot use rates, companies may also request a 'justified non-use exception' - to not use a slot - if the route cannot be operated because of sanitary measures, e.g. when new variants emerge during the pandemic," Keersmaecker added.
Last week, Europe's second-biggest carrier Lufthansa confirmed that 18,000 flights had been flown empty due to intense regulatory pressure and despite the economic and environmental consequences. Nearly 3,000 of those journeys were operated by the carrier's subsidiary, Brussels Airlines.
Under the 'use it or lose it' regulations, European airlines are normally forced to operate flights in at least 80% of their scheduled takeoff and landing slots in order to retain the right to use those slots.
The rule was suspended by the EU at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, but reintroduced at the level of 50% last spring. However, in December, the EC said the current 50% threshold would be raised to 64% for this year's April-to-November summer flight season.
Back then, the Belgian federal government referred the matter to the EC, urging it to rethink the rules on securing slots.
For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Irish Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Irish Sun.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is stopping a quality control program that tests milk and other dairy...
WASHINGTON, D.C. A Delta Air Lines plane with nearly 300 people on board had an engine fire after leaving the gate at Orlando International...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: In November, a passenger plane was about to land at San Francisco airport when the pilots suddenly saw a drone flying...
LAHORE, Pakistan: A Christian man in the town of Jaranwala, in eastern Pakistan, will appeal a death sentence given to him by an anti-terrorism...
CUTID, Philippines: On April 18, Good Friday, Christian believers in the Philippines were nailed to crosses in a reenactment of Jesus...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The United States will limit visas for more than 250 officials from Nicaragua, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Social media companies could soon be required to disable addictive algorithm-driven feeds for children, under a new...
DUBLIN, Ireland: More than a millennium after they were carried abroad for safekeeping, a collection of early Irish monastic manuscripts...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Disinformation poses a growing threat to democracy and must be addressed with urgency, Media Minister Patrick O'Donovan...
DUBLIN, Ireland: University College Cork (UCC) saw a 26 percent jump in staff earning over 100,000 euros last year, with the number...
DUBLIN, Ireland: One in three people killed or seriously injured on Irish roads in 2025 have been under the age of 30, according to...
(250426) -- SUZHOU, April 26, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Anna Brozek (L) of Poland and Sophia Curcio of the United States compete during the...