Airlines demand urgent reform of air traffic control body
Industry body Airlines for Europe is calling for the urgent reform of Eurocontrol, which will elect a new director general for the body next month.
A4E says national authorities should use the vote to elect a candidate committed to improving efficiency of the international organization, which co-ordinates European Air Traffic Control.
"We are dissatisfied with the operation of Eurocontrol where inefficiencies and a lack of transparency have prevailed for too long. There has been no ambition to improve cost efficiency. The current election provides an opportunity to correct this", said A4E MD Thomas Reynaert.
"The required reforms are well known and many recommendations have been set out in a report produced for the European Commission by Steer Davies Gleave on separating the important role of network manager, governing flight routings in European airspace.
"There needs to be a further removal of duplication between the functions of different European agencies and independence from Eurocontrol for the Performance Review Body, which oversees what national air navigation service providers charge airlines for air traffic control", added Reynaert.
A4E has written to national transport ministries setting out its policies outlining both the reform of Eurocontrol and the task faced by the next director general.
"The status quo cannot be allowed to continue. The selected candidate must have a track record in the delivery of efficiency and reform, of commercial focus, and of being able to lead change in a complex industrial relations environment, without this degenerating into service disruptions and strikes", added Reynaert.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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