The European Commission has today launched a public consultation to assess the effectiveness of three pieces of EU legislation governing access to and the pricing of services at airports. Citizens, professionals and experts alike are invited to give feedback on rules concerning airport charges, slot distribution and ground handling services at EU airports.
The consultation seeks to assess whether the existing EU legislative framework – including the Slot Regulation, the Groundhandling Directive, and the Airport Charges Directive – remains effective in achieving its objectives. Concretely, these rules determine, for example, how much airlines pay to use certain airport facilities, which in turn has an impact on the price passengers pay. They affect whether passengers find the connection they want at the time they need it. They influence also the waiting time and quality of service in relation to baggage handling. However, with market conditions changing, and with environmental priorities in mind, it is important to ensure the rules remain relevant and impactful. (....)