Brussels, Jan. 26, 2021 (Lusa) - Portugal as current holder of the presidency of the Council of the European Union aims to ensure that the rights of air passengers are respected, particularly given the problems experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, but is holding back on negotiations to reform legislation in the field, the country's government indicated on Tuesday.

"As regards the regulation on air passenger rights, the proposal [for its revision] has been blocked for several years for various reasons and we believe that the current context of the pandemic is not the best one to resume negotiations," said Pedro Nuno Santos, the minister for infrastructure, who has responsibility for transport portfolio, addressing the European Parliament's transport and tourism committee.

In a session via videoconference on the presidency's priorities for the six-month period, he said that Portugal would nevertheless "work to ensure that the current regulation is complied with and that under no circumstances are current rights diminished."

At issue is a 2004 EU regulation establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to air passengers in the event of their being denied boarding or of cancellation of or long delays to flights, so defining the rights of travellers, and for which an overhaul was proposed in 2013 that has never gone forward.

The airline industry has been among the worst affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to cancellations and problems such as late refunds and a lack of information for passengers, among others.

Addressing members of the parliament, Santos recalled the "sharp reduction in air traffic" due to the pandemic and the economic crisis it generated.

"While people are not travelling because of lack of confidence and security, they will continue not flying for lack of income," he argued, stressing the need for the EU to be "aware of the importance of the sector to unite and connect Europe."

In addition, he said, "we need to rapidly vaccinate the people of Europe to regain confidence in air transport."

On the new Single European Sky legislation, which aims to reduce delays and pollution within the EU, the minister argued that, despite the current situation, this "remains important to improve airspace management and its efficiency.

"Knowing the difficulties of the proposal and the cautious approach of the member states, our aim is to reach a general agreement to be adopted by the [EU] Council at the end of our presidency", he said, adding that the legislation would avoid "unnecessary administrative burdens and offer the predictability that the sector needs."

The Single European Sky is a regulatory framework that sets targets for the organisation of European airspace in a more rational way, with a view to increasing the capacity to accommodate flights while ensuring operational safety throughout Europe.

Another piece of legislation mentioned by Santos relates the allocation of slots at airports; the minister undertook to "approve, in record time, a proposal to enable airlines and airports to plan for the coming seasons without having to make ghost flights."

As a rule, airlines must use 80% of their allocated slots for landings and take-offs in order to secure the same number in the following season, but the European Commission has proposed temporarily reducing this minimum usage rate to 40% in view of the pandemic.

ANE/ARO // ARO.

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