Over the last decades, liberalization has led to cheaper, safer, and more comprehensive air connections throughout the EU. This was driven in large parts by vigorous competition between airlines, engaging in a constant effort to outcompete their peers by developing and improving their services. Now, the European air travel industry stands at a crossroads. Large…
Air travel is still the transportation mode in which persons with disabilities experience the most difficulties and human rights violations. To address this, three European organisations; AGE Platform Europe, the European Disability Forum (EDF) and the European Passengers’ Federation (EPF), wrote a joint letter to the European Commission to revise Regulation 1107/2006 on the rights of…
On 22 March, our colleague Wandi Chivaura represented the European Passengers’ Federation and the AURORA project at the Amsterdam Drone Week, where she participated in a panel discussion on “What’s on the horizon for UAM in the European landscape”. The discussion which was organised by EIT Urban Mobility, saw the gathering of professionals in the…
🛫 When airlines go bankrupt it’s passengers who pay the price, losing an average of €431! This is because – unlike package travel – there is no insolvency protection available in the air travel sector. Unfortunately this issue is more common than you might think. 87 airlines went bust in Europe between 2011-2019, affecting 5.6m…
On 8. December, EPF took part in the SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research Joint Undertaking) innovation days. The event included a series of plenary sessions – involving panel discussions on core topics applicable to smart and sustainable aviation. On day 2 of the conference, the panel focused on the topic of multi-modality. EPF was…
The 17th Florence Air Forum, co-organised by the Florence School of Regulation and European Commission’s DG COMP Directorate F, took place on October 22. The aim of this high-level event was to examine, together with key stakeholders, the hard impact of Covid-19 on the air sector and to explore possible ways-forward to ensure its recovery.…
The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the entire transport sector hard. EPF is taking part in the Round Table discussions organised jointly by DG MOVE and DG COMP, to discuss with all relevant stakeholders the way forward towards a sustainable recovery strategy for European aviation. The main issues for EPF are restoring public confidence and making…
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, many airlines are currently applying for, or receiving, state aid. EPF stresses that decisions taken today must be considered in a broader, long-term perspective and assessed against the three pillars of sustainability – economic, social and environment. In EPF’s view, state aid to airlines must meet a number of conditions: it should be…
The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the entire transport sector hard. EPF was invited to a Round Table organised jointly by DG MOVE and DG COMP, to discuss with all relevant stakeholders the way forward towards a sustainable recovery strategy for the sector. EPF has stressed the following points: Firstly, in the short term, protection in…
Last February, EPF participated in the 13th Florence Air Forum, which dealt with the Review of the EU Air Services Regulation (Regulation (EC) N° 1008/2008). The Florence School of Regulation has now published its Observer Policy Brief which summarises the main results of the stakeholder forum’s discussion and includes the following contributions: – Air Services…
On May 13., the European Commission presented a package of guidelines and recommendations to help Member States gradually lift travel restrictions and allow tourism businesses to reopen, after months of lockdown, while respecting necessary health precautions. EPF is pleased that the Commission has confirmed its position that cash refunds need to stay available to consumers. This…
Should passengers accept vouchers instead of cash reimbursement? The Coronavirus pandemic has led to travel restrictions all over the EU (and the world) and a surge of cancellations. Airlines and travel agencies are currently exerting strong pressure on passengers to accept credit vouchers instead of cash reimbursement as well as on governments to change the…