Public Hearing on Established Rights of Air Passengers

EESC, 8 september 2011

Information and service levels for passengers: the airports’ perspective

Gérard Borel – General Counsel

Regulation 1107/2006 (PRM)

• Information to pax: shared responsibility (airports, carriers and their agents, tour operators)

• Carriers, agents, tour operators: point of sale, safety rules, pre-notification

• Airports: design of new airports, point of departure/arrival, quality standards; + information campaigns (beyond Regulation)

• Basis: Guidance document ECAC Doc 30

Quality standards for assistance under Regulation 1107/2006

• Scope: Airports over 150.000 pax/year

• Set in cooperation with Airport users and organisations representing PRMs and disabled persons

• Basis: ECAC code of conduct in GH for PRMs

• Obligation to publish

Examples of signage at European airports

Examples of signage at European airports (II)

Information How can the assistance to PRMs be improved?

• Better definition of PRM needed

• Encourage pre-notification (linked to the quality of service and the PRM charge)

• PRM charge: Determined “in cooperation with airport users”(article 8). An agreement on the amount of this PRM charge is therefore not required. Some carriers refuse to pay

• Handling of mobility equipment (Dir 67/1996)

Passenger rights Regulation 261/2004

• Provision of information and assistance: air carriers’responsibility under EU and international law (Montreal Convention)

• Uniform interpretation and better enforcement of Regulation through NEBs is required

• Air carriers did not always fulfil their obligation and airportsprovided assistance beyond their legal obligations

Passenger rights Regulation 261/2004 (II)

• Do all passengers (LCC/network/class of travel/ff) have the same rights?

• Regulation 261: YES

• In practice?

AIRPORTS CANNOT SUBSTITUTE AIR CARRIERS

Airports going beyond their legal obligations

:

Lessons learnt from air traffic disruption

• Airport contingency plans (Heathrow, Dublin, Amsterdam…)

-Additional Winter equipment

-Operational processes improved

-Better control of GH operations by airport required

• Airport Customer Services University (ADP)

• CER/ ACI EUROPE Recommended practice in case of disruption of traffic

Thank you!