Airlines may be forced to halt extra charges

AIRLINES may be forced to reverse the growing trend of introducing a range of additional charges on passengers as a result of a major review of EU aviation policy.

EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas has announced that the European Commission is to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the EU’s internal aviation market in a bid to identify excessive administrative burdens, overlaps, gaps, inconsistencies and obsolete measures.

The so-called “fitness check” will examine three key EU regulations governing common rules for the operation of air services, the code of conduct for computerised reservation systems and insurance requirements for airlines.

One of the main areas of focus will be the price transparency of flights as the final price of air fares, including taxes, charges and fees, should be indicated at all times during the booking process as well as on advertisements under existing EU legislation.

“Booking an online ticket is enough to discover that some of these rules may not be respected,” said an EU transport spokesperson.

Several airlines, including Ryanair, have been criticised in the past for failing to highlight the final cost to the consumer of flights, although many have since taken steps to address the issue since a revision of EU aviation regulations in 2008.

The EU will also examine the growing trend by airlines of segregating specific services that may be avoidable, such as counter check-in, excess baggage weight and checked baggage fees.

The European Commission argues that while airlines often respect the strict letter of the regulation, their practices are still leading to numerous complaints.

The review will also consider introducing more stringing financial controls to prevent the bankruptcy of airlines as travellers with stand-alone tickets not bought as part of any package deal currently have no protection in the case of their carrier going bust.