Last year the European Commission proposed a new Regulation on common rules for the allocation of slots at European Union airports, to deal with an  expected doubling of air traffic by 2030 with the consequent possible substantial increase in delays for passengers and cargo airlines. The EP rapporteur ALDE MEP Giommaria Uggias (Italia dei Valori, Italy) is due to present later today his report in Transport Committee which aims to strengthen the Commission's text by proposing ways to further enhance airport capacity and transparency. Namely, he proposes four major improvements: to legally define slots, to further protect regional connectivity, to introduce the possibility of the secondary trading in slots and to guarantee the full independence of slots' coordinators.

"This proposal aims at strengthening the mechanisms for the allocation and utilization of slots while ensuring effective implementation and promoting fair competition among operators. This will be facilitated by guaranteeing full independence of the coordinators - individuals who manage the allocation of slots - and secondly, through the secondary market for slots, namely the exchange of slots including through monetary compensation".

Up to now no regulation governing the allocation of airport slots addressed their legal definition. "We must stress the public utility of slots, whose allocation should not be possible without mediation between the public interest and the airlines individual needs", pointed out Mr Uggias.

Moreover, according to the EP rapporteur, it is possible that air carriers having slots in the major hubs use them more for long-haul traffic, thereby disadvantaging European peripheral areas which  could be deprived of connections with the rest of the worldwide network. For this reason, he continued: "I proposed an amendment which enables the coordinator to refuse the confirmation of the sale of a slot if it is considered that this may, directly or indirectly, impair regional connectivity with major European hubs".

"With the introduction of this regulation, the EU wants to allow a coordinated and harmonious growth of quality of services to passengers, airlines and airports. These proposed changes will allow the management of up to 24 million more passengers per year, with a value for the European economy of some € 5 billion and the ability to create up to 62,000 jobs in the period 2012-2030. Europe can not escape this challenge", he concluded.