The European Parliament’s transport and tourism committee has cleared the way for airlines to start trading slots at European Union airports by endorsing new rules aimed at forcing carriers to use or lose slots. But the European Commission (EC) has expressed concern that both the legislators and EU transport ministers have diluted its reform plan by rejecting its proposal that airlines should lose a slot if they fail to use it at least 85 percent of the time (an increase from the existing 80 percent requirement). The parliamentary committee also voted to include additional provisions giving the independent airport coordinator more power to enforce competition for slots and to prevent the rule from handicapping regional airlines and airports. Airlines will face financial penalties if they fail to relinquish unused slots under the proposed new rules, still subject to a full vote in the European Parliament expected in December.
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