easyJet has today written to the European Commission to request the slots awarded to Volare…
easyJet has today written to the European Commission to request the slots awarded to Volare as part of the European Commission’s clearance of the Air France / Alitalia alliance. This follows the placement of Volare into extraordinary bankruptcy administration, which has resulted in these slots going unused and, therefore, no longer providing an effective restraint on the competitive behaviour of Air France and Alitalia. easyJet had originally requested the slots that both national airlines were required to give up but was sidelined by Air France and Alitalia in favour of Volare. easyJet is therefore renewing its request for these slots in order to reintroduce competition on the routes between France and Italy where the Air France and Alitalia alliance has effectively a monopoly. Without strong competition between carriers, consumers will continue to face a raw deal and lose out on the opportunities made available to them by the Single European market.
easyJet is a fervent advocate of the vital importance of placing consumer’s interests at the heart of the much-needed consolidation of Europe’s airline industry. This is why easyJet has made no secret of its disappointment at the European Commission’s clearance of the Air France / Alitalia alliance. In this case, easyJet has lodged an appeal to the European Court of First Instance to annul the decision in April 2004.
Ray Webster, easyJet Chief Executive, said:
I look forward to the European Commission taking the right decision in terms of the Volare slots. These unused slots must be reallocated as soon as possible to easyJet – the carrier best placed to offer consumers a real alternative to Air France and Alitalia.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
