The European Commission (EC) has recommended the relaxing of aviation rules in a bid to tackle the impact of the ash crisis on airlines.
The EC is recommending that slot coordinators take into account the effects of the crisis, "so that airlines can keep slots which were not used during the crisis and the period immediately afterwards".
The Commission has also said it will not object to member states waiving operational restrictions for short periods, such as allowing overnight flight, "until the return to normality of the overall network and the repatriation of all stranded passengers".
In a bid to provide relief to immediate cash flow problems, route charges should be deferred for a period of time, the EC said: "Member states should take all appropriate steps in relation to their air navigation service providers."
Siim Kallas, the European Commission vice-president, said the European Union had been hit by an "unprecedented crisis" leading to more than 100,000 cancelled flights and more than 10 million passengers unable to travel.
"Now, as we are getting back to normal our focus can shift to relief measures for the industry. This is about practical measures to provide relief to the air transport sector so they can weather this crisis. The Commission is also proposing structural changes to ensure we do not face this situation again," said Kallas.
Financial measures by EU member states could include loans and guarantees "granted at market conditions", but the EC did not rule out state aid "to make good damage caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences".
The EC has called for a coordinated approach: "If support from Member States takes the form of state aid measures it must be granted on the basis of uniform criteria established at European level. It cannot be used to allow unfair assistance to companies which is not directly related to the crisis."
The Commission also called for a level playing field for passenger rights, so one company doesn't get unfair advantage over another. "Air passenger rights provided by EU law remain fully applicable... The Commission will work closely with national authorities to ensure the regulations are applied in a consistent way."
Other measures the EC is recommending include the accelerated implementation of a single European sky, and a European mobility action plan, so if one mode of transport cannot deliver for an extended period of time, other forms of transport can provide swift substitutes.
www.europa.eu