A last major meeting to challenge possible changes to the 1989 CRS Code of Conduct will be held in Brussels next week.
The CRS Customer Leadership Hearing, will examine apparent plans by the EC Directorate General Transport and Energy (DG Tren) to declare that the three airlines which have a stake in Amadeus are not “parent carriers” of the GDS.
DG Tren had been widely expected to endorse changes in the Code but with built in safeguards to prevent abuse by carriers and GDSs with strong links.
But if DG Tren does make this ruling on parent carriers, there would be no such safeguards.
The concept of "mandatory participation", which would have obliged all airlines to put their inventories on all GDSs, would fall.
The meeting at the Sofitel Hotel in Brussels, organised by the Business Travel Coalition (BTC), is expected to be attended by 125 delegates from airlines, GDSs, TMCs and travel associations.
There are also expected to be representatives from UK and Dutch competition authorities and officials from DG Tren.
Delegates will hear presentations from Paul Tilstone, executive director of the UK and Ireland Institute of Travel Management, Christine Dunton-Tinnus, acting director of ACTE Europe, Jonathan French of the International Airline Passengers' Association and Dave Schwarte from Sabre.
The DG Tren is planning to submit its proposals to the EC early next month. They will be considered over a four to six week period where the can be accepted, amended or blocked.
But a statement from the EC played down the speculation over what form de-regulation will take.
It said: “The Commission does not have preconceived ideas. It conducted an open consultation, which was as wide-ranging as possible.
"On this basis, the Commission will determine the possible aspects for revision. If it makes a proposal, it will be subjected to the democratic decision process.
"This is a subject on which there has always been strong media lobbying - that is part of the game that is politics.
"For its part, the Commission keeps to the facts and will base any possible proposal on the consultation."
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