European airports, workers and suppliers together call for urgent support

ETF, ASA and ACI EUROPE have reiterated the need for the European Parliament to support an extension of temporary derogations to the EU Ground Handling Directive beyond what has been proposed by the European Commission.

The extension is crucial to preserve jobs and the livelihood of workers in the airport ground handling sector. It is also needed to secure operational continuity and an orderly restart of airport operations across Europe.

This is indispensable to support the recovery of air connectivity, tourism and economic activity. 

The three associations representing transport workers, ground handling companies and airport operators together urged the European Parliament to vote in favour of extended derogations compared to the ones proposed by the European Commission.

Failure to do so could put thousands of jobs at risk, as the European Commission proposal is not enough to ensure the financial and operational continuity of ground handlers and their staff in the COVID-19 circumstances.

Specifically, ETF, ASA and ACI EUROPE asked for:

• The validity of ground handling licences expiring by 31 December 2022 to be prolonged for a maximum period of three years
• The possibility for temporary licences to be granted until 31 December 2022 for a maximum period of three years or until 31 December 2025 – whichever is longer.