IATA CALLS FOR MORE ACTION ON EU AIR TRAFFIC DELAYS

IATA CALLS FOR MORE ACTION ON EU AIR TRAFFIC DELAYS    The Jan. 28 meeting of European transport ministers to reduce air traffic delays and promote a single Europe sky was “helpful but inadequate,” the International Air Transport Association said.
   “Ministers must do even more to reduce delays in Europe and to build a safe, efficient and cost effective air traffic management system,” a spokesman for the association of airlines said.
   IATA said that it supports the European Commission decision to form a high level group to build a “single European sky” and achieve an efficient cross-border airspace structure and the integration of civil and military
airspace in Europe.
   But the capacity targets set for summer 2000 and 2001 “are utterly inadequate – and will lead to a continuation of the current delay crisis,” the association said.
   IATA Director General Pierre J. Jeanniot said that it is essential not only to build a single European sky, but also to liberalize air traffic services so that market pressures force them to meet the needs of their customers. “They must break out of the cycle of doing too little, too late,”
Jeanniot said.