European postal operators successfully kept international mail and parcels moving during therecent closure of European airspace by switching volumes to road, rail and even sea transportation,
and services are now back to normal again, PostEurop said today. EU plans to support the aviationsector have meanwhile been welcomed by IATA.National postal operators responded quickly to the delivery disruption following the volcaniceruption in Iceland on April 15, the spread of the volcanic ash cloud over much of Europe and thesubsequent widespread flight bans, the association of 48 European public postal operators said.
“The European postal operators did a good job under very difficult circumstances,” PostEuropsecretary general Botond Szebeny told CEP-Research. “They responded quickly to the disruptioncaused by the flight cancellations and put various contingency measures into action. Thanks toclose cooperation with logistics providers and international partners they were able to keep mailmoving and minimise the delays.”
As part of the emergency measures, postal operators transferred their international mail andparcel volumes to alternative mail delivery routes using trucks, vans, cars and trains. In somecases, even sea transport provided the best short-term solution. At the same time, they keptcustomers up-to-date on the service impact and latest situations through a range of communicationmeasures, including the media, website announcements and customer service information. Domesticmail was less affected than international items by the airport closures.
“The successful handling of this emergency situation has again reinforced the value of closecooperation between European postal operators in order to maintain customer service and providereliable and good quality postal services,” Szebeny concluded.
Meanwhile, IATA has welcomed the European Commission’s action plan presented this week on how totackle the impact of the volcanic ash cloud crisis on air transport, which is estimated to havecost international airlines about $1.7 billion in lost revenues and additional costs.
European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, presented a packageof short-term actions and structural measures to help the air transport industry to overcome theimpact. “The European Union has been hit by an unprecedented crisis with the closure of airspacedue to the volcanic eruption leading to more than 100,000 cancelled flights,” he commented. “Now,as we are getting back to normal our focus can shift to relief measures for the industry. This isabout practical measures to provide relief to the air transport sector so they can weather thiscrisis. The Commission is also proposing structural changes to ensure we do not face this situationagain.”
The Commission’s proposed measures include setting up an expert group to revise theinternational procedures in case of volcanic activity, support for temporary relief measures forairlines by national governments that do not constitute state aid, more flexible short-term nightflight operations and deferral of some airport charges. Airport slot coordinators should also takeaccount of the crisis so airlines can retain unused slots.
Medium-term structural measures include accelerating the implementation of the Single EuropeanSky, with earlier introduction of some measures by end-2010 and appointment of a European networkmanager to ensure a harmonised and co-ordinated approach to decision-making. The Commission alsowants pan-European crisis planning for transportation and the creation of a European aviationplatform involving all stakeholders. The proposals will be discussed by transport ministers meetingat the extraordinary Council in Brussels on 4 May.
Welcoming the package of measures, Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO, said: “Airlines lost revenues of $1.7 billion in just six days, with the greatest impact on Europeancarriers. These urgent measures will provide much needed assistance to airlines at a time whentheir financial resources are stretched.”
In particular, IATA supported the plan to speed up implementation of the Single European Sky,which is estimated to save €5 billion and reduce carbon emissions by 16 million tonnes a year onceimplemented. The airline association also backs government compensation for extraordinary costsfrom the flight ban, better risk management and the creation of an aviation platform along withflexibility on slot rules and night flight restrictions.
