The Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG), the joint representation of interests of more than 100 German, European and global airlines, appeals to politicians in Berlin as well as in Brussels to use all available measures to support airlines and the aviation industry in their efforts to secure liquidity.
The reimbursement obligation arising from the EU regulation on air passenger rights poses a substantial challenge for airlines. BARIG, thus, advocates a short-notice temporary suspension of such regulation. Accordingly, BARIG formulated an urgent appeal in a letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, as well as to the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission:
The reimbursement obligation under the EU regulation on air passenger rights should be temporarily suspended on short-notice for the duration of the current crisis. Vouchers or wide-ranging re-booking options would be an appropriate solution, which passengers would be free to use at the earliest opportunity or at a later date at their convenience.
Customers’ reasonable interests and concerns are to be considered still. As BARIG Secretary General Michael Hoppe explains: “Vouchers may, for instance, be hedged by the respective member states in order to guarantee their value to customers and to increase customer confidence. Some EU countries, such as Belgium, have already agreed to such a state voucher guarantee, while other countries, including the Netherlands and Italy, are in the corresponding preparations. In addition, we are pleased that the Federal Government Commissioner for Tourism, Thomas Bareiß, and the Federal Government Coordinator of German Aerospace Policy, Thomas Jarzombek, are supportive of such a proposal.”
