JOC Staff | Mar 21, 2013 11:44AM EDT
The European Commission today decided to refer Portugal to the Court of Justice of the European Union for its incorrect application of the rules on airport groundhandling.
The EU alleges the rules regarding baggage handling, ramp handling and freight and mail handling are not being complied with at Lisbon, Porto and Faro airports, saying that the airports’ selection of groundhandling suppliers was not conducted in accordance with the European Directive 96/67/EC, which opens the groundhandling services market at airports to competition.
The EC said in a written statement it is concerned that this results in “uneven conditions” between possible groundhandlers, as well as additional costs and lower service quality for airlines and passengers.
