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Dept for Transport

Answer

Lembit O­pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans he has to charge aircraft flying under visual flight rules for aircraft navigation services; and if he will make a statement; [193031] (2) what plans he has to provide non-commercial air traffic with air navigation services without charge; and if he will make a statement; [193033] (3) what plans he has to impose Eurocontrol charges on aircraft with maximum take off weight below 2,000 kilograms; and if he will make a statement; [193035] (4) what plans he has to impose Eurocontrol charges on (a) gliders, (b) microlight aircraft, (c) hangliders, (d) paragliders and (e) balloons; and if he will make a statement; [193036] (5) what plans he has to charge for air navigation services in airspace classified as (a) E, (b) F and (c) G; and if he will make a statement. [193037] Charlotte Atkins: The Single European Sky (SES) Regulations, which came into force on the 20 April 2004, require the development of a transparent common charging scheme for the recovery of the costs of air navigation services provided by the member states. One of the underlying principles of the charging scheme is that air navigation service costs should be recovered according to the `user pays' principle, that is airspace users should pay for the services they use. The current draft of the European Commission's Implementing Rules on charging provides for member states to exempt certain categories of airspace users from the charges scheme. The costs for such an exemption would have to met by the state. The text has not been finalised so it impossible to make any decision on whether or not to grant exemptions.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

425 c1117W;425 c1114W; 193031;193033;193035;193036;193037

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Aviation Aircraft Fees and charges EU law

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk