Interim Report - Introduction - EASA

INTERIM REPORT – OPTIONS FOR CHANGE – ATTACHMENT B
EASA.2009.OP.21
EC Directive 96/97/EC Amended 20/11/2003
GROUND HANDLING DIRECTIVE
– on access to the ground handling market at Community airports.
Applicability: Indirect law for EU Member States to adopt into their own laws. Includes deicing
of aircraft as a ground-handling service. The Directive applies to all Community airports
open to commercial traffic whose annual traffic is not less than two million passenger
movements or 50 000 tonnes of cargo (Article 1).
Annex List of Ground-Handling Services
6. Aircraft services comprise:
6.2. the cooling and heating of the cabin, the removal of snow and ice, the de-icing of
the aircraft;
This Directive does not mention “anti-icing” which must be assumed to be an oversight.
Options:
Given the universal recognition that de-icing / anti-icing is an operational procedure
necessary to ensure and maintain the airworthiness of aircraft, one key option would be to
remove it from this Directive, or exempt it from certain clauses and Articles. As a necessary
safety critical function it may be sensible not to consider de-icing / anti-icing alongside
“commercial” activities such as baggage handling and postal services.
Otherwise the amending of this Directive would require a consistent and perhaps coordinated
effort from EASA, NAAs, Aerodromes and Airline Associations. However, if this could be
achieved then the options introduced below could each be considered within an overall
review of the entire Directive.
Impact:
Removing de-icing / anti-icing from this Directive would restrict competition amongst
providers unless an alternative mechanism was developed, and consideration would also
need to be given to removing fuel/oil supply and loading from the Directive.
Assuming amendments were made with the support of all stakeholders, with the aim of
improving standards of de-icing / anti-icing, then the impact should be positive.
Clause 11
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