BAR UK criticises airline emergency timetable concept
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Plans to impose emergency timetables on airlines during extreme conditions has been criticised by the Board of Airline Representatives in the UK (BAR UK). Colin Matthews, CEO of airport operator BAA told the Transport Select Committee last week that airlines should be forced to operate emergency timetables during situations such as adverse weather or workers’ strikes. Philip Hammond, secretary of state for transport, also referred to the concept on Monday. However, BAR UK has revealed it is ‘surprised and dismayed’ at the idea. “The idea to impose emergency airline timetables appears to be a knee-jerk reaction to take the heat off the airport operator during the enquiry into the December snow crisis and has not even been discussed with the airlines,” said Make Carrivick, chief executive of BAR UK. He added that only airlines would be able to set emergency proceedings as they have to schedule aircraft and crew. “Airlines and passengers were heeding the advice given out by the airport only to find that facts and timings kept changing, which led to passengers continuing to arrive at the airport with nowhere to go,” explained Carrivick. “An emergency timetable would not have worked, since the airport operator had simply no idea what would open and when. So, why should they be in a position to dictate schedules to individual airlines when they can’t get their own act together?”
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