Dear flights, the Government backtracks: the fare cap for Sardinia is removed
The executive rewrites article 1 of the decree: more powers for the Antitrust, but no maximum price for connections with the islands
The Government rewrites the law against high flight prices and eliminates the cap on ticket prices for the two largest islands which had infuriated airlines, pushing Ryanair to reduce connections with Sardinia.
In an amendment to the asset law, the executive cancels the price ceiling (which was set at 200% of the average cost) and relies on the Antitrust to limit the use of algorithms .
The Authority will verify the possible unfairness of the airline's price based on the principles of abuse of dominant position and anti-competition agreement.
"The conduct practiced on the routes to the islands, the period of peak seasonal demand and prices higher than 200% of the average flight fare are considered circumstances and indications which the Authority can take into account," we read in the technical report.
The Antitrust may also, following a fact-finding investigation, impose, where distorting factors in the flight market emerge, structural or behavioral measures that eliminate such distortion.
The law which entirely rewrites Article 1 of the decree has not yet reached the Senate and also provides for an increase in the Antitrust staff.
CONTROVERSY
« The government's umpteenth backtracking to combat the high cost of flights, especially to and from the islands, is not surprising. Ever since the provision, positive albeit late, was announced, it was clear that the electoral campaign was behind it", comments Arnaldo Boeddu, secretary of Filt CGIL Sardinia .
«Not even the actions that must be implemented based on web profiling are well specified - attacks the trade unionist -. In short, the elephant gave birth to a mouse . It would have been better to convene the airlines, management companies and trade unions jointly to the ministerial table. Only in this way could a shared path have been built."
Uil Trasporti Sardegna is also on a war footing: «We are worried about this step backwards, we believed it was essential to impose a ceiling to avoid speculation carried out in a disproportionate manner by the carriers», the words of the secretary William Zonca .
«A move – he adds – not courageous on the part of the executive, which should have kept the bar straight on this idea».
(Unioneonline/L)
