Spain Gets Tough with Foreign Airlines

 

Spain will tighten regulations to improve air safety within the country, reinforce powers to punish airlines that infringe them and will seek greater powers from the EU, the Development Ministry said.

Ana Pastor, The Minister for Development, revealed the government's intentions in a press conference yesterday, making specific reference to foreign airlines that operate large volumes of air traffic within Spain.

According to Ana Pastor, Spain has been in talks with EU authorities since August 2011 to make amendments to the current European Air Safety Regulations, specifically to give Spain the power to act quickly against offending airlines.

Usually an airline flies under the law of the land where the business is based and any civil aviation policy in force at the destination. In Europe the destination policy is always the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) which supersedes local aviation rules for foreign airlines.

In addition, the development ministry said the Government will establish new procedures in airports for dealing with aircraft that suffer emergency fuel shortages.

The announcement from the Development Ministry comes in the wake of a string of incidents involving Ryanair, a "low cost" budget airline based in Ireland.

In one evening, three Ryanair flights had to request priority landing due to low fuel issues at Valencia airport on Thursday, 26th July 2012. On Friday, 7th August 2012, a Ryanair flight had to make an emergency landing following cabin depressurisation.

See more news about Ryanair by clicking here .