The government is investigating the possibility of obtaining exemptions from EU procurement rules to get air traffic back on track quickly after Nextjet's bankruptcy filing, and a meeting with the responsible EU Commissioner has been scheduled.
”"We demand that the government turn over every stone," says Jessica Rosencrantz, vice chair (M) of the Riksdag's traffic committee.
The government must immediately find out if there are any ways to get exemptions from the rules that mean that the routes to Gällivare and Arvidsjaur do not have to be without traffic until this autumn, the Alliance believes after the Transport Committee was informed by the Director General of the Swedish Transport Administration about the situation following Nextjet's bankruptcy.
Minister of Infrastructure Tomas Eneroth (S) tells TT that he and the Ministry of Enterprise and Industry are working as hard and quickly as possible to do what the Alliance and not least stranded travelers, municipal politicians and worried entrepreneurs want. A first, important meeting is scheduled with the responsible EU Commissioner Violeta Bulc already on Wednesday, May 23.
”"I will meet the Commissioner tomorrow, we are at the same event in Leipzig," Eneroth tells TT.
”"No one should doubt the government's commitment to quickly trying to find a solution," he adds.
But he does not want to raise expectations that it is actually possible to obtain an exemption from the EU rules that apply to the procurement of commercial air routes. Based on the rules, the Swedish Transport Administration assesses that it is not possible to promise that the routes will be back in service until September 15th.
”"The regulations need to change, we see that with the current interpretation, there are no conditions for that, but I want a quick change," says the Minister of Infrastructure.
He says that the government will have a continuous dialogue with the commission to get traffic back on track. The best thing would be, according to Eneroth, if there was some small opening to be able to use the same emergency procedure as for Nextjet's cancelled routes to Hemavan, Lycksele and Vilhelmina. Since they are not operated commercially, but with a traffic obligation, the government and the Swedish Transport Administration hope to get solutions for those routes earlier than for the routes to Gällivare and Arvidsjaur.
Source: TT
