Aviation officials have confirmed ticket prices will increase by 30-40 percent in 2011. They attributed the rise to expectations that the EU will impose fees on planes that enter or exit its airspace. Experts say the EU is taking this step in order to hinder the growing dominance of four Arab airlines--Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Egypt Air--in European airspace. According to the experts, the move is being made under the pretext of limiting pollution and protecting the environment. The experts argue the price increases will reduce the number of air travelers by more than 50 percent because companies based in the rest of the world will be forced to take the same measures. They demanded Arab governments enact a proposal that was presented during meetings of the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) that pressures the EU to avoid taking this step, especially since most Middle Eastern companies use modern planes--those produced in the US and America--that have minimal environmental impacts. The air travel sector, according to the experts, accounts for less than 2 percent of total carbon emmissions. Senior pilot Ali Amin described the EU fees as a consummate disaster. They will cause record increases in ticket prices for foreign and domestic travel and will strain the elite more than ordinary citizens, Amin added. He said EU justifications for the move are poor. Motives may derive from the fact that travelers have begun to prefer Middle Eastern airlines over their European competitors, which have been forced to raise ticket prices because of high taxes imposed on them, Amin said. In comparison, customers find affordable prices and superb service with Arab companies, according to Amin. Amin forecasted that if these fees are enacted, the rest of the world will respond by imposing equal or greater fees on European planes. Translated from Arabic Edition.
