Airlines have expressed concern about a European Commission proposal to scrap the twice-yearly seasonal clock change across the bloc and to allow EU countries to decide whether or not to permanently stick with summer or wintertime schedules. The new rules--if adopted--will significantly affect fleet planning, crew rostering, and flight scheduling of carriers operating within and to/from Europe, warned several organizations representing the continent’s airlines.

Without complete synchronization between all EU countries of the final decision “the aviation industry will be left in chaos,” Airlines for Europe (A4E), Airlines International Representation in Europe (AIRE), the European Regions Airline Association (ERA), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) asserted in a joint position paper seen by AIN. A non-harmonized change in Daylight Saving Time (DST) across Europe would prove costly and complex for airlines to accommodate, they added.

The four airline trade bodies prefer to keep the current system and said that if the EU moves ahead with the decision to abolish the seasonal time changes, their analysis shows that airlines would feel the least effect if the permanent time across the bloc becomes summertime rather than wintertime.  

Current EU regulation mandates that all member states move clocks forward by an hour on the last Sunday of March and back by an hour on the final Sunday in October. Internationally, about 60 countries, mostly in North America and Oceana, observe summertime arrangements. The Commission last month presented a legislative proposal to discontinue the practice in the EU, arguing the purpose of the seasonal time switches has become much less relevant as studies suggest that energy savings have become marginal and citizens increasingly complain about negative health consequences. In an online public consultation held over the summer, 84 percent of the 4.6 million respondents voted in favor of ending seasonal clock changes.

Meanwhile, member states are divided. The informal meeting of EU transport ministers on Monday in Austria showed that a majority of the bloc’s countries favor abolishing daylight savings time. Three countries – Portugal, Greece and the United Kingdom – spoke out strongly against ending the bi‑annual clock change, while Cyprus, the Netherlands, Ireland, France. and Denmark have not yet taken a stance. The proposal needs the backing of the European Parliament and the 28 national governments.

Under the proposal, member states will have to decide by April 2019 whether or not they intend to apply permanent summer- or wintertime. The last EU-wide mandatory change to summertime would take place on March 31 and member states wishing to permanently switch back to wintertime would do so on October 27. The change would happen “far too soon” if implemented next year, as airlines need time to plan the changes and tickets go on sale up to a year in advance, stressed A4E, AIRE, ERA, and IATA. They recommend that the final clock change take effect no earlier than the start of the IATA summer of 2021.

The effect on slots is a main concern for the airline associations. Schedule changes rely on slot timings and availability, and when multiple airlines all seek to change slots due to a DST move scheduling becomes “very complex,” the trade associations noted. They cautioned it might take “years” to reestablish global networks due to lack of availability of the right airport slots.