REGIONAL COOPERATION AND ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

PART IV:
Figure 2: PSO routes connecting Strasbourg:
Source: Misetic et al. 2008: 364
Ten EU country members (Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Portugal,
Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom) impose traffic on 226 PSO routes. Norway and
Island, not being EU members, as EEA 1 members apply identical principles when it comes
to PSO routes. Norway has PSO routes from 29 airports. The highest number of PSO routes
in the European Union is in France (78), then Italy (31), Portugal (27), United Kingdom
(26), Greece (25) and Spain (16) routes. In Portugal even 73.5 % of all flights in domestic
air traffic are under PSO model, in Ireland 34.3 % of flights, then in Greece 19 %, France
17.1 %, Spain 16.7 % and Italy 14.9 %. (Misetic et al. 2008: 365)
The PSO routes status can be defined:
o with limited access (if none of air carriers is interested to perform transport under
the previously set conditions on specific PSO route, the authorities can appoint one
carrier to be granted with respective financial subvention for accepting the obligation
to perform this transport);
o with open access (that can attract several air carriers ready to accept these
conditions).
The biggest number of PSO routes with limited access is in France, Greece and the United
Kingdom. Tenders are mostly awarded to the domestic carriers. Only 5 % of PSO routes
with limited access in the European Union countries are performed by foreign carriers. On
the other hand, out of 139 routes with limited access, 27 European air carriers are engaged
on about 5 routes. Olympic Airlines is on the top of the list of carriers with the highest
number of routes (22), i.e. all routes in Greece are under the PSO status. (Misetic et al
2008: 365). Tenders as basis for air carriers bidding for PSO routes transport are foreseen
for the period of 3 years. The proposal for this term extension to four or five years is under
course. According to practice and previous experience in biddings, the prevailing number
1
European Economic Area
258