Commission Notice pursuant to Article 4(1)(a) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2408/92

Imposition of a public service obligation on scheduled air services within France

(2001/C 72/03)

(Text with EEA relevance)

I. Pursuant to Article 4(1)(a) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2408/92 of 23 July 1992 on access for Community air carriers to intra-Community air routes, France has decided to impose a public service obligation on scheduled air services on the following routes:

Toulon/Hyères-Bordeaux,

Toulon/Hyères-Toulouse,

Toulon/Hyères-Nantes.

II. The new public service obligation is as follows:

Minimum frequency, capacity provided, type of aircraft used and timetables

Toulon/Hyères-Bordeaux

Except on public holidays, the minimum level of service provided 235 days a year except at weekends must be two return trips per day, morning and evening, and the minimum level of service provided 90 days a year at weekends must be one return trip on Saturday mornings and one return trip on Sunday evenings.

Timetables must be such as to enable passengers on business trips during the working week to make the round trip within the day and to spend at least seven hours at their destination, whether Bordeaux or Toulon.

The service must be non-stop between Toulon/Hyères and Bordeaux.

The service must be operated with a pressurised aircraft having a seating capacity of at least 17.

Toulon/Hyères-Toulouse

Except on public holidays, the minimum level of service provided 235 days a year except at weekends must be two return trips per day, morning and evening, and the minimum level of service provided 90 days a year at weekends must be one return trip on Saturday mornings and one return trip on Sunday evenings.

Timetables must be such as to enable passengers on business trips during the working week to make the round trip within the day and to spend at least seven hours at their destination, whether Toulouse or Toulon.

The service must be non-stop between Toulon/Hyères and Toulouse.

The service must be operated with a pressurised aircraft having a seating capacity of at least 17.

Toulon/Hyères-Nantes

Except on public holidays, the minimum level of service provided 235 days a year except at weekends must be two return trips per day, morning and evening, and the minimum level of service provided 90 days a year at weekends must be one return trip on Saturday mornings and one return trip on Sunday evenings.

Timetables must be such as to enable passengers on business trips during the working week to make the round trip within the day and to spend at least six and a half hours at their destination, whether Nantes or Toulon.

The service must be non-stop between Toulon/Hyères and Nantes.

The service must be operated with a pressurised aircraft having a seating capacity of at least 17.

Flight bookings

Seats on these flights must be marketed by at least one computerised booking system.

Service continuity

Except in cases of force majeure, the number of flights cancelled for reasons directly attributable to the carrier must not exceed 3 % of the number of flights scheduled in any IATA scheduling season.

The carrier must give at least six months' notice before discontinuing these services.

Community carriers are hereby informed that the operation of air services without regard to the abovementioned public service obligation may result in administrative and/or criminal penalties.