Amendment by France of public service obligations imposed on scheduled air services between Montpellier and Ajaccio and Montpellier and Bastia (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2003-01-15
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Corsica, France, air transport, airline, inland transport, passenger tariff, public service, transport capacity

C 9/14

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

15.1.2003

Amendment by France of public service obligations imposed on scheduled air services between
Montpellier and Ajaccio and Montpellier and Bastia

(2003/C 9/05)

(Text with EEA relevance)

1. Pursuant to the decision of the Corsican regional authorities
of 26 September 2002, France has decided to amend, from
27 October 2002, the public service obligations imposed
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 on scheduled air
services between Montpellier and Ajaccio and between
Montpellier and Bastia, as published in Official
Journal of
the European Communities C 183 of 30 June 2000 and
amended by notices C 338/04 of 29 November 2000 and
C 204/06 of 28 August 2002.

2. The public service obligations take account of Corsica's

island status and are as follows:

2.1. Minimum frequency,
capacity provided

type of aircraft used and

(a) Between Montpellier and Ajaccio

— Frequency: at least one round trip per day in an

aircraft with at least 40 seats

— The services must be non-stop between Mont-

pellier and Ajaccio

— The

capacity
following conditions:

provided must

satisfy

the

(b) Between Montpellier and Bastia

— Frequency: at least one round trip per day in an

aircraft with at least 40 seats.

— The services must be non-stop between Mont-

pellier and Bastia.

— The

capacity
following condition:

provided must

satisfy

the

capacity of 10 800 seats

over and above the basic service, a minimum
additional
(total
capacity in both directions) must be provided
during the summer season from the end of June
to the beginning of September,
i.e. over a
period of nine weeks.

This minimum additional capacity must be
offered for sale at
two months before
least
the dates of the flights concerned.

since during that

However,
season Bastia
airport complements Calvi airport and Mont-
pellier airport complements the airports of the
Languedoc-Roussillon region, up to 50 % of the
minimum additional capacity may be offered
on flights between the airports of this region
and Bastia or Calvi, while at least 50 % of the
minimum additional capacity must be offered
on the main Montpellier-Bastia link.

capacity of 10 800 seats

over and above the basic service, a minimum
additional
(total
capacity in both directions) must be provided
during the summer season from the end of June
to the beginning of September,
i.e. over a
period of nine weeks.

This minimum additional capacity must be
offered for sale at
two months before
least
the dates of the flights concerned.

since during that

However,
season Ajaccio
airport complements Figari airport and Mont-
pellier airport complements the airports of the
Languedoc-Roussillon region, up to 50 % of the
minimum additional capacity may be offered
on flights between the airports of this region
and Ajaccio or Figari, while at least 50 % of the
minimum additional capacity must be offered
on the main Montpellier-Ajaccio link.

2.2. Fares

The
following categories of passengers must be
charged a fare not exceeding EUR 114 on all flights
with no capacity restriction or time constraints on
ticket reservations or purchases:

(i) young persons (under 25 years of age);

(ii) senior citizens (aged 60 years or over);

(iii) students under 27 years of age;

(iv) families (one or both parents travelling with at
least one of their children who is a minor);

(v) disabled persons;

15.1.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 9/15

(vi) passengers whose principal place of residence is in
Corsica and who use tickets purchased in Corsica,
the validity of which is restricted to a stay outside
the island of less than 40 days, in order to make a
round trip starting from Corsica.

It must be possible to change reservations, even after
the ticket has been bought, or obtain a refund for
unused tickets, without any charge being made or
penalty imposed.

This fare excludes per capita taxes and duties levied by
the State, local authorities and airport authorities, and
identified as such on the air ticket.

If an abnormal and unforeseeable increase in the cost
factors affecting the operation of the routes takes place
for which the carriers are not responsible, that fare
may be raised in proportion to the increase. The new
maximum fare must be notified to the
carriers
operating the services and will apply within an appro-
priate period; it will also be communicated forthwith
to the European Commission for publication in the
Official Journal of the European Communities.

2.3. Continuity of service:

Except in cases of force majeure, the number of flights
cancelled for reasons directly attributable to the carrier
must not exceed 1 % of
flights
scheduled in any IATA scheduling season.

the number of

In accordance with Article 4(1)(c) of Regulation (EEC)
No 2408/92, any carrier intending to operate one or
other of these routes must undertake to do so for at
least twelve consecutive months.

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 above-
mentioned public service obligation may result
in
administrative and/or criminal penalties.

Air carriers are hereby informed that the French authorities
reserve the right to grant aid having a social character to
certain categories of passengers on these routes on the basis
of Article 87(2)(a) of the EC Treaty.