Question for written answer E-001294/2020 to the Commission Rule 138 Marco Campomenosi (ID), Massimo Casanova (ID), Luisa Regimenti (ID), Alessandro Panza (ID), Vincenzo Sofo (ID), Marco Dreosto (ID), Paolo Borchia (ID), Angelo Ciocca (ID), Antonio Maria Rinaldi (ID), Matteo Adinolfi (ID), Francesca Donato (ID), Lucia Vuolo (ID), Danilo Oscar Lancini (ID), Marco Zanni (ID), Elena Lizzi (ID), Mara Bizzotto (ID), Annalisa Tardino (ID), Valentino Grant (ID), Alessandra Basso (ID), Simona Baldassarre (ID), Isabella Tovaglieri (ID), Silvia Sardone (ID)

Subject: Suspension of flights to and from Italy following coronavirus cases

The high number of coronavirus cases in Italy in late February and early March has pushed many European and non-European airlines to cut back or even suspend flights to and from Italy for the rest of March.

Airlines took this decision after they experienced serious drops in demand, for flights to and from a number of airports, particularly those in northern Italy.

These financially motivated decisions are not in keeping with recent statements by Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health, who said that ‘travel restrictions’ were not expected in the EU.

The aviation sector and, more generally, the transport sector will be particularly affected by this fall in demand, given that their structural costs reflect an entirely different level of demand.

1. In the light of these suspensions, how will the Commission protect citizens’ right to mobility in the EU in a manner that conforms to local authorities’ decisions?

2. What will it do to support the transport sector and enable operators to cope with the negative economic effects that they are now experiencing?

Supporter1

1 This question is supported by a Member other than the authors: Gianantonio Da Re (ID)

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