SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 26 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The senator for the Autonomous Community and CC candidate for the Presidency of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, has warned of a “price escalation” after the purchase of Air Europa by the IAG group, a multinational that already owns Iberia, British Airways , Vueling, Level and Aer Lingus.
For this reason, the nationalist has presented several requests to appear in the Senate so that the Minister of Transport, Raquel Sánchez, can report on the effects that this fact will have on the air transport network.
In addition, it has also requested that the presidents of the Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales (SEPI) and the National Competition Market Commission (CNMC) appear in the Upper House, as well as the president of the National Securities Market Commission ( CNMV).
As Clavijo has indicated in a statement, it is a takeover that “threatens” the competition scheme in the Canary Islands, not only due to losing flights, but also due to an evident risk of price increases.”
For its part, CC’s reaction comes after the Ministerial order for Transport to start the tender procedures for the award of the management of the control towers of the three main airports in the Canary Islands to private companies. If successful, the administrative concession could close within 18 months.
And to this privatization scenario promoted by the Government of Spain for the airports of Gran Canaria, Tenerife South and Tenerife North is added the sale of Air Europa to the multinational group IAG. “There are two confirmed facts that go against mobility to and from the Canary Islands,” he asserted.
“They affect -he said- the quality of service at airports and, in the case of Air Europa, puts both flight frequencies and the number of seats at serious risk, that is, the final price that the user will pay for get into a plane”.
The candidate made special emphasis that CC is very concerned about this business concentration in the air market “because it is heading towards a situation of growing monopoly.”
“Many key elements of the transport policy in the Canary Islands are being put at risk, from the frequency of flights to the resident discount because since we do not have the guarantee that prices will not rise artificially,” he said.
Finally, he recalled that there is already a “serious problem” suffered by people who are not residents and want to visit the islands, “but we can worsen both the access of users to adequate rates and the spending of public money to pay the subsidy 75% to the residents”.
Faced with this situation, Clavijo opined that the Government of the Canary Islands “is neither there nor is it expected” to defend the general interest and defend, above all, the users of air transport that in the Canary Islands has no alternative.
