The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) is voicing its concerns over the European Commission’s draft regulation for airport slot allocation. “The association is hugely disappointed that the EC, despite robust arguments against, has maintained a recast of its slot regulation…based solely on the number of passengers carried,” EBAA said. “As such, this proposal will have an adverse effect on demand by failing to recognize the pivotal role of regional and business aviation in connecting the diverse regions of Europe, increasing mobility and the productivity of businesses and supporting regional cohesion.” EBAA CEO Fabio Gamba said the EC’s approach is “fundamentally flawed” and he called for a “fair and equitable solution that would recognize historical rights for all airspace users.” Additionally, he said, the EC “must also consider that using slots 80 percent of the time is already extremely challenging and should not be reconsidered.” The group maintains that the allocation of slots is the result of a failure to match demand with adequate infrastructure. “The EC should avoid making matters worse ahead of other capacity enhancing initiatives, such as the Single European Sky, by artificially stifling competition and allowing hubs and secondary airports to be the monopolies of long-haul super jumbos,” EBAA said.