Aland Islands want to secure air route to Stockholm

Airline Industry Information, April 23, 2002

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2002 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

The Aland Islands government has decided to make the air route between the Aland Islands and Stockholm, Sweden compulsory according to European Union rules.

The decision is expected to secure the route for the next three years. The Aland Islands government will first ask the current operators, European Executive Express and Skargardsflyg, if they are willing to continue operating the route on commercial terms when the current agreement ends in October this year. If not, the government will ask for offers to operate the route and the lowest bid will be accepted. This means that the route would be operated as a monopoly for three years.

The decision is to be reviewed by the European Commission within a month, according to STT-FNB, a Finnish news service.

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