The German Business Aviation Association is stepping up its campaign to win a fair number of guaranteed airport slots for business aviation in Europe.

It will be a difficult battle against the odds and the outcome is uncertain. The enemy is the EU-Regulation 95/93 which regulates slot allocation. This 95/93 is applicable at "coordinated airports" and therefore is in force at destinations which our business aviation community needs to fly to.

We have to admit that the GBAA in Germany, other national associations and the EBAA, are up against strong, vested interests.

The airlines are powerful lobbyists and they are themselves fighting for a greater share of slots. However, their approach is not really fair and, if acceded to, will hamper the development of trade and business in the European Union. The airlines do not like business aviation: it may be that their feelings even run to hate some of the time. This is because the airlines think the business aviation community wastes valuable space at runways and in the air. However, the airlines' arguments are emotive rather than rational.

It is clear that a private jet flying a chairman of the board abroad on urgent business must be deserving of a slot because of the potential benefits for the economy. Sometimes such a flight has more merit than a low cost airline package deal bound for El Arenal, the "runway of beer" as it is known, in Palma de Mallorca.

Ours is a rational position but it is a question of getting the authorities to listen to us. Slots are the cause of problems that bedevil the business aviation community every day.

A private charter operator, for instance, might try to get a slot at Frankfurt airport for a 0730Z-departure and a slot at Heathrow for a corresponding 0910Z-arrival. "Ha, ha, ha," responds the coordinator for Frankfurt and "Ho, ho, ho" says the coordinator for London Heathrow. Together they state: "You might get a departure at 1405 and an arrival at 1125 - if at all. Our client, the chairman of 'International Business Earners,' says: "What is going on here? Why do I pay a lot of money to fly promptly and directly from Frankfurt to Heathrow and end with a messy and uncertain timetable that jeopardises an important business deal?"

The chairman is right. It is a mess. There are limits everywhere and the capacities are filled with scheduled carriers. According to the 95/93 enemy there is no space for business aviation at all.

So something has to be done. Business aviation is an important segment of worldwide aviation and it should be assigned an equal share of the slots at coordinated airports. The GBAA wants specific rules in place that will help achieve this goal. Business aviation also has to overcome ill-informed decision-making. The restrictions imposed on it are often not only unfair but also unnecessary and unjustified. There is no need to withhold slots that are related to shortcomings in the passenger terminal which business aviation aircraft do not use.

Business aviation should not be blamed if apron space is scarce for the scheduled carriers especially if it actually uses a separate apron at the GAT.

Where increasing movements is the problem, the focus should be on how the runways are operated. Business aviation is flexible and, if the possibilities to cater to the flights of small jets are looked at fairly and impartially, there will be scope for manoeuvre.

Business aviation helps promote the prosperity that, even in poor economic times, enables growing numbers of people to enjoy scheduled trips abroad. It deserves to have a realistic number of movements set aside for it.

We will fight for this sensible approach with commitment and passion. The outcome of any battle is always uncertain but this is one campaign that the business community must win. By Hans-Henning Romberg, GBAA ceo