Spain calls for a unified European response to the air travel crisis caused by travel restrictions to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, Reuters reported referring to the economy minister Nadia Calvino.

“We are strongly supporting that there is a European response,” Calvino said in an interview with Bloomberg TV, adding any responses by individual countries should not distort competition. 

“All these large carriers are not one nationality or another, they are European carriers,” she said.

According to her, EU member states should ensure equal conditions for airlines, and richer countries should no longer assist their airlines to the detriment of airlines from other countries.

Major European airlines, including Germany’s Lufthansa, are negotiating state aid agreements. “I think the European Commission is keeping a very close eye to make sure there is no breach of the competition rules,” Calvino said.

The amount of aid pledged varies widely in Europe. While Air France-KLM received € 7 billion in aid from France and Dutch commitments of € 2–4 billion, International Consolidated Airlines (ICAG.L), which owns British Airways and Spain’s Iberia, has only got a 1 billion euro loan guarantee from Spain.

Calvino also reiterated Spain's position in supporting the creation of a common EU recovery fund, which will be co-financed by member states.