The European Commission has launched a public consultation on future state aid rules for the aviation sector. The airport association ACI Europe immediately reacted with strong criticism to the published draft.
While the Brussels authorities generally acknowledge that smaller regional airports with fewer than one million passengers per year have structural deficits and therefore depend on operating subsidies, the design of the new rules is causing discontent within the industry. In particular, the planned time limit of only five years for this aid, as well as stricter requirements for locations with medium traffic volumes, are considered a threat to their existence.
A key point of contention is the reduction of the thresholds for investment aid. According to the Commission's plans, only airports with up to three million passengers will be eligible for such funding in the future, whereas the current limit is five million. Experts point out that the European airport landscape is currently under massive economic pressure. Declining revenues coupled with rising costs – exacerbated by the current energy and oil crisis – make infrastructure investments impossible for many operators without government support. Market studies show that economic viability, particularly in the regional segment, is hardly guaranteed without long-term support.
Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI Europe, warns against decoupling political objectives from economic reality. The planned restrictions could severely jeopardize the connectivity of rural regions and smaller communities. Since access to international air transport is a crucial factor for the attractiveness of entire regions and their economic resilience, the associations are calling for improvements in their dialogue with the responsible EU Commissioner, Teresa Ribera. The industry's goal is to create a framework that safeguards Europe's competitiveness and strengthens social and economic cohesion through stable infrastructure.