The European Commission has developed a strategic approach, taking stock that aviation is a key enabler of growth. It also warns that the shift in the world economy towards Asia and Latin America is challenging the primary positioning of the European aviation market.
BRUSSELS – European airport trade body welcomed the adoption by the European Commission of proposals to reshape its External Aviation Policy through increased aviation liberalisation at EU level.
Europe’s airports have for long considered that the system of restrictive bilateral agreements regulating aviation relations between individual EU Member States and the rest of the world is anti-competitive and hinders the ability of the sector to deliver increased consumer benefits and economic growth. For airports, bilateral agreements still too often obstruct their ability to attract new air services, diversify their traffic mix and improve the connectivity of their communities.
The Commission has developed a strategic approach, taking stock that aviation is a key enabler of growth. It also warns that the shift in the world economy towards Asia and Latin America is challenging the primary positioning of the European aviation market. On this basis, the Commission is making the case for negotiating new aviation agreements with the EU’s major trading partners so as to secure market access opportunities under fair competitive conditions. The Commission is also looking at the timely completion of an Open Aviation Area with the EU’s neighboring countries by 2015 – a high priority for Europe’s regional airports given the underlying potential for traffic growth.
ACI Europe Director General Olivier Jankovec said “There is no question that we need to speed-up the pace of aviation liberalisation. If we want to attract and develop air traffic flows and improve connectivity with our external markets, the only effective way to do it is through EU-led negotiations. This is about maintaining our global relevance. This is crucial not just for European aviation but for our economies at large.”
The Commission rightly points to the need for more liberalisation to go hand in hand with a focus on increasing the competitive position of European aviation both internally and externally. This requires more alignment of aviation policy at all levels, with a particular focus on addressing damaging aviation taxes and giving airports their license to grow given the looming airport capacity crunch.
Jankovec further commented “Ensuring a fair level playing field is paramount to protecting the hub positioning of Europe. But we also need to be realistic and strike the right balance between fair competition and market access. In other words, this cannot be an excuse for systematically blocking negotiations and holding back the ripple effect of wider liberalisation benefits.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
