ACI Europe calls for aviation to be part of the forthcoming European Commission Clean Industrial Deal to enable its decarbonisation while safeguarding its far‑reaching economic and social benefits.
BRUSSELS – On the occasion of its Airport Economics Symposium taking place in Brussels and featuring addresses from Enrico Letta, President of the Jacques Delors Institute and former Prime Minister of Italy, Magda Kopczyńska, European Commission’s DG MOVE Director General, and MEP Jens Gieseke, ACI Europe released a new study on “The Economic and Social Impact of European Airports & Air Connectivity”.
The study, conducted by SEO Amsterdam Economics, independently documents the contribution of the airport industry to the European economy. It also, for the first time, quantifies its positive relationship with a diverse range of societal benefits enshrined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Airports as unique exonomic engines and job machines
The SEO Amsterdam Economics study reveals that:
- Europe’s airports and the air connectivity they enable generate 14 million jobs and 851 billion euros in GDP (5% of entire European GDP) each year1.
- Every 10% increase in direct air connectivity yields a 0.5% increase in GDP per capita and 1.6% increase in jobs.
Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI Europe commented: “The extensive analysis and data released today clearly show that what sets airports and the aviation ecosystem apart from most other sectors is their ability to facilitate and support wider economic activities. This results in increased trade and productivity, along with greater investments, tourism activity and increased employment rates overall. This specific ability clearly boosts overall national and European economic performance – and only means one thing: that airports and air connectivity are irreplaceable drivers of competitiveness for Europe”.
Delivering the keynote speech at the event,Enrico Letta, President of the Jacques Delors Institute and former Prime Minister of Italy said: “Air connectivity is one of the fundamental pillars of European integration and cohesion, and indeed the future of our EU Single Market depends very much on the resilience and effective decarbonisation of our transport systems. By highlighting the far‑reaching benefits linked to our airport infrastructure, the study released today by ACI Europe tells us we need more than just to safeguard our Single Aviation Market, but also to make sure it supports and enables our green growth trajectory”.
Going beyond economic impact
For the first time, this study not only quantifies aviation’s economic impact — but also the many ways in which air connectivity drives extensive social benefits. By measuring air connectivity’s association with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals2, SEO Amsterdam Economics has produced quantifiable evidence that every 10% increase in direct air connectivity is correlated with:
- a 14% drop in poverty rates;
- a 9% boost in access to education;
- an 8.5% increase in investment in Research & Development;
- notable gains in gender equality (+19%) and life satisfaction (+1.2%).
The Great Paradox and time for a new EU Aviation Deal
Joining the findings of the SEO Amsterdam Economics Study with the clear recommendations made by the Letta and Draghi reports, Armando Brunini, President of ACI Europe and CEO of SEA Milan Airports said: “Ultimately, the SEO Amsterdam Economics study quantifies the extent to which airports and air connectivity are essential to our European way of life and prosperity. As such, there should be no doubt about their position as key strategic assets for the EU – in regard to both its competitiveness and the need to leave no one behind in the green transition. But then, reality hits… and that reality can be best described as ‘the great paradox’. Over the past years, aviation has been faced with largely unsupportive and disjointed policies at EU and national levels, in particular when it comes to decarbonisation – the mother of all our challenges – and infrastructure bottlenecks”.
He added: “That needs to change. The Letta and Draghi reports warn about the urgent need for the EU to address its structural lack of competitiveness so as to preserve its social model and deliver on its green ambitions. That requires ensuring the aviation sector gets the right policy and financial support to decarbonise in ways that allow to safeguard its extensive economic and social benefits. For that, we need a new Aviation Deal for Europe – and that must start with including aviation within the Clean Industrial Deal that President von der Leyen is set to table early next year”.
1 Total impact, comprised of direct, indirect, induced and catalytic impacts of Europe’s airports and air connectivity.
2 https://go.aci-europe.org/e/
ACI EUROPE SYNOPSIS - BENEFITS OF AIRPORTS AIR CONNECTIVITY digital
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.