On the occasion of its "Airport Economics Symposium" took place yesterday 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.

The SEO Amsterdam Economics study reveals that:

Europe’s airports and the air connectivity they enable generate 14 million jobs and €851 billion in GDP (5% of entire European GDP) each year. Every 10% increase in direct air connectivity yields a 0.5% increase in GDP per capita and 1.6% increase in jobs. 

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 Goals, 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%).