At the 35th Annual Congress and general assembly of Aci Europe (Airports Council International Europe, the umbrella organisation for European airports), in Athens from 18 to 20 June, the association's president Armando Brunini -also ceo of Sea Milan Airports- warned today about the competitive position of European aviation and its ability to decarbonise effectively, calling for a comprehensive review of aviation policy to ensure that the sector is no longer left behind in the European Union's compass and competitiveness roadmap. According to Brunini, four key factors are exacerbating the competitiveness deficit of aviation in the EU, outlined in a press release.

"While the EU's global competitors are exploiting the economic and social multiplier impact of air connectivity by supporting and developing their aviation ecosystem, Brunini lamented that the EU is moving in the opposite direction, with 4 critical obstacles to the competitiveness of the sector:

- Unbalanced climate policy

'Our commitment to decarbonisation remains unwavering, as it is not just a question of permission to grow, but also a question of permission to continue operating. But if we need the stick - with the EU SAF mandates and the EU ETS - we also need the carrots. Our sector needs financial support and flexibility mechanisms to bear the €1.3 trillion cost of reaching net zero emissions. No other region in the world is imposing such a burden on its aviation sector'.

- Punitive taxes on aviation

'Many EU states and the UK continue to treat aviation as a gold mine, unaware of the decarbonisation costs we are facing and without earmarking aviation tax revenues to finance those costs. Once again, Europe stands out from the rest of the world, with data showing a clear correlation between aviation taxes and poor performance in air connectivity'.

- Airport capacity deficit

'Europe is already home to half of the world's most congested airports and, with few exceptions, our governments are not only reluctant to support capacity expansion, but are increasingly considering imposing operational restrictions that limit the use of existing capacity. Meanwhile, our global competitors are all racing to develop airport capacity as part of their strategic agenda for economic development and global outreach'.

- Regulatory obstacles to innovation

'Airports face severe regulatory constraints imposed by EU regulations on innovation in the areas of security equipment, security processes, biometrics and passenger experience, which negatively impacts our competitive position'.

EU Aviation Strategy

On the EU's competitiveness and global positioning, Brunini said: "It is shocking that, after years of being celebrated as a success story of the European project, aviation is now at risk of becoming the next automotive sector due to a serious competitive deficit caused entirely by Europe. This requires an EU aviation strategy that addresses this unsupportive and fragmented policy framework, and this must happen quickly. It is difficult to understand why the European Commission is effectively sidelining our sector while it is actively working simultaneously on a maritime strategy, a rail strategy and a tourism strategy."

Putting aviation back on the road and connecting the dots

As reported in the press release, Brunini then outlined the key measures needed to get EU aviation back on track and future-proof it.

1) "Full recognition, within the EU Competitiveness Agenda, of the need for airports to preserve and optimise the use of existing capacity, together with the ability to develop and finance new capacity where needed. Key enabling measures include:

- the urgent revision of the 30-year-old EU Airport Slots Regulation, as called for by the Draghi report, is also essential to safeguard the integrity of the single aviation market in the context of airline consolidation;

- full adherence to and implementation of the EU Regulation on a Balanced Approach to Noise, as requested by the Athens Declaration and Call to Action to be published later today by Aci Europe, A4E (Airlines for Europe) and Era (Association of airlines of the European regions);

- adaptation by the European Investment Bank (Eib) of its Climate bank roadmap to allow for loans for the expansion of airport capacity;

- regulatory stability regarding the EU Airport charges directive, to provide investors with certainty in financing infrastructure upgrades, digitalisation, decarbonisation and capacity.

2) Concrete and effective support measures to ensure the availability and affordability of the Saf

'These measures must be ensured in the next Sustainable Transport Investment Plan, to be adopted by the European Commission next September, and include the allocation of Ets funds, Saf allowances under the Ets beyond 2030, financing by financial institutions, including the Eib, and a Book & Claim system. This inclusion will clearly condition our ability to meet the 2050 net-zero emissions roadmap and, consequently, our continued support for the EU Saf mandates.'

3) Preserve regional aviation connectivity and cohesion by allowing smaller regional airports to continue receiving operational aid beyond 2027, in accordance with the EU State aid guidelines for airports and airlines.

4) Support innovation and resilience through:

- continued financial support for both research and implementation of Sesar in the next EU financial framework, integrating competitiveness objectives through the development of technologies for optimising airport capacity and performance and ensuring their implementation;

- establishment of a fully integrated EU certification and testing system for aviation safety equipment;

- strengthen financial support and simplify procedures to fully exploit the potential of innovative green technologies, thus accelerating the decarbonisation of aviation and adaptation to climate change".

On this topic, see also the articles published by AVIONEWS 1 and 2.