ACI EUROPE calls for urgent policy responses as energy crisis deepens strain on regional airports
As the ACI EUROPE Regional Airports Conference & Exhibition opened this week, Europe’s regional airports are particularly vulnerable to the fallout from the war in the Middle East, as geopolitical tensions compound existing structural and operational pressures.
Rising jet fuel prices in Europe are pushing up air fares: regional airports are the most exposed to the fallout of these adjustments, as demand on their routes is typically much more price-sensitive and price-elastic – and thus less profitable for airlines. At the same time, the stunted rollout of the Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES) risks significant disruption at airports serving popular tourist destinations this Summer. These pressures come against a fragile financial backdrop, with user charges at small regional airports still averaging 11% below pre-pandemic levels, alongside extensive rebates and discounts offered to attract and retain airline services.
In response, ACI EUROPE and its Regional Airports Forum are calling for urgent policy measures to safeguard connectivity and competitiveness. Their priorities include:
- abolishing national aviation taxes to provide relief for aviation, tourism and consumers during the energy crisis,
- safeguarding operating aid for regional airports handling up to one million passengers annually,
- accelerating aviation decarbonisation through support for affordable Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and implementation of the AZEA Roadmap,
- the possibility of fully suspending the Schengen EES in cases of excessive and unmanageable border waiting times during Summer 2026 and beyond, and
- safeguarding and further developing EU Open Skies Agreements to boost connectivity and competitiveness.
These measures are essential not only to protect the resilience of regional airports, but also to preserve the wider network that underpins Europe’s competitiveness, cohesion and strategic autonomy.
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