Proposed State aid rules risk undermining regional connectivity
Europe’s airports have warned that proposed new EU State aid guidelines for aviation will require significant revision, arguing that the draft framework published by the European Commission fails to reflect the economic realities facing the regional airport industry.
Responding to the Commission’s public consultation on the future State aid regime, ACI EUROPE welcomed the recognition that airports handling fewer than 1 million passengers annually continue to face structural financial challenges and should remain eligible for operating aid.
However, ACI EUROPE raised concerns that the proposed 5-year limitation on operating aid, alongside additional conditions for airports handling between 500,000 and 1 million passengers, would significantly restrict access to essential support and risk undermining regional connectivity.
ACI EUROPE also raised issues with the plan to reduce eligibility for investment aid, with the proposed threshold lowered from airports handling 5 million passengers annually to just 3 million, as such a decision comes at a time when airports are facing mounting financial pressure from rising costs and weaker revenues in an increasingly challenging economic environment.
Find out more in the Press Release below.
