Brussels, 20/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - It was with a certain amount of relief that the regional airports on Thursday 20 February welcomed the new guidelines for state aid to airlines and airports (see other article).
In a joint press release, the Assembly of European Regions and the Airports Council International - Europe welcomed the change made to the proposal in favour of regional airports. Their representatives are pleased to note that the economic realities of running small airports has been taken on board, along with the consequences for the connectedness of the region and its population in the event that an airport of this kind closes down. There is, however, one slight note of caution: the two associations criticise the fact that there is no long-term certainty, as the provision will be re-evaluated after five years.
The final version of the Commission's new guidelines is also a victory for Franck Proust (EPP, France), as a specific regime has been established for regional airports. The MEP, who has been extremely active over the issue, by means of a petition and an interview with the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Durão Barroso, has fought for smaller airports to be able to continue to receive aid to compensate for their operating losses. The original threshold of 200,000 passengers has been increased to 700,000 passengers per airport per year. “Regional airports are not businesses like any other. In its initial proposal, the Commission completely glossed over the public service and general interest mission in terms of land-use planning entrusted to these airports”, Proust stressed. He feels that the Commission was barking up the wrong tree: “It is not by attacking regional airports that we will resolve the problems of fiscal and social dumping operated by low-cost airlines”. (MD/transl.fl)