ACI Europe Launches Manifesto Aimed at Sustainable and Competitive Air Transport

Photo source: ACI Europe

ACI Europe presented this week its “Manifesto for EU Transport Policy” aimed at enabling the decarbonization of aviation while at the same time keeping the sector competitive.

Addressing government officials, policy makers, regulators and industry representatives, ACI Europe President Armando Brunini called for an EU transport policy that will ensure both sustainable and competitive air connectivity.

The manifesto is the airport industry’s contribution to EU institutions and member states on the future of transport policy just as the EU prepares to enter a new political cycle, he said.

Presenting the manifesto, Brunini, who is also CEO of SEA Milan Airports, referred to sustainability and decarbonization as “the mother of all challenges” with disruptive EU Fit for 55 regulations driving a radical transformation of aviation.

“There is no doubt that the recently adopted SAF mandates, revised ETS rules and AFIR requirements are all needed to decarbonize aviation. But there is also no escaping the fact that these new rules are very disruptive and come with significant risks of reduced air connectivity and competitiveness. This will impact not just airports, but also the communities and regions they serve – with potentially far reaching consequences for cohesion and territorial equality,” he said.

Photo source: ACI Europe

The ACI Europe manifesto for EU transport policy aims to facilitate the decarbonization of aviation through:

– effective regulatory and financial support to ensure SAF production in Europe meets both the SAF mandates set by EU law and voluntary commitments from airlines – and also bridge the price gap with conventional fuels

– the de-fragmentation of air traffic management and delivering the Single European Sky

– abolishing national aviation taxes so that the sector can afford to finance its transition

– preserving the ability of smaller and regional airports to receive operating aid under EU state aid guidelines

– launching a dedicated EU strategy on intermodality.

Other strategic priorities outlined in the manifesto include safeguarding and reinforcing the integrity of the Single Aviation Market and enabling resilient, digitalized and green airports.

Brunini went on to add that airports’ resilience and digitalization agenda, also requires addressing the investment crunch faced by Europe’s airports which will require among others that national regulators fully abide by the ‘user pays’ principle as regards airport charges while also allowing the modulation of these charges based on CO2 emissions of aircraft – while ensuring regulatory stability at EU level and allowing airports to sell goods duty free to arriving passengers.

“Europe’s airports have long ago moved from being mere infrastructure providers to fully fledged and diversified businesses in their own right. With the new EU political cycle coming at a time when our aviation market has undergone significant structural changes and the whole sector faces the unprecedented challenge of decarbonization, we must future proof our European airport model and its societal value – for passengers, communities and the planet,” concluded Brunini.