Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-000738/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Cynthia Ní Mhurchú (Renew)
Smaller regional airports and the air connectivity they enable for their communities provide essential societal benefits at local, regional and EU level – but many of these airports are unable to recover the full cost of their operations, because of the fixed cost nature of the airport business.
In addition, EU climate action policies, and in particular the Fit for 55 legislation, will raise air fares, which will have a stronger impact on regional airports and the people least able to afford air travel, according to research from Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN).
Therefore:
- 1.Will the Commission provide clarity about a revision or extension of the Aviation Guidelines well before 2027 and review the guidelines for start-up aid to airlines to encourage lower carbon forms of regional air travel?
- 2.Will the Commission undertake to take into account territorial and social cohesion and regional development, which are all recognised as valid EU objectives, when considering operating aid to regional airports?
- 3.Does the Commission acknowledge that airports with up to one million passengers a year represented only 2.5 % of EU/EEA traffic in 2023 as a whole, which means that allowing operating aid to these airports beyond 2024 will have little effect on competition, while ensuring connectivity for consumers?
Submitted: 18.2.2025
Last updated: 26 February 2025