After IATA calling on governments to financially support the revitalization of global aviation, it was ACI EUROPE's turn to intervene. Airports Council International Europe has called on the European Commission to urgently adopt an aviation recovery framework in the European Union.
European governments need to provide the necessary funding to support airports and restore air connectivity.
About 200 airports in Europe are on the verge of bankruptcy. The financial situation of the European airport industry will worsen in the coming weeks due to new restrictions imposed by the authorities.
The restriction will have a direct impact on domestic flights and will continue to discourage all non-essential international travel.
Airports need financial help
While air freight is a financially life-saving solution for many airlines, its impact on airports is marginal. Most of their income is related to and dependent on passenger traffic.
Unlike airlines, airports do not earn revenue in advance because they are paid only after the service is provided and their facilities are used. Finally, unlike airlines that have received more than 31,8 billion euros in financial aid from European governments, support to airports has so far remained limited - reaching 840 million euros.
The high costs that airports have, compared to the very low revenues they get, will only lead to more layoffs, so urgent action is needed.
An aviation recovery plan is needed
The European Commission has extended its temporary framework, allowing EU states to support companies affected by the pandemic until June 2021. However, we cannot approximate the impact this will have on airlines or airports.
The temporary framework should be extended until the end of 2021 and should be complemented by another recovery framework for aviation, including the following key measures:
- Compensation for pandemic damage should remain available at airports as long as travel restrictions prevent the recovery of air traffic.
- A common framework for states to establish plans to restart aviation. These schemes would allow support for the resumption of air routes suspended due to the pandemic by 2023.
- The obligation of the Public Emergency Service to continue to help until the end of 2021.
- Short-term and long-term adjustments to the 2014 “State Aid for Aviation” rules This would allow airports to benefit from