Airports in the EU: Challenges ahead

With soaring passenger traffic and an increasing number of destinations and connections, air transport in the EU has been undergoing profound change in recent decades, impacting on airports as key players in the aviation value chain and civil aviation infrastructure. EU airports, which differ significantly in size and role, had to adapt following the liberalisation of the internal market for aviation; they now have commercial objectives and compete to attract and retain traffic. This analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges confronting EU airports, beginning with an overview of historical developments up to today, and focusing in particular on connectivity issues, the economics of airports, and future trends. The second part looks at the measures taken by the EU to tackle the challenges facing airports, including the Commission's recent Aviation Strategy for Europe.