EC call for evidence on the revision of the aviation guidelines

23 June 2022: The European Commission has published a call for evidence on the 2014 guidelines on state aid to airports and airlines – the ‘aviation guidelines’ – to propose a short prolongation of the transition period in view of the additional time needed for airports to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Feedback is open until 21 July 2022.

The aviation guidelines set a 10-year transitional period during which operating aid to regional airports – i.e., airports with fewer than 3 million passengers a year – can be declared compatible with the internal market. This authorisation was intended to give regional airports sufficient time to find a viable business model and face their low traffic and high fixed costs. The current transitional period should expire on 4 April 2024.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a sharp decrease in traffic at EU airports and it is likely that at the end of the transition period many regional airports will not be in breakeven. Therefore, if the transitional period remains unchanged, more regional airports could close than expected under normal market conditions and this could have negative consequences for connectivity in the EU, especially if insufficient alternatives to the airport exist.

The proposed prolongation of the transitional period would ensure that the financial objective of the transition towards a financially sustainable for regional airports is adapted given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to support the EU economy’s recovery.

The call for evidence is available at the following link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13458-State-aid-exemptions-for-small-amounts-of-aid-de-minimis-aid-update-_en