In this interview,
Władysław Ortyl
(PL/ECR), President of the Podkarpackie Region,
answers six questions about his opinion on the
Future of Regional Airports
, which was adopted at the Committee of the
Regions' plenary session on 1 July. The CoR opinion
highlights the importance of regional airports for
the territorial cohesion of the EU and the
socio-economic development of regions and stresses
the need to continue working to reduce greenhouse
emissions (GHG) from air transport and to align the
aviation sector with the objectives of the European
Green Deal, the EU's growth strategy to reach
climate-neutrality by 2050.
Why did the European Committee of the Regions
decide to draft an opinion on the situation of
regional airports?
The aviation sector has been one of the worst affected
by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the situation facing
regional airports is particularly worrying. More than 6
000 routes which were served from Europe's airports in
2019 were still not restored nine months into the COVID
19 crisis. Smaller regional airports have recorded the
greatest decline in direct flight connections,
particularly in passenger flights. The sharp drop in
revenues has put some airports in such a difficult
position that they risk insolvency without external
support. Their bankruptcy would have a dramatic impact
on employment and the economies of the regions where
they are located.
Why is it necessary to support regional airports?
Didn't the aviation sector already receive enough
attention during the COVID crisis?
In 2018, aviation in Europe accounted for 26% of global
passenger traffic. This directly and indirectly
provided over 13.5 million jobs. It is estimated that
some 1.7 million people are directly employed by
airport operators, institutions and companies that work
with airports. Regional airports are key to ensuring
the accessibility of transport in peripheral, island
and outermost regions and therefore make an important
contribution to the economic development and job market
in these regions. Let's not forget that they also play
a crucial role for air ambulance services, for fire
monitoring and firefighting flights, and help to ensure
the smooth functioning of rescue services, public
administration, institutions and businesses. It is
important to recognise that the rate at which regions
develop depends to a large extent on the quality of
their connectivity, and that regional airports play a
prominent role in EU territorial cohesion.
The European Green Deal sets out ambitious targets,
in particular a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions related to transport by 2050. How
can support to airports be conciliated with those
objectives?
The European Commission has set out its vision for the
decarbonisation of aviation in its
Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy
, the result of which should be a 90% reduction in GHG
emissions coming from transport by 2050. The Green Deal
emphasises that air quality should be improved near
airports by tackling the emissions of pollutants by
aeroplanes and airport operations, including by
gradually increasing the share of alternative fuels.
Here I would really like to highlight the necessity to
provide EU funds, in the context of cohesion policy for
2021-27, to co-finance investments in regional airports
that directly support decarbonisation. It is also
crucial to allocate adequate European funds to the
development of safety and security infrastructure, and
to make use of innovative technologies and
digitalisation.
What are your recommendations to airports in order
to mitigate their CO2 emissions and their
environmental impact? What role should local and
regional authorities have in this regard?
A significant number of local and regional authorities
own or operate regional airports, provide the necessary
infrastructure and other services relevant for their
functioning, and sometimes contribute to their
financing considerably. Regional airports could be
ideal pioneers of green innovation, as their inherent
characteristics include being smaller, more flexible,
and more adaptable to newer, greener types of aircraft.
In order to mitigate their emissions, airports can
establish the charges paid by airlines based on
environmental criteria, for example, by reducing
charges for aircraft producing less noise and emitting
fewer air pollutants. Moreover, airports can use
incentives to support new fuel use or noise reduction.
Are you expecting the European Commission to take
any measures, particularly regarding state aid
rules and EU funding?
In my opinion, I include a call on the European
Commission to develop, as part of the legislative
process, even more flexible and more effective public
aid rules that enable Member States to provide regional
airports with the financial assistance in line with the
relevant ERDF and RRF provisions for investment in
regional airports located in peripheral, island or
outermost regions where a more efficient and
sustainable alternative (for instance rail) does not
exist.
How do you see the future of regional airports in
the EU?
I firmly believe that now is the moment to assess the
relevance of regional airports in Europe. The
assessment needs to consider their role in relation to
their connectivity for their citizens, the regional
economic development, including tourism, take into
account the experience and the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic, and their contribution to the EU's ambitious
climate policy. I hope and expect to see coordinated
action by the European Commission, the Member States,
regions, the research community and businesses with a
view to propose a new comprehensive transport system in
Europe, maintaining the aviation mode of transport when
it is necessary and where a more efficient and
sustainable alternative (for instance rail) does not
exist or does not make sense economically.
Background
The draft opinion on the
Future of Regional Airports
was adopted by the COTER commission of the European
Committee of the Regions on the 23 April 2021 and is
scheduled for adoption at the Committee of the Regions'
plenary session on 1 July.
Contact:
presscdr@cor.europa.eu