Severe effects will be felt as early as 2005. Not all sectors of interest eg environmentalists, will view this as undesirable. Governments, regulators, Air Traffic Service Providers, Airports and airlines have to work together to solve these problems. Airlines have been complaining for years that states' plans for the provision of infrastructure capacity will not meet demand. The principal airline associations repeatedly stressed to the ECAC DGCAs that refining the definition of the problem does not advance the solution of the problem.
Action is what is needed.
DGCA France focussed on the underlying problems. He reminded the meeting that, whilst further capacity provision is vital for civil aviation, the priorities for Europe's politicians are promotion of railway development and use and increased protection from air transport environmental disturbance. Until air transport changes its public and political image, it is unlikely that Ministers will be receptive to proposals for new infrastructure. Yet, the report shows very clearly that if Europe's politicians and infrastructure providers do not take urgent and aggressive action to increase capacity then airline operations in Europe will be massively restricted. The 2020 forecast is, of course, delusory.