COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Airport policy in the European Union - addressing capacity and quality to promote growth, connectivity and sustainable mobility
Date: 2011-12-01
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: air safety, air traffic, charges for use of infrastructure, ground handling, noise protection, sustainable mobility, transport capacity

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 1.12.2011 
COM(2011) 823 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Airport policy in the European Union - addressing capacity and quality to promote 
growth, connectivity and sustainable mobility 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

 
 
 
 
  
 
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INTRODUCTION 

Airports  play  a  crucial  role  in  the  aviation  chain,  linking  airlines  with  their 
passengers and freight customers. They have also become increasingly important to 
the  European  economy,  providing  a  wide  range  of  connections  within  the  EU  and 
ensuring that Europe stays connected with the rest of the world. They are also central 
to the successful delivery of the Single European Sky.  

As recognised in the Declaration adopted at the Bruges Aviation Summit in October 
20101, there is a need to reform EU rules to foster the competitiveness of European 
airports  and  eliminate  capacity  bottlenecks, so  as  to  enhance  the  efficiency  of  each 
link  of  the  aviation  transport  chain  (e.g.  airport  operators,  carriers,  other  service 
providers) and give travellers and companies more value for money.  

This need is also recognised in the Commission's work programme for 2011 which 
calls for a more optimal use of the European airport network to help tap the potential 
of  the  Single  Market  for  growth.  This  will  in  turn  help  prepare  the  EU  to  move 
towards its Europe 2020 objectives and to deliver sustainable growth through a more 
competitive,  resource-efficient  economy.  In  the  same  spirit,  the  White  Paper  — 
Roadmap  to  a  Single  European  Transport  Area2,  identifies  the  improvement  of 
market  access  and  the  provision  of  quality  services  at  airports  as  essential  for  the 
completion of the Single European Transport Area.  

This  paper  outlines  the  progress  made  in  implementing  the  2007  Action  Plan  for 
airport  capacity,  efficiency  and  safety  in  Europe3.  It  also  identifies  two  key 
challenges for European airports: capacity and quality. In doing so, it describes the 
context for the three legislative proposals that together with the communication form 
a coherent set of specific measures: a proposal to make better use of existing capacity 
by revising the current slot allocation system, a proposal on groundhandling services 
at EU airports and a proposal on noise-related operating restrictions. 

2. 

THE AIRPORT CAPACITY CHALLENGE 

2.1. 

A capacity crunch at the EU’s largest airports in a fast-changing world 

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The  2007  Action  Plan  identified  a  growing  gap  between  capacity  and  demand  at  a 
number of busy EU hubs. Congestion at these airports will remain a concern. Traffic 
will  continue  to  grow  in  the  future,  as  it  has  done  over  the  past  50  years  despite 
periods of economic downturn and other disruptions4. Although air traffic in Europe 

The  Bruges  Aviation  Summit  brought  together  high  level  figures  from  the  European  aviation 
community to discuss the challenges confronting the sector. It resulted in the ‘Bruges Declaration’. 
COM(2011) 144. 
COM(2006) 819.  See  also  Council  conclusions  of  2  October  2007  and  the  European  Parliament 
Resolution of 11 October 2007. 
The  International  Air  Transport  Association  (IATA)  predicts  globally  16  billion  passengers  and  400 
million  tonnes  of  cargo  in  2050  (against  respectively  2.4  billion  and  40  million  in  2010).  Airbus 
predicts an average annual traffic growth of 4.8 % from 2010 to 2030. 

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will grow more slowly than in emerging economies it will nevertheless nearly double 
by 20305. 

However, Europe will not be in a position to meet a large part of this demand due to 
a  shortage  of  airport  capacity.  The  congestion  levels  predicted  by  the  2008 
Challenges  of  Growth  study  were  confirmed  in  2010.  Despite  the  worldwide 
economic  crisis  and  a  predicted  40 %  airport  capacity  increase  between  2007  and 
2030  (including  new  airports,  new  runways  and  new  air-  and  ground-side 
infrastructure),  some  2  million  flights  —  10 %  of  predicted  demand  —  will  not  be 
accommodated because of capacity shortfalls6. 

In concrete terms, by 2030 no fewer than 19 European airports7 will be operating at 
full capacity eight hours a day, every day of the year (compared to 2007 when just 5 
airports  were  operating  at  or  near  to  capacity  10 %  of  the  time).  This  will  have  a 
major  impact  on  the  entire  aviation  network  since  by  2030  congestion  at  these 
airports will mean 50 % of all flights affected by delays upon departure or arrival, or 
both (compared to 17 % in 2007). Compounding the situation, the system will also be 
more vulnerable to disruption due to airport congestion and less able to recover from 
crisis situations. Delays will persist in the system for longer and will propagate more 
rapidly  and  widely.  Air  transport  punctuality  —  which  in  2010  was  the  worst 
recorded in Europe since 2001 despite traffic below 2007 levels8 — will be a major 
concern. 

Data  collected  from  large  airports  in  an  independent  study  undertaken  for  the 
Commission shows  a similar pattern in 20259. Although the downturn in global air 
traffic  since  2008  has  reduced  the  gap  between  demand  and  planned  capacity  and 
despite the fact that one of Europe’s largest hubs, Frankfurt, has a new runway, by 
2025 demand will continue to exceed capacity all day at London Heathrow, London 
Gatwick,  Paris  Orly,  Milan  Linate  and  Düsseldorf.  If  capacity  cannot  be  increased 
above the planned 120 movements/hour, demand will also exceed capacity all day at 
Paris Charles de Gaulle. In addition, demand will continue to exceed capacity during 
part of the day at Amsterdam, Madrid, Munich, Rome Fiumicino and Vienna. These 
airports are among the most critical for the aviation network and are crucial nodes for 
the  Air  Traffic  Management  network.  Problems  at  these  airports  have  a  significant 
knock-on effect, notably in cases of delays, for all feeder airports which depend on 
connections  to  these  congested  hubs,  and  for  Europe’s  connections  to  other  world 
regions. 

This  capacity  challenge  is  being  faced  in  a  context  of  increased  competition  and  a 
shift in the global aviation market. Over the next few years, air transport growth will 
be  driven  mainly  by  regions  such  as  Asia  Pacific,  the  Middle  East  and  Latin 

According  to  EUROCONTROL  there  will  be  16.9  million  flight  movements  in  Europe  in  2030,  1.8 
times  more  than  in  2009  (EUROCONTROL  ‘Long-Term  Forecast  Flight  Movements  2010-2030’). 
Traffic in Europe will increase by 4.0 % from 2010 to 2030, driven mainly by the traffic to/from Asia 
Pacific (Airbus ‘Global Market Forecast 2011-2030’). 
EUROCONTROL  ‘Challenges  of  Growth  2008’  and  ‘Long-Term  Forecast  Flight  Movements  2010-
2030’. 
Of these 19 airports, 13 are located in the EU. 
EUROCONTROL ‘Performance Review Report 2010’ by the Performance Review Commission. 
Impact Assessment of Revisions to Regulation 95/93 prepared by Steer Davies Gleave, March 2011. 

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America.  This  means  that  while  historically  North  America  has  been  the  largest 
aviation  market  worldwide  with  Europe  in  second  place,  by  2012-2013  these  two 
regions are both expected to be overtaken by the Asia Pacific region. The year 2010 
was illustrative of this trend: Beijing became the second-busiest airport by passenger 
volume,  behind  Atlanta.  London  Heathrow  dropped  to  fourth,  overtaken  by  both 
Beijing  and  Chicago  O’Hare.  The  list  of  the  fastest  growing  airports  in  2010 
confirms this trend, with only one EU airport among the top 2510. 

10. 

These are the reasons why Europe needs to make the best possible use of its existing 
airport capacity and, where necessary, increase it to cater for the growing demand for 
travel. In this respect, while Member States are competent for airport infrastructure 
and are therefore at the forefront of the capacity challenge, the EU can contribute to a 
modernised  European  airport  network  by  highlighting  common  issues  and  by 
updating current airport rules. It can also encourage investments, especially through 
the  use  of  innovative  financial  instruments,  so  as  to  steer  growth,  secure  cohesion 
within the EU and enhance its economic, societal and cultural links with the rest of 
the world.  

2.2. 

Optimising the use of existing capacity and increasing airport capacity  

2.2.1.  Aligning capacity on the ground and in the air 

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Since  2007,  the  process  of  establishing  a  regulatory  framework  for  the  Single 
European Sky (hereinafter 'SES') has continued at a fast pace. A second package of 
legislation was adopted in 2009 with the objective of ensuring that a Single Sky is in 
place from 2012 onwards. Today, the framework is almost complete. Airports, which 
together with air traffic management constitute the infrastructure of civil aviation, are 
one of the pillars of this architecture11. Indeed, they are essential to the network and 
if  capacity  on  the  ground  is  lacking,  the  Single  Sky  project  as  a  whole  will  be 
negatively affected. In other words, increasing capacity in the air will be pointless if 
airport capacity does not remain aligned with ATM capacity 12. 

Key  to  the  SES  is  the  Performance  Scheme13  which  represents  an  opportunity  to 
improve  air  navigation  service  performance  at  EU  level  in  the  areas  of  safety,  the 
environment,  capacity/delays  and  cost-efficiency.  2010  saw  the  designation  of  the 
Performance Review Commission of EUROCONTROL as the Performance Review 
Body  and  the  setting  of  EU-wide  performance  targets  for  the  first  reference  period 

ACI ‘World Annual Traffic Report’ for 2010. 
The  High  Level  Conference  on  the  Implementation of  the  Single  European  Sky,  which  took  place  in 
Budapest in March 2011, identified concrete and effective measures to implement the Single European 
Sky to be taken by the relevant stakeholders including airports. Airports are taken into account in the 
Commission’s Regulation on network functions (Commission Regulation (EU) No 677/2011, OJ L 185, 
15.7.2011, p. 1). In particular, main European airports are taken into account in the Network Operations 
Plan,  and  each  airport  included  in  the  Network  Operations  Plan  is  required  to  cooperate  with  the 
Network Manager. . 
Madrid Declaration – Conclusions of the High Level Conference on the roadmap towards implementing 
the Single European Sky, Madrid 25-26 February 2010, point 4. 
Commission Regulation (EC) No 691/2010, OJ L 201, 3.8.2010, p. 1. 

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13. 

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2012-201414. The ‘air side’ of an airport is part of this approach. However, airports' 
role is currently limited. 

From  2012  to  2014  only  en  route  air  navigation  services  will  be  subject  to 
performance targets while the performance of terminal air navigation services (i.e. at 
and  around  airports)  will  be  monitored  as  from  201215.  Besides,  air  navigation 
service capacity is not the  only  constraint. Data collected by the Central Office for 
Delay  Analysis  in  Europe  indicates  that  70 %  of  all  delays  are  due  to  turn-around 
processes:  primary  delays  caused  by  airlines  or  their  groundhandlers  (technical, 
boarding, etc.), airports (equipment, etc.) or other parties involved in the turn around 
process.  

In  the  light  of  these  findings,  the  Commission  considers  that  the  logic  of  the 
performance scheme should be extended to airports as a whole in accordance with a 
true  gate-to-gate  approach  and  with  the  objective  of  optimising  and  integrating  all 
phases of a flight, from airport to airport. Therefore, while performance of terminal 
air navigation services should be subject to performance targets as from 2015 (start 
of  the  second  reference  period  2015-2019),  performance  should  not  stop  at  the 
control tower. It should be enhanced on ground level as well and include all ground 
operators  (airlines,  airport  managing  bodies,  groundhandlers,  security  and  customs 
services). The proposals to revise current rules for the allocation of airport slots and 
access  to  groundhandling  services,  which  the  Commission  is  tabling  together  with 
this communication, should contribute to this objective.  

Airports  also  participate  in  the  technological  dimension  of  the  SES,  the  SESAR 
programme.  SESAR  has  the  potential  to  expand  capacity  at  airports,  thus 
accommodating  additional  demand,  reducing  the  number  of  delayed  flights  or 
cancellations  and  raising  activity  and  mobility  levels.  Airport-related  activities 
currently  constitute  some  30 %  of  overall  SESAR  activities16.  Delivering  these 
capacity  gains  will  require  adequate,  timely  and  properly  synchronised  investments 
in SESAR-compliant equipment.  

Airports are among the most complex interdependent operational environments and 
Airport  Collaborative  Decision  Making  (A-CDM)  constitutes  an  excellent  solution 
for  improving  the  overall  efficiency  at  an  airport  by  acting  on  shared  information, 
with no major capital expenditure17. It is also a key enabler for many technological 

Commission Decision 2011/121/EU, OJ L 48, 23.2.2011, p. 16. Improvements should be as follows: for 
the  environment  a  0.75 %  of  the  average  horizontal  en  route  flight  efficiency  indicator  in  2014;  for 
capacity  an  average  delay  of  0.5  min  per  flight  in  2014,  for  cost-efficiency  an  improvement  of  10 % 
over the period. 
In addition, airport operators with more than 150 000 commercial movements/year and all coordinated 
and  facilitated  airports  with  more  than  50  000  commercial  movements/year  already  provide  the  data 
required under the SES Performance Scheme Regulation. 
Projects  mainly  relate  to  subjects  such  as  reducing  runway  occupancy  time,  aircraft  separations 
(including wake vortex), surface guidance systems addressing both airport and ‘on-board’ systems and 
runway  safety  (in  particular  the  development  of  integrated  systems  embracing  ATC,  aircraft  and 
vehicles). 
At  CDM  airports  'business  non-sensitive'  information  is  available  to  all  partners:  EUROCONTROL 
Central Flow Management Unit, ATCO, airport operator, aircraft operator, pilot and ground handler. A-
CDM is a proven tool that can assist airports in particular by improving the overall efficiency of aircraft 
turn-around and pre-departure sequencing process. It has the potential to decrease knock-on delays at 

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advances being developed by SESAR. Accordingly, the Commission considers that 
its implementation at the EU's large airports should be speeded up building on the A-
CDM  Action  Plan  initiated  by  EUROCONTROL18.  Over  time,  due  consideration 
should  be  given  to  extending  A-CDM  to  all  actors  on  the  ground  to  ensure  that 
passengers, baggage, air cargo and aircrafts are handled 'seamlessly'.  

2.2.2.  Making  better  use  of  existing  capacity  at  congested  airports  by  ensuring  a  more 

resource-efficient slot allocation system 

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18. 

19. 

The  analysis  of  how  the  current  Slot  Regulation  is  working  has  shown  that  the 
allocation  system  in  place  prevents  optimal  use  of  the  scarce  capacity  at  busy 
airports19.  Given  the  predicted  shortage  of  capacity  at  some  critical  airports  and  its 
spill-over effect on overall network performance, and taking into account the limited 
development  of  new  airport  infrastructure  in  the  EU,  this  is  something  Europe  can 
not afford. 

Therefore  the  Commission  is  proposing  changes  to  the  current  Regulation  to  allow 
for  the  introduction  of  market-based  mechanisms  across  the  EU  provided  that 
safeguards  to  ensure  transparency  or  undistorted  competition  are  established, 
including  greater  independence  for  slot  coordinators.  This  will  help  to  ensure  that 
slots  go  to  those  carriers  able  to  make  the  best  use  of  them.  Several  additional 
measures  will  improve  slot  utilisation  while  ensuring  a  correct  use  of  this  scarce 
resource. 

It has been estimated that by revising the current allocation system up to 24 million 
additional  passengers  would  be  accommodated  each  year  at  European  airports 
meaning  more  than  €5  bill ion  in  economic  benefits  and  up  to  62,000  jobs  by  2025 
thanks to a more resource efficient allocation system20. 

2.2.3.  Balancing the desired level of noise protection with transport and mobility needs 

20. 

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21 

Although  aircrafts  have  become  75%  less  noisy  over  the  last  30  years21,  a  large 
portion  of  EU  citizens  is  still  exposed  to  high  noise  levels  leading  to  substantial 
negative  health  effects.  In  order  to  ensure  the  sustainability  of  aviation,  measures 
targeting the noise impact will remain necessary  at  a number of important airports. 
This  said,  noise-related  measures  constrain  not  only  airport  capacity  at  a  particular 
airport  but  also  the  aviation  system  as  a  whole  through  knock-on  effects. 
Accordingly,  decisions  on  noise  measures  and  the  desired  level  of  noise  protection 
must ensure a proper balance with capacity implications overall. 

network  level  and  improve  recovery  from  weather  or  other  disturbing  occurrences  leading  to  airport 
capacity wastage. 
See the ACI-EUROPE/EUROCONTROL/CANSO joint Action Plan for the implementation of A-CDM 
at European airports. 
Commission's Impact Assessment accompanying the proposal for a Regulation on common rules for the 
allocation of slots at EU airports (recast). 
Idem.  
The EU is at the forefront of the development of cleaner and quieter aircrafts. Clean Sky in particular is 
one of the EU's largest research initiatives with a budget estimated at €1.6 billion over 7 seven years. 
This  public  and  private  partnership  will  speed  up  technological  breakthrough  to  be  introduced  in  the 
aircraft fleet of the future. 

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21. 

The  Commission  is  therefore  proposing  changes  to  current  rules  on  noise-related 
operating restrictions to put authorities in a better position to phase out the noisiest 
aircraft from airports. It will also strengthen the noise assessment process in line with 
the  principles  of  the  ICAO  Balanced  Approach  on  noise  management  so  as  to  find 
the optimal combination of the most cost-effective measures for balancing transport 
and mobility needs with noise protection levels. Finally, it will make it possible for 
the  Commission  to  scrutinise  the  noise  assessment  process  and,  if  so  necessary, 
suspend the decision on a noise-related operating restriction, prior to implementation 
.  

2.2.4.  Encouraging public and private investments for funding airport infrastructure at EU 

level 

22. 

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Optimising the use of existing facilities will clearly not be enough. Airports need to 
continually  upgrade  and  develop  their  facilities  for  a  wide  range  of  reasons  from 
using  more  energy-efficient  and  ecological  appliances  to  safety  and  security 
measures  and  are  also  related  to  the  demands  of  the  market.  The  most  expensive 
investments generally relate to capacity expansion and European airports predict that 
while they have committed a total of €
 120 billion to new facilities between 2000 and 
2015, this will be far from enough22. 

The  recently  adopted  proposal  for  new  TEN-T  guidelines23  introduces  a  two  layer 
network: a comprehensive network and a core one. The comprehensive network will 
ensure accessibility at a regional level and to the core network. The latter will consist 
of the strategically most important parts of the comprehensive network based on the 
concept  of  multimodal  nodes  (mainly  —  but  not  exclusively  —  cities  and  large 
conurbations).  It  should  be  accomplished  by  2030  at  the  latest  and  become  the 
backbone of a European integrated transport system. 

More than 340 airports will constitute the TEN-T airport network and at least 82 of 
them  will  be  part  of  the  core  network24.  Eligible  airport  projects  for  financing  will 
concern  the  connection  of  airports  to  rail,  the  optimisation  of  the  existing 
infrastructure, increases in airport capacity and support for the implementation of the 
Single  European  Sky,  in  particular  the  deployment  of  SESAR.  Structural  and 
Cohesion funds are a key element of EU transport infrastructure policy and they will 
be coordinated with the TEN-T priorities while respecting State aid rules. 

In the framework of the TEN-T, the following financial instruments will contribute 
to  the  development  of  airports:  the  new  integrated  instrument  "Connecting  Europe 
Facility" (CEF)25 will support air-rail link projects for core network airports as well 
as  SESAR  and  the  Single  European  Sky;  grants  for  airports  in  the  comprehensive 
network  will  be  managed  through  the  Cohesion  Fund  and  the  European  Regional 
Development  Fund  (ERDF).  Besides,  to  assist  with  the  financing  of  the  CEF,  the 

ACI-EUROPE ‘An outlook for Europe’s airports’ 2010. 
COM(2011)665. 
The  threshold  for  funding  works  will  double  from  10 %  to  20 %  of  the  total  cost  while  studies  will 
continue to be supported up to 50 % of the total cost. 
In  the period 2014-2020  the  facility  will  allocate  €  31.7 billion  to  transport, out of  which €10  billion 
dedicated  to  transport  infrastructure  investments  in  the  Member  States  eligible  under  the  Cohesion 
Fund. 

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Commission has also adopted the terms for the Europe 2020 Project Bond Initiative 
which  will  be  one  of  a  number  of  risk-sharing  instruments  upon  which  the  facility 
may  draw  in  order  to  attract  private  finance  in  priority  projects  in  all  transport 
sectors. 

In addition, airport projects can benefit from other EU-funded financial engineering 
instruments.  Airport  projects  can  benefit  from  the  "Loan  Guarantee  for  TEN-T 
projects" (LGTT) which  is a  product specifically designed and administered by the 
European  Investment  Bank  for  the  TEN-T.  Another  product  called  the  Marguerite 
Fund is a pan-European equity fund which aims to act as a catalyst for infrastructure 
investments implementing key EU policies including in the airport sector. Overall, EU 
support will facilitate access to the capital market. 

Moreover,  given  the  competitive  nature  of  the  aviation  market,  attention  must  be 
paid to the risk that public funding of airport infrastructure might distort competition. 
The  Community  Guidelines  on  the  financing  of  airports  and  start-up  aid  to  airlines 
departing from regional airports, which were adopted in 1994 and 2005, are currently 
being reviewed26. In this respect, the consistency of public financing of airports with 
State  aid  rules  should  be  considered.  Whilst  certain  categories  of  aid  may  be 
justified, such aid should not lead to undue distortions of competition. 

THE AIRPORT QUALITY CHALLENGE 

Airports  are  a  key  interface  between  passengers  and  airlines,  and  the  quality  of 
service  provided  at  airports  is  a  key  determinant  of  the  passenger  and  airlines 
experience. For passengers, the most-valued aspects of their experience of the airport 
are likely to include ease of access to the airport, getting reliable information quickly, 
simple  processes  for  checking-in  and  for  baggage,  short  waiting  times  and  having 
staff on hand to offer advice if something unexpected happens. For larger airports it 
is  a  question  of  delivering  a  passenger-friendly  experience  whilst  at  the  same  time 
processing 
infrastructure 
environment. 

thousands  of  passengers  per  day 

in  a  congested 

As  far  as  their  relationship  with  their  airline  clients  is  concerned,  the  significant 
changes  in  the  air  transport  sector  over  the  past  15  years  thanks  to  the  European 
aviation  market  and  a  number  of  air  services  agreements  with  key  global  partners, 
have resulted in airports evolving from mere infrastructure providers to fully fledged 
and diversified business models serving a variety of market needs. Freight carriers in 
particular  have  specific needs  for  logistics infrastructure  to support their operations 
based upon ‘just-in-time’ deliveries of critical items to businesses around the world.  

Regulatory intervention in this field should, of course, help to improve the quality of 
service provided at airports while also ensuring that airports remain the thriving and 
competitive environments they are today. In addition, passengers in Europe now take 
for  granted  a  high  level  of  aviation  safety  and  security  and  core  standards  in  this 
respect are paramount. 

The Commission launched a public consultation of stakeholders which ran from April to June 2011 as a 
first step in the review process. The replies were published on 18 October 2011 and are available on the 
Europa website. 

26. 

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3. 

28. 

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30. 

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3.1. 

Promoting airport accessibility and efficiency through rail links 

31. 

32. 

33. 

A  key  requirement  for  an  efficient  airport  is  to  be  easily  accessible.  While  small 
sized airports can rationalise airport access through a well organised network of bus 
services, rail is an additional, sustainable option for airports of a certain size or which 
already have rail tracks in the vicinity of the terminal. There are basically three kinds 
of rail links to airports. The so-called ‘Airport Express’ services provide a safe and 
direct  connection  between  the  city  centre  and  the  airport,  avoiding  traffic  jams, 
freeing up access roads and reducing CO² emissions. Medium-sized airports may also 
operate regional train services. These widen the catchment area (so fewer airports are 
needed to serve a given area). Large airports with a significant number of long-haul 
flights can successfully link to high-speed rail lines which act as feeder services and 
may  replace  some  costly  short-haul  flights,  thus  freeing  valuable  slots  that  can  be 
used  in  markets  currently  not  served.  This  kind  of  service  obviously  benefits 
passengers  but  when  properly  implemented  it  is  also  a  win-win  solution  for  all 
industry stakeholders: air carriers, train operators and airports. 

The trend in air-rail intermodality development is clearly positive as more and more 
agreements between air and rail carriers are signed and passengers get used to these 
services.  It  has  been  estimated  that  in  2011  about  23  million  passengers  will  have 
accessed EU airports by rail systems from beyond their metropolitan area. However, 
many  obstacles  remain,  from  IT  fragmentation  inside  the  rail  mode,  to  issues 
concerning  legal  and  operational  responsibilities,  schedule  coordination,  common 
ticketing, revenue allocation, etc. 

The Commission will continue to promote the development of air-rail services from 
various  perspectives,  ranging  from  financial  support  for  intermodal  infrastructures 
(main  EU  airports  to  be  linked  to  the  TEN-T  rail  and  road  network  by  2050),  to 
working  groups  aimed at bringing all stakeholders together at one table, and to  the 
development  of  interoperable  standards  for  information  and  ticketing  through  the 
TAP-TSI27 rules being developed by the European Rail Agency. 

3.2. 

Improving groundhandling services 

34. 

35. 

Even  though  groundhandling  services  are  not  always  visible,  the  passenger 
experience both in airports and in the air relies on quality groundhandling services. 
Whether  it  concerns  the  proper  reception  of  passengers  at  the  airport,  correct 
preparation of the aircraft (for example, cleaning the cabin) or vital functions for the 
safe  operation  of  a  flight  (for  example,  de-icing  the  aircraft),  comfortable,  reliable, 
safe and value-for-money flights cannot be operated without them. 

The original 1996 Directive on groundhandling focused primarily on opening access 
to  the  groundhandling  market  and  led  to  increasingly  dynamic  groundhandling 
markets.  However,  the  degree  of  competition  in  restricted  services  and  the  access 
regime  still  vary  significantly  across  Member  States.  In  addition,  what  currently 
requires attention is ensuring that all parts of the aviation chain perform adequately 
for  the  benefit  of  the  aviation  system  as  a  whole  (the  ‘gate-to-gate’  approach  to 
aviation). 

27 

Technical Specifications for Interoperability for Telematic Applications for Passenger. 

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36. 

37. 

38. 

3.3. 

39. 

28 

29 

The 1996  legal  framework is no longer sufficient. Groundhandling services  are not 
efficient enough due to barriers to entry and expansion. Moreover, the overall quality 
of  groundhandling  services  has  not  kept  up  with  evolving  needs  in  terms  of 
reliability,  resilience,  safety,  security  and  environmental  performance.  As  a 
consequence,  the  benefits  of  liberalisation  are  not  sufficiently  exploited  and  passed 
on fully to end users (i.e. businesses and citizens). 

Although further steps are needed to ensure equal access to the market, the provision 
of quality services also depends upon other factors. In a labour-intensive sector such 
as groundhandling, there are important social issues to be considered. The system of 
tenders affects staff working conditions and encourages turnover of staff. However, 
the  legal  framework  in  the  groundhandling  sector  does  not  allow  at  present  to  take 
mitigating measures as regards the transfer of staff from a previous groundhandling 
operator to a new one, beyond the safeguards already provided in Council Directive 
2001/23/EC28.  Continuous  staff  development  and  training  have  a  strong  impact  on 
service  quality  but  the  current  legal  framework  does  not  address  the  question  of 
training  of  personnel.  Moreover,  the  current  difficult  economic  situation  results  in 
cost-saving practices which may translate into reduced investment in people leading 
to  poorly-trained  staff.  The  use  of  poorly-trained  staff  in  turn  increases  the  risk  of 
low-quality  services  and  downgrades  the  safety  and  security  of  groundhandling 
services. 

Important events leading to critical flight disruptions such as the volcanic ash crisis 
and heavy snowfalls paralysing key hub airports have shown the need for increased 
coordination of ground operations for European airports and the network as a whole 
(dealing with the knock-on effects) and effectively assisting stranded passengers. At 
large airports, which are particularly important for the network, the airport managing 
body  should  ensure  that  the  ground  operations  are  coordinated  notably  through 
contingency plans and minimum quality standards. Besides, in order for passengers 
to be able to exercise their rights, experience has shown that the carrier needs to be 
present  or  represented  at  the  airport.  This  is  not  always  the  case  and,  as  a  result, 
airports have been faced with difficult situations. The Commission will consider this 
in  the  context  of  a  revision  of  Regulation  261/200429,  which  will  also  provide  an 
opportunity to consider whether the financial burden of providing care and assistance 
should  be  borne  by  the  air  carrier  alone  when  other  parties  are  responsible  for  the 
delay or cancellation. 

Airport  charges:  enhancing  the  transparency  and  cost-relatedness  of  airport 
and security charges for airlines and passengers 

Fair  access  to  airport  infrastructure  at  a  fair  price  to  airlines  makes  an  important 
contribution to an efficient overall aviation system. An important step was taken in 
the European Union in 2009 with the adoption of the Airport Charges Directive on 

Council  Directive  2001/23/EC  of  12  March  2011  on  the  approximation  of  the  laws  of  the  Member 
States  relating  to  the  safeguarding  of  employees'  rights  in  the  event  of  transfers  of  undertakings, 
businesses or parts of undertakings or businesses (OJ L 82, 22.3.2001). 
Regulation  (EC)  No  261/2004  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  11  February  2004 
establishing  common  rules  on  compensation  and  assistance  to  passengers  in  the  event  of  denied 
boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights, and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 295/91 (OJ L 
46, 17.2.2004). 

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40. 

41. 

3.4. 

42. 

43. 

44. 

common  minimum  standards  for  the  setting  of  charges  levied  on  airlines  for  the 
usage of the necessary aeronautical infrastructure for operating flights. 

Two  objectives  remain.  One  is  implementation  of  the  2009  Directive,  due  to  be 
transposed  by  the  Member  States  by  15  March  2011.  The  Commission  has  started 
scrutinising the national measures taken and will report to the Council and European 
Parliament in 2013. 

The  second  objective  relates  to  security  charges.  Since  2002,  EU  law  has  imposed 
stricter  security  requirements  on  Member  States  and  airports.  At  present,  the 
recovery  of  aviation  security  costs  is  regulated  at  national  level.  However, 
information  to  passengers  on  these  costs  can  be  inadequate  and  airlines  are  not 
systematically consulted at all EU airports. Information and consultation are essential 
to  guarantee  that  prices  paid  by  passengers  and  citizens  are  established  in  a 
transparent and fair manner. In addition, this situation hinders the existence of a true 
level playing field for airports and air carriers. Non-discriminatory and strictly cost 
related security charges are thus essential to ensure fair and undistorted competition 
between airlines and between airports. A proposal on security charges, based on the 
approach chosen for the Airport Charges Directive, was made in 2009 with a view to 
ensuring that security charges are cost-related. 

Reviewing  current  security  checks  at  European  airports  and  developing  an 
agenda for the future 

The current EU legal framework on aviation security30 provides the EU with a robust 
security  system.  But  security  checks  are  often  perceived  as  burdensome  by 
passengers,  aviation  industry  and  airports.  A  balance  is  needed  between  enhancing 
security and facilitating travel.  

With this in mind, the current ban on liquids and gels in hand luggage is to be lifted 
by April 2013: passengers will be allowed to take liquids onboard aircraft provided 
that they are screened at EU airports31. More recently, security scanners which do not 
use ionising radiations have been allowed in accordance with minimum conditions, 
as a method for the screening of passengers32. The scanner technology is developing 
rapidly and has the potential to facilitate security operations for both passengers and 
airports - for example by reducing hand searches. 

The  Commission  is  carrying  out  a  broader  reflection  on  how  to  improve  aviation 
security  in  the  longer  term  for  the  benefit  of  passengers  and  other  stakeholders. 
Overall,  a  more  'risk  based'  approach  to  establish  EU  mitigating  measures  is  a 
concept which may be further developed  in order to target security controls where, 
based  on  intelligence  information,  the  risk  is  greatest.  A  future  security  system 
should be a quality system that ensures a high level of security and keeps passenger 
trust and acceptance. 

30 

31 
32 

Notably Regulation (EC) No 300/2008 of the European Parliament and the Council of 11 March 2008 
establishing  common  rules  in  the  field  of  civil  aviation  security  and  repealing  Regulation  (EC)  No 
2320/2002 of 16 December 200230 and its implementing acts. 
Commission Regulation (EU) No 720/2011 of 22 July 2011, OJ L 193, 23.7.2011, p. 19-21. 
Commission  Regulation  (EU)  No  1141/2011  of  10  November  2011  and  Commission  Implementing 
Regulation (EU) No 1147/2011 of 11 November 2011. 

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3.5. 

Enhancing the safety of airport operations 

45. 

46. 

4. 

47. 

48. 

5. 

49. 

As highlighted in the 2007 Action Plan, intensive aerodrome use  and  higher traffic 
volumes require improved safety levels. 

The  EU  has  decisively  acted  in  this  field  by  adopting  in  2009  Regulation 
1108/200933 extending the rule-making, standardisation and safety-analysis activities 
of  the  European  Safety  Agency  (EASA)  to  aerodrome  safety.  This  means  that 
airports will soon be subject to common safety requirements. Work is underway on 
the detailed safety rules for aerodromes, drafts of which will be published by EASA 
before  the  end  of  2012  prior  to  final  adoption  by  the  Commission.  Better 
coordination of airport operations will also make a useful contribution to improving 
safety. 

THE  COMMUNITY  OBSERVATORY  ON  AIRPORT  CAPACITY:  TIME  TO  MOVE  UP  A 
GEAR 

As a first step towards implementing the 2007 Action Plan, the Commission set up in 
2008  a  Community  Observatory  on  airport  capacity  as  a  consultative  forum  to 
improve awareness and the exchange of data and to advise on the implementation of 
the Action Plan. Priority was given to issues such as developing an airport capacity 
assessment methodology, an inventory of European airport infrastructure, airports in 
the gate-to-gate approach and air-rail intermodality. At the same time, a number of 
actions were taken within other policy frameworks. The annex to this communication 
provides an overview of the progress made so far in relation to the five key actions 
which were identified in the Action Plan.  

In the coming months, the Commission will review the mandate of the Observatory 
to  cover  the  quality  and  performance  issues  as  well.  In  addition,  as  it  intends  to 
monitor the evolution of airport capacity at EU level more closely, the Commission 
will task the Observatory with undertaking by the end of 2012 an update of the 2008 
Challenge  of  Growth  study  using  the  technical  capacity  and  expertise  of 
EUROCONTROL.  This  update  should  also  contribute  to  the  fulfilment  of  the 
operational and strategic role of the newly-established Network Manager. Based on 
the  results,  the  Commission  could  ask  Member  States  to  develop  and  provide 
national  strategies  on  airport  capacity,  taking  into  account  all  network  implications 
and in particular the need to ensure the success of the SES. 

CONCLUSION 

Today, the European aviation sector is one of the best performing and dynamic parts 
of  the  European  economy  and  European  airports  play  a  central  role  in  the  aviation 
chain. With almost 800 million passengers travelling each year by air from and to the 
EU (a third of the world market, almost three times more than when air traffic was 
liberalised  in  the  early  nineties),  the  European  aviation  sector  is  a  world  leading 
industry. 

33 

Regulation (EC) No 1108/2009, OJ L 309, 24.11.2009, p. 51. 

EN 

12 

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50. 

its  continued  success.  Airlines,  airports,  air 

It is therefore of the utmost importance to update this model, where necessary, and 
traffic  management, 
ensure 
groundhandling and other transport services are inseparably interconnected and need 
to  cooperate  in  the  most  optimised  manner  to  continue  to  perform  in  terms  of 
mobility, quality and resilience. Airports themselves are heavily interdependent from 
an operational point of view and should not be viewed in isolation but rather as part 
of a European airport network. A modernised European airport network is essential 
to the EU's strategy for growth and to ensure connectivity within the EU and beyond 
as well as for sustainable mobility. The Commission accordingly proposes to: 

– 

– 

– 

Revise Regulation 95/93 on common rules for slot allocation at EU airports; 

Repeal Directive 96/67/EC and replace it by a Regulation on groundhandling 
services at EU airports; 

Repeal  Directive  2002/30/EC  and  replace  it  by  a  Regulation  on  noise-related 
operating restrictions at EU airports within a Balanced Approach. 

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ANNEX ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACTION PLAN 

2007 ACTION PLAN 

TIMELINE 

ACTION 

Setting up of an 
Observatory 

Setting up of a Community Observatory on airport 
capacity in November 2008.  

1) MAKING BETTER USE OF EXISTING AIRPORT CAPACITY 

Mandate to 
EUROCONTROL to 
develop harmonised 
airport capacity and 
assessment methodology 
tools. 

EU-wide capacity 
assessment inventory to 
improve awareness and 
information on regional 
capacity needs. 

Consistency between 
airport slots and flight 
plans. 

Potential impact of the 
2007 implementation of 
the Single European Sky 
report on airport 
operations. 

Mandate to 
EUROCONTROL to 
develop implementing 
rules on the introduction 
of Airport-CDM at 
European airports. 

Early 2007 

Working Group 1 ‘Capacity’ produced a check-list of 
‘functional requirements’ that can be taken into account 
for any capacity assessment methodology. 

2007 

Working Group 1 ‘Capacity’ developed a draft 
questionnaire to inventory airport capacity, which was 
then validated against a sample of airports. Responses 
were received from 24 Member States covering 62 
airports.  

2007 – 2008 

Commission Regulation 255/2010 on ATFM. 

From mid 
2007 onwards 

Working Group 2 ‘gate-to-gate approach’ contributed to 
the Commission’s proposal for a Regulation on common 
rules for the allocation of slots at Community airports 
(recast of Regulation 95/93). 

2008 

ACI-EUROPE/ EUROCONTROL/CANSO joint A-
CDM Action Plan: fully implemented at 4 airports, 
ongoing at a further 25 airports. 

2) A CONSISTENT APPROACH TO AIR SAFETY OPERATIONS 

Extension of EASA 
competence to airport 
operations. 

Early 2008 

Certification of the 
EGNOS/Galileo signal in 
space and inclusion of 
GNSS exploitation in the 
European Radio-
Navigation Plan. 

Comprehensive inclusion 
of GNSS in ATM 
operational processes is 
expected from SESAR. 

From 2008 

2007 

Regulation 1108/2009 extending the rule-making, 
standardisation and safety-analysis activities of EASA to 
the area of aerodrome safety was adopted. Work on its 
implementation started in 2010. EASA is currently 
drafting and consulting upon the safety rules for 
aerodromes. 

The EGNOS Service Provider (ESSP) was certified by 
the French NSA as an Air Navigation Service Provider 
(under the SES regulations) in July 2010. From 2012 
onwards, EASA will take over ESSP’safety oversight. 
EGNOS Safety of Life (SoL) service has been available 
since January 2011 and several EGNOS based landing 
procedures have already been published in France. 

EGNOS is referenced in the European ATM Master 
Plan as a technological enabler to SESAR 
supporting Operational Improvements (OIs) in 
relation to enhanced navigation and landing 
capabilities. 

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3) PROMOTE CO-MODALITY OF TRANSPORT MODES 

Promotion and funding of 
inter-modal infrastructures 
from the TEN-T, 
European Cohesion 
Policy’s programmes. 

From 2007 
onwards 

Working Group 3 on ‘Air-rail intermodality’ is drafting 
a series of recommendations based on practical 
experience and best practices. 

Integrated air-rail 
ticketing. 

Early 2007 

A public consultation on integrated air-rail ticketing was 
launched between 4 July and 30 September 2008. 

Work on ticketing is carried out by ERA through the 
TAP-TSI initiative.  

4) NEW INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS CAREFUL CONSIDERATION 

Implementation of the 
Noise Directive 

2007 – 2008 

On 15 February 2008 the Commission adopted a report 
on the implementation of Directive 2002/30/EC. 

5) DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT NEW TECHNOLOGIES 

Early implementation of 
mature technologies such 
as A-SMGCS surveillance 
and control functions. 

From 2007 
onwards 

See above on A-CDM. 

SESAR tools and systems 
that will significantly 
increase airport capacity. 

2007 – 2013  Airport-related activities currently constitute some 30 % 
of SESAR overall activities with over 50 projects rolled 
out within the two airport-specific work packages. 

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