The aviation sector contributes more than five million jobs and over €365bn to the EU’s overall economy – adding roughly 2.4 percent to European GDP. It also plays a key role in trade and mobility, connecting the 28 members states to one another and the rest of the world.
European air traffic is estimated to exceed 14.4 millions flights by 2035, doubling the number of trips taken in 2012, according to data released by the EU Commission.
In order manage this demand the EU Commission has put forward an ambitious Aviation Strategy that will help the EU becoming a leading light in international aviation.
The EU Commission wants to Europe to make in-roads into new growth markets
“Competitive and efficient aviation is central to Europe’s growth,” said Vice-President for the Energy-Union Maroš Šefčovič. “This new Aviation Strategy creates a framework that will enable European aviation to maintain its global leadership.
“It also confirms the pioneering commitment of Europe to sustainable aviation, a highly topical issue as the world has its eyes on Paris for the COP21,” he added.
The EU Commission wants to Europe to make in-roads into new growth markets and believes that the best way to do so is by drawing up external aviation agreements with key countries in various regions worldwide.
The EU is pushing ahead with the implementation of the Single Market, but it is also keen to complete what it calls the Single European Sky project, which aims to improve the European air traffic management (ATM) system in order to accommodate the increased air traffic flows that are on the horizon.
On top of all this, the EU is looking to raise the bar for safety, security, and environmental standards within the aviation industry. The strategy, therefore, will propose a legal framework that will provide enough flexibility to allow the industry to remain competitive globally, while ensuring that it is on course to achieve carbon neutral growth in 2020.
“European aviation is facing a number of challenges and today’s Strategy sets out a comprehensive and ambitious action-plan to keep the sector ahead of the curve,” said the EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc. “It will keep European companies competitive, through new investment and business opportunities, allowing them to grow in a sustainable manner.
“European citizens will also benefit from more choice, cheaper prices and the highest levels of safety and security,” she added.
Meanwhile, the UK government has chosen to delay a decision over the expansion of Heathrow airport for another six months over concerns that it is currently unable to meet pollution targets and reach the necessary EU air quality standards.