European airports have called on authorities to provide greater funding and regulatory support to achieve the EU’s ambitious net zero carbon targets.
Javier Marín, president of airports association ACI Europe, said “more support mechanisms and more incentives should be put in place” in order to comply with decarbonisation initiatives such as Fit for 55.
“In other words, we need not just sticks from the EU but also carrots,” he said.
Speaking at the organisation’s annual reception in Brussels on Wednesday (25 January), Marín also referenced the recently adopted US Inflation Reduction Act and highlighted the ‘imbalance’ in financial support for decarbonisation between the EU and the US.
“The current debate on how the EU should react to the US Inflation Reduction Act and its $370 billion subsidies makes that very clear well beyond our sector. In this regard it is essential that aviation be eligible for further support under the initiatives and instruments currently being devised by the Commission to keep pace with the US,” he added.
UK-based Business Travel Association (BTA) has also urged for greater financial backing to improve carbon-offsetting and increase infrastructure around sustainable fuels (SAF).
Commenting on the latest report by the Conservative Environment Network, which examines SAF uptake in the UK, BTA CEO Clive Wratten said, as an industry, “we cannot innovate, offset and reduce without the support and financial buy-in from the Government".
Ongoing inflation is also adding fuel to the fire, with Marín pointing to increased "fragility and volatility" as the industry enters 2023.
“Costs have increased with the hire of additional staff to handle peak hours and airports’ energy bills have exploded,” he said.
“Several major airlines posted record profits in the fourth quarter of 2022. This was not the case for airports… Many are still struggling to reflect inflationary pressures in their charges.”
As as result, Marín also called for regulatory decision making to focus on “long-term passenger interest” rather than “short-term airline costs”.
“Passengers expect a high-quality experience at the airport. This means airports must have the financial health to fund operations that are resilient. Airports need visibility on future income to proceed with investments that meet not just the interests of passengers but also increasingly of our planet,” he said.