WE promote a wider understanding of
the challenges facing civil aviation in Europe

Fast Facts

More than 1.4 billion passengers pass through Europe’s airports every year, connecting places, people and products.
EUROCONTROL estimates that air traffic in Europe will double by 2030. By that time, Europe's airports will need to accommodate close to 2.7 billion passengers.

The past 20 years have seen European airports evolve from mere infrastructure providers into fully fledged businesses in their own right.
Airports typically rely on two distinct revenue streams: aeronautical revenues consisting of charges paid by airlines and passengers for the use of airport facilities and services; and non-aeronautical revenues consisting of a wide range of commercial activities.
47% of Europe’s airports revenues are from non-aeronautical sources, such as retail, food & beverages, car parking, real estate, advertising, etc.
Airport charges paid by airlines are well below the cost of the infrastructure they use. In 2009, airline related charges accounted for just 19% of airports' income.
Airports are extremely capital intensive businesses due to the need to keep investing for the future and ensure that their facilities are up to date and able to meet projected passenger and freight demand. Europe's airports are investing more than €44 billion over 2010-2015 with capital cost accounting for 28% of total cost.
According to the 2010 ACI EUROPE report The Ownership of Europe’s Airports, 80% of Europe's airports operate as commercial companies (private or corporatised businesses). Moreover, nearly half of European air passengers currently travel through airports that are either fully or partially privatised.

Europe’s airports have for decades integrated environmental sustainability in their day-to-day management and long-term strategic objectives. Initially focusing on their local impact (noise, water management, air quality, biodiversity), they are now committed to address the global impact of aviation in relation to Climate Change, along with their industry partners.

Following the commitment by Europe’s airports to become carbon neutral for operations under their direct control (in the ACI EUROPE resolution of June 2008), ACI EUROPE launched Airport Carbon Accreditation in June 2009. The first programme of its kind, Airport Carbon Accreditation is a unique carbon management certification programme. It is independently administered and institutionally endorsed.

As of 2009, an average 29% of airport operating costs are security-related, with 41% of airport staff being security-related.
Europe is the only region in the world, where aviation security receives little or no state funding.

Regional airports play a vital role in connecting the regions of Europe – largely defining the economy of their communities and bolstering social cohesion. Proximity to an airport is still in the top 5 considerations of any international company considering investing in a region.
Airline Route Volatility is casting a significant shadow on Europe's regional airports in particular. In 2010, whereas 4,741 new intra-European air routes were opened, more than 3,330 were closed. In the same year, 47% of Europe's small regional airports kept reporting traffic losses.