Th e European Commission has come out swinging in an attempt to protect its beleaguered airline industry with a new Aviation Strategy for Europe.
Describing it as a milestone initiative “to boost Europe’s economy, strengthen its industrial base and reinforce its global leadership position,” the strategy consists of four core priorities.
Th e move is aimed at ensuring the European aviation sector “remains competitive and reaps the benefits of a fast-changing and developing global economy. A strong and outward-looking aviation sector will not only benefit businesses, but also European citizens by offering more connections to the rest of the world at lower prices,” the EC said.
Adding her view, EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc added: “European aviation is facing a number of challenges and today’s Strategy sets out a comprehensive and ambitious actionplan to keep the sector ahead of the curve. 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.” Th e key priorities are:
1. Place the EU as a leading player in international aviation, whilst guaranteeing a level playing field. Th e EU aviation sector must be allowed to tap into the new growth markets. Th is can be achieved through new external aviation agreements with key countries and regions in the world.
2. Tackle limits to growth in the air and on the ground. Th e main challenge for the growth of EU aviation is to address the capacity, efficiency and connectivity constraints.
3. Maintain high EU standards. In the interest of European citizens and businesses, it is crucial to maintain high EU standards for safety,security, the environment, social issues and passenger rights. Th e Strategy proposes important measures in this sense, with an update of the EU’s safety rules in order to maintain high safety standards alongside growing air traffic.
4. Make progress on innovation, digital technologies and investments. A catalyst for the development of aviation, and its function as an enabler of growth, will be innovation and digitalisation. Europe must in particular unleash the full potential of drones.
