European aviation competitiveness and connectivity much depends on governments’ tax and regulatory policies. Charges and taxes must be economically justified.
The direct cost paid for using airport and ANSP infrastructure has increasingly been transferred to the passenger. And costs have risen steeply over the past decade, partly because competitive pressures are very weak in this part of the supply chain.
Moreover, we estimate that the delays caused by inefficient airspace management in Europe alone will cost the industry $3.8 billion during 2014, in addition to generating unnecessary CO2 emissions. The time passengers waste in these delays is a consumer cost worth an estimated $7.7 billion. More information in our Economics pages.