Competition Between Airports in Europe is All Around Us -_ Like the Air We Breathe, We Simply Do Not Notice It_

So many people still grapple with the concept of airport competition. Why?

Successive studies have shown that there is strong competition between airports, and that it is instrumental in determining the price and quality offer that the airport provides to its customers.

AND YET most people still think that airports are monopolies.

Airlines themselves are the protagonists in choosing between airports for their routes, aircraft bases and growth. Yet despite running airport beauty contests and participating in route development conferences, airlines hardly recognise airport competition as they want regulators to apply a downward pressure on airport charges.

Indeed, we see the result of this lack of recognition of airport competition in the continued weight of economic regulation, which remains largely based on a reflexive urge to regulate rather than a demonstrated market failure.

This synopsis summarises evidence from the study carried out by Frontier Economics in 2022. Alongside presenting the evidence on market trends from Frontier Economics, it charts a way forward as the European aviation sector reshapes itself following the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic and acts in full awareness of the urgency to act to address climate change.