Bulgaria EU Presidency Offers Opportunity to Strengthen European Aviation Competitiveness
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for a renewed policy focus on strengthening Europe’s aviation competitiveness under the upcoming Bulgarian Presidency of the EU. There is an urgent need to strategically plan the capacity needed to accommodate growing demand for global connectivity, environmental improvements, and infrastructure cost regulation.
IATA is forecasting 6 percent expansion of demand for air travel in Europe in 2018. While that is healthy growth, European airlines still face some significant challenges. This was evidenced in recent bankruptcies among European carriers. And there is a clear gap in profitability when compared to carriers in North America which are expected to earn .67 per passenger carried this year. In contrast, European airlines are expected to earn a profit of .99 per passenger.