Brussels is once again at the centre of an EU aviation row after Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe) published a scathing response to the Commission’s proposed overhaul of State-aid guidelines. In a 17-page position paper released on 11 June, the industry body—headquartered two blocks from the Berlaymont—argues that capping operating aid for airports under one million passengers and scrapping start-up route support will “decimate” regional connectivity. Belgium hosts three airports squarely in the firing line: Ostend-Bruges, Liège and Charleroi. ACI Europe warns that without route-start incentives, low-cost carriers could redeploy capacity to rival hubs in France or Germany, eroding the cargo and passenger feed that keeps Belgian SMEs competitive in global markets. The Federation of Belgian Chambers of Commerce echoed those concerns, noting that 42 % of Flanders-based exporters rely on regional airports for just-in-time shipments. The draft guidelines would also bar airports exceeding three million passengers from receiving investment aid—an indirect hit to Brussels Airport’s planned €1.2 billion pier-B expansion, which the operator says is needed to cope with 35 million passengers by 2030. While the Commission insists the rules will prevent market distortions, ACI Europe Director-General Olivier Jankovec warned of “widening territorial inequality” and rising anti-EU sentiment. The consultation closes on 30 June; Belgian authorities are expected to file a joint response with the Netherlands and Luxembourg seeking more flexibility for cross-border airport clusters. For mobility managers, the outcome could affect route availability and airfare volatility from 2027 onward. Companies with staff rotations through Liège or Charleroi should model contingency plans in case certain point-to-point services disappear.
Source: ACI Europe
