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Position Paper on Governance

Cities and Regions Hosting Airports – A Call for Balanced, Participatory Governance

As the Airport Regions Council (ARC), we represent the territories that host Europe’s vital air transport infrastructure. Airports are and will be indispensable to Europe’s connectivity, competitiveness. But their development and sustainability are inseparable from the communities and regions in which they operate.


Therefore, we urge the European Union and national governments to adopt urgently a more democratic, territorial, and collaborative governance model that ensures the future of aviation aligned with local quality of life, social fairness, and environmental resilience.

 

Key Policy Principles

1. Airports Must Be Governed in Partnership with Their Territories

Airport-hosting regions carry a dual burden:

  • Benefits: jobs, investment, global access;

  • Impacts: noise, air pollution, land use pressure, infrastructure costs.

A governance model that includes local and regional voices is the only sustainable path forward.

Reference: The EU’s “Territorial Agenda 2030” highlights functional regions and the importance of place-based, cross-sectoral governance.

 

Policy Recommendations

2. Institutionalize Airport–Territory Dialogue Platforms

We call for the mandatory establishment of permanent dialogue mechanisms between airports, local authorities, and civil society – particularly for airports with over 50,000 annual movements.


Why?

  • Prevents local resistance;

  • Encourages trust and co-ownership of green innovation;

  • Supports EU values of transparency and subsidiarity.

Inspiration: France’s “Commission Consultative de l’Environnement” and Germany’s airport forums show this works in practice.


3. Promote Integrated Territorial Development Plans (ITDPs)

Airports should not be managed in isolation. We support EU guidance that requires Integrated Territorial Development Plans covering:

  • Urban planning & land use;

  • Noise and air quality strategies;

  • Local employment, training, and SME policies;

  • Public transport and multimodal connections.

Reference: EU Cohesion Policy 2021–2027 prioritizes integrated development across functional urban areas.


4. Use EU Funds to Reward Territorial Co-Governance

EU financing instruments – such as CEF, Horizon Europe, and the Just Transition Mechanism – should be in favor of airport projects developed with regional collaboration frameworks.

We recommend:

  • Making stakeholder dialogue and impact review a funding precondition;

  • Linking EU funds to demonstrable community and environmental benefits.


5. Recognise Regions as Key Actors in Airport Decarbonisation

The Green Deal and Fit for 55 require coordination beyond the national level. We call on the EU to formally involve regional and local authorities in:

  • SAF production and logistics;

  • Hydrogen and e-mobility infrastructure;

  • Circular economy and green jobs initiatives.

Reference: The ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation (2023) requires SAF distribution at airports – regions must be part of this supply chain conversation.


6. Embed Democratic Accountability in EU Aviation Policy

Citizens affected by airport operations deserve a formal voice. EU law must go further in embedding democratic checks in aviation governance.

 

 

We propose:

  • Strengthened regional consultation in the revised Airport Charges Directive;

  • Mandatory environmental justice provisions in airport impact assessments;

  • Public observatories for transparency in airport performance.


Why Now?

  • Because climate and noise pressures are increasing – and only inclusive governance can deliver fair trade-offs.

  • Because trust in institutions is at stake – and people want a say in shaping their environment.

  • Because post-COVID recovery is a chance to reset – and EU funds must leave long-term value in regions.


Conclusion

ARC believes in airports – as engines of growth and as connectors of people and regions. But we also believe that the governance of these infrastructures must reflect their social, environmental, and territorial footprint.

A balanced, participatory, and integrated model is not only fair – it is essential for the future legitimacy and sustainability of the aviation sector in Europe.

 

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