The European Commission recently launched a public consultation for a major overhaul of state aid rules for smaller airports, with interested parties having until June 11 to submit comments before it decides whether to adopt or amend the proposals. If approved, the revised rules, the first substantial update to the framework in more than a decade, are expected to come into force in the first quarter of 2027.
Brussels said the changes should ensure public funding is targeted where it is most needed, while preserving fair competition within the EU single market. The proposals also seek to align airport funding rules with Europe’s decarbonisation objectives and reflect the financial pressures created by the energy crisis.
Under the plan, investment aid for airports creating new capacity would be limited to facilities handling up to three million passengers a year, down from the current five million. Such support would also be tied to green conditions. Operating aid would remain available for airports with between 500,000 and one million annual passengers, but only for a transitional five-year period aimed at helping them recover from recent shocks and return to profitability. Airports handling fewer than 500,000 passengers annually would be able to receive government operating aid without prior EU approval.
One of the main changes would be the removal of start-up aid for new airline routes from regional airports. The Commission argues that airlines, rather than governments or airport operators, should carry the commercial risk of launching new services. However, airport industry body ACI EUROPE warned that the draft rules require “significant revision”, arguing that the proposed five-year limit and extra conditions for operating aid could restrict vital support for airports that the commission itself recognises struggle to cover costs. It also criticised the lower investment-aid threshold, saying regional airports face renewed capital needs amid falling revenue pressure and rising costs
