Better airports for Europe on the horizon
New transport networks and infrastructures are essential as Europe forges ahead in industrial advances and aims at promoting economic growth. A major aspect is the air transport system, in which airports have a supreme role to play. However, their development is often challenged when various economic and political players arrive on the scene. Efforts in this area need to focus on how sufficient airport capacity can be realised together with concerns for, among other things, safety, the environment and customer satisfaction. The 'International conference on airports, October 2009 Paris' (ICOA.10.09) project focused on realising a successful two-day international conference, as proposed by the Air and Space Academy (AAE), on airports and challenges for their future development. The conference resulted in a broad, dynamic vision of the evolution of airports across Europe as well as internationally. This included the challenges and constraints facing these transport hubs over the next 15 to 20 years. The outcome also succeeded in defining necessary orientations for future actions. The conference resulted in a proposal of 10 core recommendations. Included in these was consensus on the need to further study European transport networks in order to find the best way to strengthen hubs and maximise airport capacities. Other recommendations focus on tailoring the size of terminals to better keep up with security and regulatory demands, and harmonising international security standards for seamless travel. It was also proposed that research and development efforts must be geared to streamlining luggage handling and identification systems. Participants also agreed that the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) programme for air traffic control infrastructure modernisation should be implemented rapidly. The conference proceedings were sent to participants and a report has been prepared that will be distributed to major aerospace stakeholders. These include European parliaments, European civil aviation bodies, European and international airport managers, airlines, the press, national and European authorities and regulatory bodies, as well as the new observatory on airport capacity.
