The European regional airlines spring conference in Berlin brought together 250 industry executives from 140 businesses, including CEOs from 38 European airlines, engage in discussions on critical topics such as competition, financing the green transition, and resource scarcity.
Discussions highlight the need to balance competition with connectivity in Europe’s changing aviation landscape, the urgency of funding the green revolution, and the importance of effective communication for safety standards and sustainability in regional aviation.
The conference addresses challenges like labour shortages and parts constraints, emphasising the need for innovation, strategic resilience, and collaboration to foster a thriving aviation ecosystem in Europe.
- Henrik Mørch, Director, DG COMP, European Commission emphasised the importance of feedback from regional airlines to guide revisions to State Aid rules in the aviation sector and stressed the need for strategic resilience and adaptability in the face of fierce competition in the regional aviation industry.
- Anne-Bart Tieleman, CEO of lessor TrueNoord, discussed the critical challenge of financing the green transition in European aviation, highlighting the need for investment in technological research, new propulsion systems, and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to lead in sustainable aviation fuel industry.
- Maria Rueda, Strategy and Safety Management Director at EASA, emphasized the paramount importance of effective communication for ensuring safety standards and sustainability in regional aviation, highlighting the focus on sustainability, technology, and alliance-building opportunities in Europe.
- Montserrat Barriga, ERA’s Director General, closed the event by emphasizing the need for strategic resilience, innovation, and effective communication to address challenges like resource scarcity, human capital shortages, and environmental pressures in order to cultivate a thriving aviation ecosystem characterized by innovation, sustainability, and collaboration.
