European Aviation: flying high for the past 25 years

This week the European Commission celebrates the 25th anniversary of the European Union internal market for aviation. Its creation in 1992 revolutionised air travel in Europe by enabling European airlines to fly without restrictions anywhere in the EU.

This fostered competition and allowed new players, such as low-fare airlines, to grow. As a result, Europeans benefitted from more routes and more flights, at a better price and always with the highest level of safety worldwide. The internal market for aviation did not only propel European mobility forward, contributing to bring Europeans closer together, it also had a major impact on the European economy as a whole. More flights mean more business, tourism, trade, jobs and prosperity. In 2014 for instance, aviation supported 8.8 million jobs in the EU contributing over €621 billion to the Gross Domestic Product.

Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said, "Today it is difficult to realise how much air travel has changed thanks to the European Union. The creation of the single market revolutionised mobility, not only providing cheaper and safer air travel, but also more jobs and economic growth. As Commissioner for Transport I want to continue building on this success, bringing on board new technologies and making sustainability part of the way we fly."

More information on the internal market for aviation and the benefits it brings to Europe