Airport charges are paid by airlines for the use of airport facilities and services. These include aircraft landing, freight and other charges related to the use of airport infrastructure such as runways and passenger terminals.
The setting of airport charges is governed by Directive 2009/12/EC (the Airport Charges Directive) and national legislation transposing the Directive. The Directive applies to all EU airports handling more than five million passengers per year, as well as to the largest airport in each Member State. The Directive is based on the principles of transparency, consultation, and non-discrimination. The regulatory oversight is provided by independent supervisory authorities.
Legislation
Summary of the main features of the Airport Charges Directive: A common framework for airport charges
Thessaloniki Forum
The European Commission set up in 2014 an expert group, the Thessaloniki Forum of Airport Charges Regulators on the implementation of the Directive.
Further information and documentation on the Forum's work is available on the Commission's register of expert groups.
Reports
Evaluation of the Airport Charges Directive
As announced in the Aviation Strategy, the Commission launched the evaluation of the Airport Charges Directive by publishing an Evaluation Roadmap on 1 September 2016. An independent external contractor conducted in 2017 a support study which is now complete and can be downloaded in the links provided below. This report reflects only the views of the authors and not the views of the Commission.