"Regional Polish Airports to Receive Public Aid"

Wednesday, February 9, 2005

Regional Airports to Receive Public Aid
Polish News Bulletin of the British and American Embassies


Poland's regional airports will be allowed to receive, for five years,
public aid covering 50 percent of the costs needed to start a new local
connection and then promote it. The new regulations presented yesterday by
the European Union are to be officially approved in the summer. "The aim of
this initiative is to develop regional airports and to widen the choice
available to passengers," said Stefaan de Rynk, spokesman for the EU
Transport Commissioner. The airports eligible for public aid ranging from 30
to 50 percent of "extra costs" are those which cannot handle more than 1m
passengers per year and are located in the poorest regions of the EU (where
GDP is lower than 75 percent of EU average). The public aid is to be spent
on new services which will link regional airports and on marketing, rather
than on fuel or labour costs. Aid could also be granted to bigger regional
airports, but this would require a separate decision.


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