Tougher rules on state support may force EU’s smaller airports to close

Airports with fewer than half a million passengers a year risk being shut down if they’re propped up by government aid, the European Union said as it published tougher rules on state support.

“Some smaller airports may close if they fail to improve efficiency and increase revenues,” the European Commission said in a summary of an impact assessment of rules published today. “No airports handling over 500,000 passengers will close.”

Regulators are aiming to limit the drip feed of government support for the 42% of Europe’s 440 airports that lose money, caps they say will save as much as €2.35bn for taxpayers. Several airports’ deals to attract low-cost airlines such as Ryanair are separately being probed by the EU to check if they misused public money.