European Commission public consultation on the revision of the Regulation on air services
The European Commission has recently launched a public consultation on the revision of the Air Services Regulation. Citizens, travellers, and industry stakeholders can express their views on the subject until 4 November 2025.
Regulation (EC) No° 1008/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 2008, on common rules for the operation of air services in the European Community, introduced in 1992 and amended in 2008, constitutes the fundamental legal framework governing access for airlines to the EU's internal market in the aviation sector. It lays down the conditions for the operation of airlines, freedom to set fares and rules on the display of ticket prices to consumers. This Regulation has been instrumental in structuring the EU's internal aviation market, supporting its expansion and strengthening connectivity between all regions, including the most isolated ones. It lays down rules that impose public service obligations on airlines to operate unprofitable routes with or without financial compensation. This possibility has been widely used, particularly in France, Italy, Spain, and Finland.
The European Commission has been evaluating this Regulation since 2019. Together with the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, the evaluations have revealed the need to strengthen support for the aviation sector to facilitate its ecological transition and improve its ability to cope with crises.
The future revision of the Regulation will aim to adapt this framework to developments in the sector and current challenges, strengthening its competitiveness, connectivity, and consumer protection. The objective is to ensure that the EU aviation market remains focused on consumer needs, while remaining affordable, reliable, socially and environmentally sustainable, and globally competitive.
This revision prepares the air services sector for the future and addresses specific issues (e.g. hand luggage allowances) and measures to limit disruption in the EU in the event of air traffic controller strikes.
The link to the public consultation can be found here:
