Olivier Jankovec, Director General, ACI EUROPE, with Ukrainian Vice-Prime Minister Mr. Vladimir Kistion.
On 6 October, ACI EUROPE participated in the 3rd International Conference and Exhibition “AeroCongress – 2016” in Kiev, organised by the association “Airports of Ukraine” of Civil Aviation (AAUCA). Director General of ACI EUROPE Olivier Jankovec and General Counsel Gerard Borel presented the European state of the airport industry and provided updates on the EU Aviation Package and the main airport regulatory issues. In the wings of the event, ACI EUROPE also met with Ukrainian Vice-Prime Minister, Mr. Vladimir Kistion, to discuss the EU-Ukraine aviation agreement, market development and the strategic direction of Ukrainian aviation policy.
In view of the EU-Ukraine aviation agreement, Mr. Kistion reiterated how important it is for Ukraine to get this agreement signed, because it will open new prospects for the development of the aviation industry in the country and the national economy as a whole.
The EU-Ukraine agreement was initialled almost 3 years ago at the Eastern European Partnership Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. However, ever since then, a territorial dispute over Gibraltar, between the UK and Spain, has effectively deadlocked the agreement’s signature and activation by EU Transport Ministers. As a result, a closer integration of the Ukrainian aviation market into the EU Single Aviation Market remains blocked. This means that airports and airlines on both sides are unable to take advantage of the air route development and traffic growth opportunities afforded by the agreement – with consumers and businesses ultimately being deprived of the benefits of increased and more affordable connectivity.
In a subsequent ACI EUROPE press release, Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE, commented “the Gibraltar deadlock means we are missing out on opportunities for growth and job creation that Europe so badly needs. With its Aviation Strategy adopted last December, the European Commission has put our sector in the spotlight as part of its focus on growth, investment & jobs – recognising the tremendous value of air connectivity for the economy. In the past, the Gibraltar dispute did not stand in the way and should not now. We need a swift, responsive and responsible solution.”
