Abstract
The regulatory situation in European aviation has changed dramatically in the last fifteen years. One of the major elements of the change has been the deregulation of the European aviation market. With deregulation, the bilateral regulation of air services and IATA tariff regulation was gradually replaced by a regulatory regime of limited competition. As a consequence, airlines have developed new network strategies. Airport planners have to think differently about the planning and development of airport site capacity.
This article addresses two main issues. First, the change in European aviation and the consequences for airline network behaviour. We will look at the new network strategies of European airlines such as hub-and-spoke networks and global strategic alliances. Second, the article describes the new context in which airport planners operate. It discusses some contemporary forms of airport planning such as the commercialisation of the airport product, new airport layout requirements and the case for flexible planning.