A group which represents Europe's regions has said next week's EU Commission ruling on Ryanair's Charleroi hub is a direct threat to the existence of regional airports.
Onno Hoes, who coordinates the Assembly of European Regions' aviation group, says the Commission has to be aware of the issue's regional dimension. He says may regions are profiting from low-cost carriers' use of underused airports.
He said the Commission's decision could lead to the abandonment of regional airport with an enormous impact on regional development plans.
The AER says the recent use of small regional airports by budget airlines has allowed small and medium enterprises to gain access to the international market at reasonable costs.
