Regional aviation vital to Europe’s future, says ERA

As the representative and influential voice of Europe’s regional airlines before Europe’s major regulatory bodies for the last 35 years, the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) works to highlight the social and economic importance and contribution of regional passenger and freight air transport in Europe. ERA is at the forefront of strategic discussions on the future of the aviation industry with Europe’s regulators and delivers a single, consistent message on their behalf – regional aviation is essential to the European air transport market. ERA’s 52 airline and over 120 aviation service provider members ensure regional connectivity and contribute to economic and social development in Europe. Regional airlines are a vital resource for Europe’s network and low-cost carriers, acting as capacity providers and feeders, as well servicing as their own traditional markets of regional and remote services.

Simon McNamara, director general of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA), commenting on today’s announcement of a new lobbying alliance between Air France-KLM, easyJet, International Airlines Group, Lufthansa Group and Ryanair says: “This new alliance of five of Europe’s network and low-cost carrier groups is an interesting new development. ERA, as an influential and effective voice in the European aviation market, is looking forward to working with the alliance to ensure that all sectors of the aviation industry are represented.”

ERA has 52 airline members, which transport over 45m passengers each year on 960,000 flights and serve over 1,200 point-to-point direct routes within Europe, many of which can only be reached by air transport.

ERA Head Office, UK, 17 June 2015