565
Now, predictions in the base scenario expect
exceeded capacity by 1.1 million non-accommodated
flights in 2050, representing 7% of total demand. In the
high scenario, unaccommodated flights climbed to 3
million flights, which represents 14% of the total
demand that would not be fulfilled [2]. The most likely
impacted airports would be those in Norway, Portugal,
Sweden, and the UK, representing a gap of less than
50,000 flights unaccommodated; the Netherlands with
less than 200,000 flights; and Spain and Turkey with
more than 200,000 unaccommodated flights. The base
scenario counts capacity gaps in nine countries, while
the high scenario predicts sixteen countries [2].
3 ECONOMIC FORECAST
The European Union forecasts a 1,5% GDP growth,
driven by rising consumption and a rebound in
investment following the 2024 contraction. In 2026,
economic activity is expected to grow by 1,8%, driven
by sustained demand expansion. The euro area is
projected to follow a similar trend, with growth
reaching 1,3% (2025) and 1,6% (2026) [3]. The European
Union has been particularly impacted by the Russian
invasion of Ukraine, which drove up energy prices.
While the escalating conflict in the Middle East has had
a limited effect so far, risks of global oil and gas supply
disruptions are rising again. Meanwhile, sluggish
innovation and weak business dynamism, combined
with aggressive financial tightening, resulted in
stagnation in the period 2022 – 2023 [3].
The labour market generated jobs for 750K workers
and continued to recover; monetary policy ensured a
decline in inflation. However, economic forecast
remains uncertain, Russia´s protracted war and the
Middle East conflict continue vulnerability to energy
security. As measured by the European Commission´s
consumer survey, high inflation continues to influence
consumer behavior. Although inflation has decreased
significantly from October 2022, when it peaked at
11,5%, the cost of living remains elevated, especially
affecting low–income consumers [3].
The global trade policy environment and
interconnectedness of economies have been
deteriorating in the last fifteen years, including the
Global Financial Crisis, geopolitical tensions, China´s
integration into the global manufacturing system,
protectionist trade policies, the double shock of the
energy crisis, and the pandemic. Despite these facts,
the global export of services and goods kept its share of
GDP at levels comparable to the pre-Global Financial
Crisis peak. With the arrival of the new US
government, the US administration imposed 25%
tariffs on EU imports of industrial steel and aluminium
and their derivative products. In response, the EU
Commission has launched countermeasures on US
imports. Total bilateral trade in 2023 represented 851€
billion - 503€ billion of goods exported to the US and
347€ billion imported, meaning a surplus of 157€
billion for the EU [3] [4].
However, bilateral trade in services was worth 746€
billion; the EU imported 427€ billion of services while
exporting 319€ billion to the US, resulting in a deficit of
109€ billion for the EU. The EU Commission responded
in two steps, allowing the suspension of the existing
2018 and 2020 countermeasures against the US to
expire on April 1st, which targets a range of products
(representing 8€ billion), and a new package of
countermeasures on exports worth 18€ billion[3] [4]. In
total, countermeasures could target US goods exports
valued at up to €26 billion, aligning with the economic
impact of the US tariffs [4]. Unstable geopolitical
situation, trade tensions, and war situation from last
years showed how much global economies rely on the
condition of transport. Not only US taxes, but also
sanctions adopted by the European Union towards
Russia and related limited gas and oil supplies, closure
of Ukrainian airspace, showed the need for protection
of critical infrastructure, and backup supply chain
directions. The approach to the analysis of transport´s
critical elements is reviewed in the work [7].
As we stated, the airports most impacted according
to the most probable base scenario would be airports in
Turkey and the Netherlands. The measurement of
transport´s impact on the economy can be performed
using various methods. Key indicators for
measurements are the contribution to the gross
domestic product and the number of jobs generated.
The economic impact of air transport in Turkey
represents USD 14.3 billion of economic output
(247,300 people directly employed in aviation), which
is equal to 1.3% of GDP. Total contribution to GDP is
USD 82.4 billion (7.4% of GDP), including wider
supply chain, tourism activities, and employee
spending [5].
Aviation plays a crucial role in supply chain
activities and e-commerce growth - in 2023 there were
transported 1.7 million tonnes of air cargo. In the
Netherlands, aviation directly employs 111,000 people,
contributing USD 10.5 billion to GDP, equaling 0.9% of
total GDP. The total contribution represents USD 39.9
billion of economic output (3.6% of GDP). Air cargo
transported 1.4 million tonnes in 2023, supporting
import and export volumes. For both countries, Europe
is the largest international market for passenger flows.
The cumulative growth of O-D international passenger
departures over the last decades represents +31.0%
from the Netherlands and 67.9% from Turkey [5].
3.1 ATFM delay evolution overview
Based on historical data, the largest ATFM delay per
flight was recorded in 2010 (2,9 min). This overall delay
represents an increase of 82% compared to 2009 and a
cumulative deviation of more than 51% compared to
2005. Another significant increase occurred in 2018
(2.33 min) with a 97% increase of en-route delay (1.73
min) [1]. A paradox is that the traffic volume was 13%
lower than in the previous year. 1.3 million flights were
delayed, with a third of them having a delay of more
than 15 minutes. The main causes of delays on the
route were ATC capacity, weather, and ATC human
resources. Despite a slight improvement in 2019, the
level of overall delay remained high [1].