The impact of a company ownership structure on managing airport functions

• Published in: Droit Polonais contemporain no. 2 (134)
• Main Author: Sperka-Cieciura, Alina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 25.03.2023
• ISSN: 0070-7325; 2719-4256
• DOI: 10.37232/cceel.2023.06

This study analyses the problems of privatisation in the aviation industry by comparing airport ownership structures. In the context of the global perspective, this study focuses on airports located in the EU. Due to the supremacy of EU law over national legal systems, these airports function in a comparable legal environment. The analysis considered the following as main airport functions: investment capacity, environmental impact, public service provision, and ensuring security. The EU law refers to all entities regardless of their ownership structure and location. Moreover, public financing is submitted to provisions concerning state aid. This article shows that ownership structure does not influence airport functions. There are several regulations granting this, and the case study of ECJU rulings has proved that these regulations are effective. Their effectiveness for the future, if the participation of private capital increases, should be the subject of further auditing. From this study arises the question of the effects of possible deregulation of the aviation market. This study can potentially help aviation industries look at ownership issues, specifically those of airports, through the perspective of regional, public welfare, and local economy. This changes the motivation of airports as nodes of global commute from a local perspective. It is also a voice in the discussion about the consequences of possible privatisation in the aviation market.