Back in the 90s the European aviation industry was liberalised, coming from a purely national to a “European” system within a relatively short period of time. The passengers were happy about new choices, cheaper air fares & more connections. The aircraft manufacturers sold more of their products than ever. And the airlines made intensive use of their new opportunities by building additional capacity & new business models. Also for us, the pilots, this new environment brought a lot of changes: new job opportunities, new forms of employment and different careers, built on many different employers, instead of just one as before.
Now, twenty-five years later, the European Commission (EC) wants to boost the growth of the aviation industry globally. How? By simply lighting up another rocket booster of liberalisation. The plan is simple: this will generate more choices, more connectivity, more aircraft, more jobs – as it has done before! Will it work? Well, for some stakeholders this is an easy question. Yes, of course – new opportunities will result in “more” of everything. But I have my doubts, and I am not alone!
