Experience with Regional Airports in Europe28/07/14 / cata_x-lege

This past spring, KŠB partner Jiří Horník took part in an international air transport conference in Bucharest. The topic of his discussion, which you can read more about at www.patria.cz/pravo, concerned the operations of regional airports, which often have to fight for their own survival. Many regional airports rely on state aid, which has become harder to obtain following the introduction of stricter rules. In practice, many airports could wind up in trouble.

One hundred representatives from international organizations such as the ICAO and European Commission, national civil aviation offices, airlines and their associations, airports, law firms and the academic community attended the event. Other topics discussed at the conference concerned certain changes proposed to strengthen the rights of passengers, the impact of the crisis on certain airlines and the regulation of unmanned aircrafts.

The conference was followed by the fifth annual International Air Law Moot Court, in which 20 student teams from across the globe participated. Their performance was assessed by nearly 50 judges, mainly experts in air or international law, including Jiří Horník. The final battle was fought between the University of Leiden and China University of Political Science and Law, with the representatives from the University of Leiden coming out on top.