The European Commission has opened a public consultation on the use, management, and fee structures of EU airports — and IAOPA Europe urges all members and stakeholders to participate. While the consultation appears primarily aimed at commercial air transport, it represents a valuable opportunity to highlight the many challenges facing General Aviation (GA) across Europe.

Peter Prukl, representing AOPA Spain notes that ‘Although this may be targeted more at commercial traffic, we should not miss the chance to raise issues such as Avgas availability, discriminatory airport charges, and the need for fair access to infrastructure’.

The consultation invites feedback on topics including airport capacity, slot allocation, ground handling services, and charges. These are all areas where GA stakeholders have frequently raised concerns — particularly about excessive or unfair fees that make access to certain airports prohibitively expensive, as well as infrastructure decisions that neglect GA’s role in the aviation ecosystem.

IAOPA Europe encourages all member organisations to review the consultation and coordinate responses where possible to ensure GA’s voice is heard. This is also an opportunity to present a united front on issues such as safeguarding GA infrastructure, ensuring affordable access, and securing a sustainable future fuel supply.

The consultation remains open until 28 October 2025, leaving time for national AOPAs and individual pilots to prepare thoughtful and constructive input.

For more information and to contribute directly, visit the European Commission’s consultation page.  Additional discussion and insights from the GA community can be found on the EuroGA forum

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For older editions of the UK AOPA Magazine please visit the archive

With a growing list of member benefits we have now compiled a list of member benefits available to members of affiliates of IAOPA Europe.

The lists has been constantly growing with partners such as Jeppesen, TopMeteo & Safesky.

The latest addition is Foreflight where a 15 percent discount is now available.

Please check the list at www.iaopa.eu/memberbenefits

We will update the list regularly as new benefits are added

Recent developments in several European countries highlight the growing focus on cost-sharing flights — and the need for clarity in how rules are applied.

In Finland, a case is developing where the national CAA claims a pilot operating cost-sharing flights is effectively running a commercial operation because the aircraft is privately owned.

The UK has recently tightened its approach following the high-profile Sala accident, which involved an illegal charter flight. Starting in October, UK pilots conducting cost-sharing flights must ensure passengers pay an equal share of the cost. Passengers are also required to fill out a participation form, which the pilot must keep for six months — allowing investigators to confirm compliance if necessary. According to AOPA UK’s Martin Robinson, these changes are intended to make enforcement easier but will likely have limited impact on illegal charter flights due to limited oversight resources.

In Denmark, a case was previously taken to court by the CAA seeking to convict a pilot for not paying an equal share of the costs on a cost-sharing flight. The court dismissed the case, ruling correctly that EU regulations only require the pilot to pay a share, not necessarily an equal one. This ruling reinforces the principle that cost-sharing flights remain a legal way for private pilots to defray operating costs, provided they do not turn into disguised commercial operations.

One of the open questions that still causes confusion and uncertainty is what can be considered ‘direct costs’ eligible for sharing and here the discussion centers on costs for items like insurance, maintanance and hangar. If a pilot rents an aircraft the entire rent is obviously a direct cost even if part of the rent is set obviously covering these elements. If the pilot owns the aircraft himself it does not seem logical that the same elements could not be taken into account when calculating 'direct costs'. This question remains open and could have wide-reaching implications for GA pilots across Europe.

IAOPA Europe is monitoring these developments closely, as several CAAs may look to replicate the UK model or even pressure EASA to revise its rules. ‘This is another example of regulators trying to solve a problem that may not really exist — while creating new burdens for legitimate GA activity,’ Martin Robinson noted.

What is a cost-sharing flight?

Under EU Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 (Part-NCO), private pilots may share the direct costs of a flight with up to five passengers, provided the pilot also contributes to those costs. Direct costs typically include fuel, oil, landing fees, and — if applicable — aircraft rental fees. The flight must be genuinely non-commercial: the pilot cannot make a profit and cannot be ‘holding out’ by offering air transport as a service.
Cost-sharing is a vital way for private pilots to reduce flying expenses, maintain currency, and keep GA accessible. However, interpretation of what counts as ‘direct costs’ and how flights are advertised remains a point of discussion with regulators.