Videoconference, 9 September 2026 — ECAC Member States shared information on the key challenges facing air transport over the busy summer period and ongoing policy and regulatory work underway at national level, at the Economic Working Group’s second meeting of the year, held on 9 September.
Access to fuel and maintaining connectivity amid ongoing geopolitical tensions were among the main concerns highlighted by Member States. At the same time, several States reported increases in air traffic and the launch or expansion of routes.
The group also welcomed representatives of the European Network Airlines Association for an exchange on issues affecting connectivity and competitiveness across Europe. Discussions covered air services agreements and regulatory developments, including the review of Regulation (EC) 1008/2008 and the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).
Looking ahead, the meeting also began planning the group’s 2027 work programme, which would also consider the outcomes of major events taking place in the last quarter of 2026, in particular the ECAC/EU Dialogue with the air transport industry and the ICAO Seventh Worldwide Air Transport Conference.
On 14 September 2026, the group held a focused, informal session on interchange, which is an issue of current interest for several ECAC Member States. A presentation by a representative of LATAM Airlines gave participants an insight into how interchange operations are conducted in practice and how they are managed in line with regulatory requirements across different jurisdictions. Members agreed that this topic should be explored further in 2027, including as part of the group’s ongoing work on the ECAC Air Transport Liberalisation toolkit.