LAirA at the European Parliament
Paving the way towards green mobility
Brussels, 25 September 2018 – Following the European Mobility Week (16 – 22 September 2018), LAirA project continues to make its way towards achieving the low carbon mobility goal. Today, the project was presented at the European Parliament in a meeting hosted by MEP Maria Grapini and organised by LAirA’s communication partner, Airport Regions Conference. The event caught the eye of policy-makers, as it urged them to prioritise low carbon mobility on the European agenda. Also, the meeting offered a chance to stakeholders to have their say in mobility planning.
You can watch the LAirA event video on Youtube
Improving surface access to airports is a crucial aspect on handling expected air traffic growth that will put much pressure on Europe’s airports and the transport network that links the airports with the city centres and their hinterland. The consortium of LAirA project strives to enhance airport access and to make it sustainable, hence the purpose of organising today’s event - “Airport Access: Key to Green Mobility”. Additionally, the purpose of this event was to highlight the specificity of airport access and to encourage the shift to lower emission transport modes. The event benefited from a diverse audience that comprised European policy-makers, local and regional authorities, airports, infrastructure providers, airport employees and passengers.
In the milieu of this event, LAirA partners and presenters reviewed international lessons in air-rail solutions as well as the adds-on of the horizons opened by new technology in supporting landside access. As the Airport Regions Conference Secretary-General, Léa Bodossian, asserts “presenting a European project at the European Parliament is an excellent opportunity to create the link between policy and the actual actions to be taken. The event fits the policy-making reflection and it allows policy not to be in ivory towers”.
The global shift towards low-carbon and circular economy are important aspects that ensure the competiveness of Europe. A unique initiative like LAirA project has the potential to encourage smart, environmentally efficient transportation that integrates airports with the urban areas they serve. Moreover, MEP Grapini highlights that “the knowledge created in this project can be transferred beyond the LAirA partnership, so that all European public authorities and airports can enhance their capacities to better plan energy efficient airport connections”.
Mobility has to be green from door to door. This is the reason why the landside access to airport is key to providing seamless connectivity in Europe. Today’s event highlighted that the outcomes of LAirA project can contribute to the low carbon vision. More specifically, the project stimulates a modal shift to active travel (cycling and walking), air-rail links, public transport and/or shared mobility with the aim to reduce pollution and energy use.
