The aim is to strengthen regional airports and the air transport network between them and thus improve the accessibility of peripheral regions. Activities include analysing passenger travel needs, proposing new transport routes, improving airport safety and presenting a policy paper on airports to relevant EU institutions. The project builds on a successful Baltic Sea Region project.

Air transport plays a key role in surmounting geographical barriers such as the North Sea, with secondary airports being an alternative for long-distance transport, providing rural areas with access to the Community's markets and helping to reduce their peripherality. "Sustainable and Efficient Air Transport-Platform for Linked Analysis of the North Sea Air Transport Environment" (SEAPLANE) aims to strengthen the secondary air transport network and for airports to improve the economic and social cohesion of the North Sea region and provide increased accessibility for peripheral regions. Achieving high operational, security and service standards at these airports should support regional spatial development by preventing loss of population, jobs and income.

Expected Outcomes

The main outcomes will be the identification of possible developments of the North Sea region?s air transport network with regard to the region?s socio-economic and spatial structure, improving regional airport efficiency, economic sustainability, quality and inter-modality function so as to enable them to fulfil their vital role as nodes in the transport system, and identifying air travel needs to and from peripheral areas. Other outcomes include the development of transnational concepts for the most appropriate implementation of airport safety and security requirements and improving? information exchange between regional spatial planners and airline/ airport representatives for the development of the spatial and functional position and socio-economic role of regional airports.

Activities

In SEAPLANE a Status Analysis and Future Developments of the North Sea Air Transport Network will collect and analyse airport and regional socio-economic data to generate basic information for the following activities. In Airport Quality Improvement and Development Strategy, the efficiency of participating airports will be analysed based on relevant indicators. The Airport Passenger Market Potential Analysis component of SEAPLANE aims to achieve better air transport networks and improved access to peripheral regions of the NSR. Airport safety and security will look at improvements in internal and external airport security and safety. Finally, North Sea Aviation Co-operation Network involves the exchange of know-how and experiences.

Reported Outcomes

Tthe SEAPLANE resolution was presented to the public, includnig representatives of EC DG TREN and DG REGIO in Brussels in November 2004. A General Assembly took place after the resolution event in Brussels in Groningham. The resolution is directed at EU DG TREN decision makers. It has already been endorsed by the North Sea Commission and is supported by several Members of the European Parliament (MEP) and members of national parliaments. Passenger information terminals were installed at airports in Bremen, Hanover and Groningen in December 2004. One new route has been implemented as a by-product of the SEAPLANE workshop in Hanover in November. The airline' Welcome Air' discussed with the SEAPLANE partner City of Stavanger and Airport Hanover to prolong the flight routing from Hanover via Gothenburg into Stavanger, Norway. Since the beginning of 2005 the City of Hanover has been connected with the SEAPLANE partner city Stavanger. The SEAPLANE project website has been further developed (www.seaplane-project.net). A SEAPLANE resolution flyer has been developed to explain in simple terms the background and aims of the SEAPLANE resolution approach for persons who are not involved in Interreg IIIB or the project itself.