ABSTRACT
Like Airports Council International, but unlike the European Regional Airlines’ Association, the Association of European Airlines (AEA) is based in Brussels. The airlines which comprise the AEA are, in the main, the flag carriers of the European Union Member States, plus the flag carriers of eleven other states. The flag carrier airline, and therefore the membership of the AEA, is a product of national champion history. British Airways argue that the level of state aid received is a deciding factor if one is to ascertain the extent of the relationship between the AEA member airline and its host government. However, the very existence of state aid underpins the traditional nature of the European air transport system which allows non profitable routes to be operated by the flag carriers. The Chapter examines the membership composition of the interest groups, their decision making procedures and their interest representation activities.
