Financial incentives to develop air services at smaller airports are scrutinized by regulatory authorities. This is especially true within the European Union with its new guidelines on state aid and consequent rulings on the repayment of subsidies provided by airports to airlines that violate state aid rules. Private funds used to develop air services are not state aid. For this reason, air travel banks (ATBs) might be a promising route development tool for smaller airports. This concept builds on the idea of binding monetary pledges from air transport users that constitute a revenue guarantee for new or expanded air services. This paper describes the ATB public-private partnership approach and offers advice to airport authorities and regional development agencies considering this approach to airport route development without public financing
