Regional airports’ potential as a driving force for economic and entrepreneurship development – case study from Baltic Sea region

Meanwhile it is generally acknowledged that accessibility belongs to major factors of economic attractiveness of metropolitan areas, other territories and peripheral regions. The aviation industry in general and airports' activities in particular contribute considerably to the improvement of regional accessibility. For some remote regions the airports are the only gateway to bigger hubs. However, due to the increasing competition in the aviation sector the airports and especially regional airports in Europe face structural and operational challenges nowadays. According to the report of the EU Commission: "The Future of the Transport Industry" the number of loss making small and regional airports in Europe is constantly growing. On the other hand the regional airports might crucial role in boosting economic development and entrepreneurship growth in regions. In this context, it is very urgent for regional airports themselves, as well as for regional policy makers, business and other relevant stakeholders to recognize the role of regional airports on the economic growth in their regions. As a response, this paper addresses to the evaluation and assessment of potential effects of regional airports on economic and entrepreneurship growth in their regions.