Are commercial revenues important to today's European air navigation service providers?

• A new commercial model of air navigation service providers is defined.
• Several European air navigation service providers declare themselves as commercially aimed entities.
• The trend to commercialisation of ANSPs is expected to be reinforced in future.
• The specific ratios reflecting the role of commercial revenues in the economics of air navigation service providers are designed.
• The rails for the research of commercial revenues in future are discussed.

In this paper we discuss the role of commercial revenues in the economics of European air navigation service providers (ANSPs) starting with the legal definitions of commercial revenues as contained in the respective European Union legislation. Based on the investigation of European ANSPs annual reports and/or strategic documents, we define the attributes of a new commercial model in the provision of air navigation services (ANS). We provide evidence that several European ANSPs have already implemented all or a majority of the attributes typical for the new commercial model. Discussing demand-side and supply-side drivers which could spur or impede the commercial business of European ANSPs, we assume the commercialisation of European ANSPs will be reinforced in future. Therefore, we design a set of partial indicators which enable us to analyse the role of commercial revenues in the economics of ANSPs.