Airport regulation: Does a mature industry have mature regulation?

Air transport needs to be considered as a number of separate industries. Each is at their own point of maturity. Airports in Europe are soon to be regulated as never before by the European Airport Charges Directive. The process that saw that Directive be agreed is instructive on the maturity of the airport industry and the maturity of the regulatory regime that governs it. The new Directive shows that regulation of the airport industry is maturing.