Peripheral Baltic Sea regions have been characterized by depopulation and weak socio-economic conditions. These trends are contrary to the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), VASAB and the integrated territorial development of the EU (see Art. 3 (2c) of the Council Regulation (EC) No. 1083/2006 and Art. 6 (2) of Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006).

Although train and ferry connections exist, only airside quality accessibility is the key to change the current situation and to bring employers, investors and market demands to the remote regions. Being aware of the interrelation between socio economic development and accessibility, 21 regional authorities, airports, economic development agencies and transport institutes from 8 Baltic countries incl. Norway as well as 5 international airlines have established a trans-national partnership to work on efficient, effective and viable air transport connections for peripheral regions to improve airside accessibility as well as regional competitiveness (more job opportunities and growing economic prosperity) of peripheral Baltic Sea regions in an economic and sustainable way.

The large and experienced partnership aims at establishing new flight connections to peripheral areas by a trans-nationally developed and applied specific set of instruments, such as: Air Transport Market Analysis, Airport Marketing Concept, Public Service Obligations Manual, Tourism Destination Development Check List.

Based on a best practice approach, those instruments shall be jointly developed and implemented during the project execution. The BALTIC BIRD (BB) partnership will also analyse how to reduce extensive detours flights via Oslo and Stockholm to the benefit of less fuel consuming direct flights, connecting locations in the northern part of Norway, Sweden and Finland while reducing CO2 footprint.

BB partnership will also work on better interconnectivity which will combine airside transportation with sustainable innovative individual public transport services to/from airports to reduce individual transport share. By involving Lead Partner (LP) of IV B BSR project BalticAirCargo.net in the project, joint cargo and PAX market activities can be bundled with stronger impact on new flight connections/better accessibility in BSR. Further clustering activities will be executed over boarders of the BSR program by integrating LP’s airport of IV B Central Europe “CHAMPIONS” project as well as LP from South Baltic IV A “South Baltic Global Access” (SBGA) project. As those projects follow a similar approach, BB will use elaborated and available approaches, structures and instruments for a more effective project work.

A joint policy framework paper shall be developed and submitted to DG Region/DG MOVE proposing ideas for improvement in EU regional policy for peripheral BSR. By this cluster approach up to 40 partners from different INTERREG regions can actively participate in EU policy on regional development and accessibility.