The European aviation sector has called on the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, “to set out an aviation strategy that reflects the essential role aviation plays in Europe’s economy and global competitiveness”, in a report published on Tuesday 4 February. At the conference organised to mark the occasion, aviation professionals stressed the need for investment to speed up the production of sustainable fuels (SAF) (see EUROPE 13569/6).
According to the report’s latest figures, decarbonising the aviation sector requires substantial investment, in the order of €2,400 billion, an increase of €510 billion (27%) on previous estimates. The majority of this increase stems from rising premium expenditures, which have grown from €820 billion to €1,300 billion, a 57% increase, driven largely by higher SAF market price estimates. The report also lists a series of recommendations.
“The report is good news, because we can see that we are making progress, that the objectives are still achievable and that we remain committed, but the challenges are high”, pointed out Armando Brunini, President of the European hub of Airports Council International (ACI). “We need courage, vision and unity from policy makers”, he added.
Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) at the European Commission, stressed the importance of Europe becoming energy independent. She pointed out that synthetic fuels require a great deal of research and investment: “If we are consistent, we can create a good environment for investment”. “There is a missing realisation at national level that these fuels do not fall from the sky, they have to be created”, she lamented. She also mentioned improving air traffic management as a means of decarbonising the sector.
For his part, Vincent De Vroey, Director of Civil Aviation at the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), called for raw materials to be looked at, as a shortage could “risk disruption in the supply chain”.
Read the report: https://aeur.eu/f/fcu (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)