Aviation
The UN is failing on all fronts to tackle the climate impact of flying
ICAO's proposed offsetting scheme for aviation emissions, known as CORSIA, will cover a mere 6% of projected CO2 emissions accumulated to 2050, writes Bill Hemmings, saying CORSIA fails the Paris Agreement test miserably.
Eighteen-year-olds must pass quiz on European culture to receive free travel tickets
Eighteen-year-olds will need to pass a six-question quiz about European history and culture to receive free Interrail train or plane tickets, as part of a €700 million project that’s set to start next month.
Germany, France agree main needs of new joint fighter programme
Germany and France have agreed on the central requirements for a new fighter jet to replace Eurofighter Typhoon and Rafale warplanes beginning in 2040, German military sources said.
Airlines must compensate for wildcat strike delays, says EU court
Airlines have to pay compensation to passengers for delays caused by wildcat strikes that result from management decisions, the European Union's top court said on Tuesday (17 April).
EU carbon market emissions rise for first time in 7 years in 2017
Emissions regulated under Europe's carbon market rose for the first time in seven years in 2017 due to stronger industrial output, data published on Tuesday (3 April) by the European Commission and examined by carbon analysts showed.
Half of European flights at risk of delay after computer failure
European air travellers faced mass disruption on Tuesday (3 April) with up to half of all flights delayed after the system that manages air traffic for the continent broke down.
EU budget: Where’s the climate and environment?
Discussions on the EU's post-2020 accounts have begun. But it seems like climate, energy and the environment itself have already been forgotten in the talks, warns Damien Demailly.
Ryanair right to warn on flights as British Airways waits for Brexit Harry Potter
UK-based airlines will face serious problems sorting out their flying rights when the UK leaves the Single Market and Customs Union, writes Denis McShane.
To help fix EU budget, end aviation’s tax break
The European Commission’s move to make it administratively easier to calculate and charge VAT on passenger transport is welcome and long overdue, writes Bill Hemmings. But instead of abolishing VAT breaks for airline tickets, the EU plan will make a weekend trip treated the same as “necessities” such as foodstuffs, or pharmaceutical products, he warns.
UK underestimating ‘serious disruption’ risk to flights post-Brexit, warns Ryanair
The United Kingdom is underestimating the risk of "serious disruption" to flights when it leaves the European Union, Irish airline Ryanair has warned as it announced that its quarterly net profit had risen by 12% despite a cancellations crisis in 2017.
Aviation industry prepares for bumpy Brexit ride
Gearing up for a chaotic Brexit, UK's aviation, generating an annual turnover of £22 billion (€25 bn) per year, is preparing for the worst. It is also one of the sectors most reliant on regulation and, as a consequence, vulnerable to a chaotic Brexit, with the UK potentially excluded from the Single European Sky and SESAR (Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research) programme.
EU could dash hopes for UK to remain in aviation safety agency
Britain could be excluded from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) after it quits the EU, raising the prospect of increased certification costs for airlines and manufacturers and dashing London's hopes of keeping its membership.
E-fuels may be an option for aviation but not road transport, study finds
Liquid E-fuels made from renewable power, the latest buzzword among proponents of alternative fuels, are not the answer to Europe's quest to decarbonise transport because their production is still inefficient and costly, according to a new study being published today (1 December).
‘We can live with this’: How Airbus was allowed to write its own climate rules
E-mail exchanges between the European Commission and Airbus show how the European aircraft manufacturer was offered privileged access to the EU decision-making process, allowing it to write its own environmental rules, writes Andrew Murphy.
Making airplanes cleaner: Who should decide?
It is essential that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Europe retain the power to have the final say on regulating aircraft and the ability, with parliamentary oversight, to adjust future European regulations as needed to changing circumstances, writes Bill Hemmings.
EU agrees on Brexit-proof emissions trading amendment
EU lawmakers and member states agreed on Wednesday (18 October) a measure to guard the carbon market in case of a breakdown in Brexit talks as well as extending the exemption of international flights from the bloc's charges for carbon emissions until the end of 2023.
Airbus exec.: EU ‘bonus’ for aviation biofuels may be too little
The European Commission’s proposal to incentivise the production of biofuels for aircraft with a 20% “multiplier” goes in the right direction, says Thierry Nowaczyk from Airbus. The question is whether this is enough to fill the price gap with fossil-based kerosene, he told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
Flying on palm oil: Why ICAO’s ‘green fuel’ plan spells climate disaster
Plans to rapidly scale up the use of biofuels in air transport inevitably mean increasing reliance on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), most of which currently contain palm oil, the worst polluting biofuel, warns Almuth Ernsting.
Europe, a bulwark against turbulence
A less naive, more reactive, Europe must have a vision for the future of the aviation sector, taking into account the interests of all: aircraft manufacturers, airport platforms and airlines, writes Franck Proust.
Commission insists Ryanair should respect EU reimbursement rules
Ryanair said yesterday (18 September) a mass cancellation of flights was set to cost the Irish no-frills airline €25 million, as it bowed to customer anger by publishing a full list of journeys axed.
MEPs give international flights respite from EU carbon fees until 2021
The European Parliament approved on Wednesday (11 September) a plan to keep commercial flights in and out of Europe exempt from the EU's carbon emission controls until 2021, in a move likely to be welcomed by the aviation industry.
Transport disruptions loom as UK, EU face Brexit ‘cliff edge’
Unless Brexit negotiators reach a transitional deal by September next year, both the UK and the EU face a "cliff edge" scenario with serious disruptions in air, railway and maritime traffic, industry sources have told EURACTIV.com.
Beginning of the end for aviation’s VIP climate treatment?
The European Commission's proposal to continue exempting flights to and from Europe from its flagship emissions trading scheme (ETS) was an overreaction, writes Andrew Murphy.