Aviation
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.
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).
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.
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.
EU court’s blow to Canada deal marks new hurdle for data laws
An EU data sharing agreement with Canada is illegal because it violates privacy rights, the European Court of Justice said Wednesday (26 July), marking a new legal blow to the bloc's data deals.
EU and Britain to present post-Brexit plan on WTO membership
The European Union and Britain plan to put forward a joint proposal for reform of the terms of their World Trade Organisation (WTO) membership in September or October, an EU source said on Monday (17 July), as London negotiates to leave the EU.
EU ignores calls for booze ban on flights
The European Commission does not intend to limit alcohol consumption during flights as it is a national competence, despite the fact that officials from popular tourist destinations requested its intervention.
Spain’s party islands ask EU to ban booze on flights
Authorities in the Balearic Islands, home to the party resorts of Ibiza and Magaluf, on Wednesday (12 July) asked Spain and the European Union to ban alcohol on flights and in airports as they battle "anti-social tourism".
International flights to stay free from EU carbon fees until 2021, MEPs vote
International flights to and from the EU will remain free from paying CO2 emissions permits but the exemption will cease in 2021 unless EU bodies meanwhile decide otherwise, the European Parliament's environment committee agreed on Tuesday (11 July).
Austria wants to end Eurofighter programme and lease fighter jets instead
Austria wants to end its Eurofighter jet programme early and replace it with a cheaper alternative fleet of aircraft leased from another government, its defence minister said on Friday (7 July), amid a legal battle over the jets with Airbus.
EU aims to regulate drone traffic from 2019
The EU's air traffic management body unveiled on Friday (16 June) a proposal for regulating the use of unmanned aircraft (drones) in low-level airspace from 2019, saying it should help create "a strong and dynamic EU drone services market".
Commission moves to simplify complaints, compensation against non-EU airlines
The European Commission adopted a package of regulations on Thursday (8 June) which will provide EU airlines with a simpler, more efficient way to file complaints concerning state subsidies and other unfair competition measures against third countries and their operators.
EU and Italy remain at odds over airport charges dispute
The European Commission remains unsatisfied with Italy’s responses to questions about the independence of the country’s civil aviation authority (ENAC) and charges levied at the country's largest airports. EURACTIV’s partner Milano Finanza reports.
US might ban laptops on all flights into and out of the country
The United States might ban laptops from aircraft cabins on all flights into and out of the country as part of a ramped-up effort to protect against potential security threats, US Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said yesterday (28 May).