Airlines demand Europe’s taxpayers bear cost of clean flying

Aviation executives implored European leaders to pitch in more taxpayer funding to clean up emissions, warning that the region risks falling behind the US, where subsidies have jumpstarted funding for fossil-fuel alternatives. “Policy is absolutely critical to create momentum,” said Jonathan Wood, a vice president at Finland’s Neste Oyj, which produces biofuels for the aviation sector. “We need to get on with this. We have no time to look for the perfect solution.” Wood spoke on a panel Friday ahead of next week’s Paris Air Show, where French planemaker Airbus and its US counterpart Boeing stand to rake in billions of dollars’ worth of orders for fuel-guzzling jetliners. Aviation executives are using the industry’s biggest annual gathering to press the case for Europe to emulate the US and incentivize investment in cleaner fuels. They’re also lobbying fiercely against clean-air restrictions that would hit airlines finances and slow jet sales. The EU is mandating use of at least 6% biofuels and e-fuels in commercial aircraft by 2030, rising to 34% by 2040. “It’s a really steep ramp-up,” said Remona van der Zorn, sustainable strategy director at Dutch airline KLM. “That’s where it’s crucial to have these incentives.” The lobbying effort bore some fruit on Friday when French President Emmanuel Macron said France will help fund a E1b plant to produce sustainable aviation fuel. That’s just a trickle of the estimated $1.45t needed globally to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Airline executives hold the US Inflation Reduction Act, with subsidies of up to $1.75 a gallon for fossil-free aviation fuels, as a model for other regions to follow. The subsidies are already having an impact, said Chris Raymond, Boeing’s director of sustainable development. <br/>