Europe torn between bigger airports and climate goals
European airports must add terminals and runways to cope with growing air traffic despite concerns about the sector's climate impact, according to industry insiders, as Britain backed expansion plans for Heathrow. British finance minister Rachel Reeves announced that the government supported plans for a third runway at the major international hub, despite opposition from environmentalists and some MPs from the Labour majority. It would be a rare expansion in Europe, where countries are torn between efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the needs of a strategic sector that has seen demand grow. The IATA, the airline industry group, and aircraft makers Boeing and Airbus expect the number of air travellers to double to 10b per year worldwide in the next 25 years. Asia will be the main driver of that growth but Europe's passenger numbers will increase by 2.3% per year over the next 20 years, adding 656m travellers by 2043. Environmental groups warn, however, that only a reduction in air traffic could help Europe reach its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Rising air traffic could cancel out the benefits of transitioning to sustainable aviation fuels, with European aviation emissions in 2049 potentially matching 2019 levels, according to a study by Transport & Environment (T&E) advocacy group.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2025-01-30/general/europe-torn-between-bigger-airports-and-climate-goals
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Europe torn between bigger airports and climate goals
European airports must add terminals and runways to cope with growing air traffic despite concerns about the sector's climate impact, according to industry insiders, as Britain backed expansion plans for Heathrow. British finance minister Rachel Reeves announced that the government supported plans for a third runway at the major international hub, despite opposition from environmentalists and some MPs from the Labour majority. It would be a rare expansion in Europe, where countries are torn between efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the needs of a strategic sector that has seen demand grow. The IATA, the airline industry group, and aircraft makers Boeing and Airbus expect the number of air travellers to double to 10b per year worldwide in the next 25 years. Asia will be the main driver of that growth but Europe's passenger numbers will increase by 2.3% per year over the next 20 years, adding 656m travellers by 2043. Environmental groups warn, however, that only a reduction in air traffic could help Europe reach its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Rising air traffic could cancel out the benefits of transitioning to sustainable aviation fuels, with European aviation emissions in 2049 potentially matching 2019 levels, according to a study by Transport & Environment (T&E) advocacy group.<br/>
