European aviation groups demand net-zero policy progress

Airline, airport, aerospace, and air traffic control industry groups have called on European Commission (EC) president Ursula von der Leyen to reboot its aviation strategy to emphasize economic growth and competitiveness alongside efforts to decarbonize. In a report published on Tuesday in Brussels, the groups issued new policy recommendations to update the existing report "Destination 2050—A Route to Net Zero European Aviation" with demands for a more proactive and joined-up approach from the newly-appointed Commission. Airlines for Europe (A4E), along with Airports Council International; Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe; air navigation services group CANSO; and the European Regions Airline Association, called on Von der Leyen to implement the recommendations on aviation sustainability and competitiveness presented to her back in September 2024 in a report by former Italian prime minister and European Central Bank president Mario Draghi. Their policy demands reflect a desire to see more effective policy implementation combined with less regulatory burden on the industry in the context of Europe’s stagnant economies.<br/>