Europe’s aviation leaders urge stronger collaboration between governments and industry
November 22, 2024
Airline leaders attending the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA’s) Wings of Change Europe (WOCE) conference in Rome have called for greater cooperation between governments and industry to prioritise competitiveness and sustainability in the sector.
Filip Cornelis, director for aviation, at the European Commission’s DG MOVE, emphasised the need for aviation to become a “bright green, not hopelessly brown” sector. He underscored the importance of blending operational flexibility with strategic investments to drive sustainability and innovation, enabling airlines to adapt, optimise costs and remain globally competitive.
Overregulation hampering growth
In a CEO panel session featuring Andrea Bernassi (ITA Airways), Luis Gallego (IAG), Christian Scherer (Airbus) and IATA DG Willie Walsh, the discussion focused on Europe’s diminishing global competitiveness. Walsh pointed out to “overregulation” as a key factor hampering the European industries’ ability compete on the global stage.
The panel identified the reform of EU 261 as a “clear win” for the incoming European Commission and stressed the urgent need to prevent the Single European Sky from “dying”. Additionally, panellists criticised taxation as an ineffective tool for advancing sustainability, describing it as counterproductive to the goals outlined in the Draghi report. Named after former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, the report outlines recommendations to boost Europe’s competitiveness, economic resilience and sustainability. For aviation it advocates practical measures, such as the Single European Sky and increased SAF production incentives.
Reviving the Single European Sky
“The Draghi recommendations shouldn’t just be a report – they must be implemented,” added Walsh. “Key to that is a better approach to sustainability. Regulators need to understand that taxing people off planes will not reduce CO2,” he said suggesting that the sector is at risk of regressing to a time when only the rich could fly.
“Planes will still fly, but we will be returning to the load factors of 20 or 30 years ago. That means reducing the access to air travel for millions of people, causing huge socio-economic damage, for zero environmental benefit. What’s needed is practical action, such as reviving the Single European Sky which could cut emissions by 10% overnight and better incentives for increasing production of SAF.”
