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In light of the current crisis in Iran and broader conflicts such as the Ukraine war, the dependency of European aviation on fossil fuels and imported kerosene is clearer than ever. Countries like China are quickly catching up in the field of aerospace technologies. If we fail to look ahead, Europe will lose its position as a global leader, remain dependent on fossil imports and risk losing its competitive edge in sustainable technologies.
The aviation sector should be treated as a strategic European industry, yet this comes with a responsibility. The sector must show it is willing to contribute financially to its own transition and competitive advantage. This requires investments in e-SAF and zero-emission technology supported by revenues generated through fair aviation pricing. The aviation sector, supported by strong policy, can achieve moonshot innovation projects, build competitiveness and increase European energy and economic sovereignty.
Developing an aviation sector that can compete in the future means funding zero-emission technology and e-SAF scale up, kickstarting non-CO2 mitigation, enabling fair pricing and shifting away from volume driven growth and. These are the five pillars of a resilient, powerful and secure aviation sector.
T&E priorities:
- EU Aviation Champions — The next generation of e-SAF, electric and hydrogen technology should be developed in the EU.
- E-SAF at scale — Provide regulatory certainty and support the bankability of critical e-SAF projects.
- Non-CO2 mitigation — Start multi-stakeholder large scale trials, incentivize airline and ATM led avoidance and strengthen the MRV.
- Fair pricing — Through fair taxation, generate revenues that enable the sector to invest and reduce its environmental impact.
- Shift away from growth — Set limits on volume based aviation growth, focusing on economic benefits rather than blind quantity.
See T&E’s full response here
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Ref: https://cleantechnica.com/2026/05/21/eu-aviation-strategy-te-call-for-evidence-response/
