Clean Industrial Deal a first step but bolder plan needed to defend European aviation’s competitiveness in net-zero transition

26 February 2025: Destination 2050 partners acknowledge the mention of aviation in the Clean Industrial Deal presented by the European Commission today. 

• However, the Clean Industrial Deal falls short of delivering a comprehensive aviation industrial strategy to achieve effective decarbonisation whilst preserving the sector’s far-reaching socio-economic benefits and competitiveness. 
• Aviation decarbonisation requires urgent action spanning all four decarbonisation pillars outlined the Destination 2050 roadmap. The Sustainable Transport Investment Plan will be the first step, but more is needed, both in terms of policy and investment safeguards.  

Europe’s aviation sector* welcomes the Clean Industrial Deal (CID) as a positive first step towards balancing industrial decarbonisation and economic competitiveness, but reiterates its call on the European Commission to go beyond and take concrete steps to safeguard the aviation industry’s competitiveness with a dedicated strategy and action plan. 

The CID is yet another recognition of the need to support low-carbon fuels and charging infrastructure for aviation. But competitive aviation is about more than just fuels. The Destination 2050 roadmap outlines four key pillars to get aviation to net zero, including sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), air traffic management (ATM) optimisation, new aircraft technology and economic measures. Each of these requires targeted support from policymakers. The Draghi Report has already proposed a suite of measures that now require urgent action from the Commission.

While the sector awaits the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP), the Commission must act now to secure a more competitive and sustainable future for European aviation by: 

• Recognising aviation’s strategic importance as a key driver of Europe’s economic growth with a comprehensive aviation strategy. 

• Implementing an EU industrial strategy for SAFs that accelerates cost reductions and scales up production. 

• Delivering specific support mechanisms for the implementation of Fit for 55. 

• Rolling out alternative financing mechanisms to support the sector’s transition. 

• Supporting continued research and industrial scale up support to unlock next-generation aircraft and ATM technologies and to maximise efficiency gains. 

The Destination 2050 alliance, committed to climate neutral European aviation, sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on 12 February, outlining proposals for concerted, multi-stakeholder efforts to make the transition to net-zero carbon aviation a reality. 

The window for decisive action is closing. The EU must take the lead to ensure European aviation remains globally competitive throughout this transition. The time to act is now. 

ENDS

*Represented by A4E, ACI EUROPE, ASD, CANSO Europe, ERA

About A4E
Airlines for Europe (A4E) is Europe’s largest airline association. Based in Brussels, A4E works with policymakers to ensure aviation policy continues to connect Europeans with the world in a safe, competitive and sustainable manner. With a modern fleet of over 3,600 aircraft, A4E airlines carried over 718 million passengers in 2023 and served nearly 2,100 destinations. Each year, A4E members transport more than 5 million tons of vital goods and equipment to more than 360 destinations either by freighters or passenger aircraft. A4E is #Flyingforourfuture with our commitment to Europe and our call to action for incoming European policymakers. Find out more at www.flyingforourfuture.eu

About ACI EUROPE
ACI EUROPE is the European region of Airports Council International, the only worldwide professional association of airport operators. ACI EUROPE represents over 600 airports in 55 countries. Our members facilitate over 90% of commercial air traffic in Europe. Air transport supports 14 million jobs, generating €851 billion in European economic activity (5% of GDP). In response to the Climate Emergency, in June 2019 our members committed to achieving Net Zero carbon emissions for operations under their control by 2050, without offsetting. Based in Brussels, we lead and serve the European airport industry and maintain strong links with other ACI regions throughout the world. www.aci-europe.org

About ASD
ASD is the voice of the European Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries. Based in Brussels, the association’s overall representation adds up to more than 4,000 companies, accounting for 98% of industry’s total turnover and 92% of its total employment in Europe. ASD actively supports the competitive development of our industries in Europe and worldwide by advocating common positions and providing technical expertise to public institutions and member companies. For more, visit www.asd-europe.org and follow us on LinkedIn.

About CANSO
CANSO - the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation - is the global voice of the air traffic management (ATM) industry and is shaping our future skies. Our members support over 90% of the world's air traffic and include air navigation service providers, airspace users and operators, manufacturers and aviation industry suppliers. We raise the bar on global ATM performance by connecting the industry to share knowledge, expertise and innovation. www.canso.org

About ERA
Founded in 1980, European Regions Airline Association (ERA) is a non-profit trade association representing over 50 airlines and more than 160 other companies involved in European air transport and is the only association that bring together the entire spectrum of companies involved in European aviation. The association supports and defends the airline industry in providing safe, efficient and sustainable air connectivity to all regions of Europe. By lobbying European regulatory bodies on policy matters, ERA promotes and protects social responsibility, environmental sustainability and the development of regional economies and local communities. www.eraa.org

About DESTINATION 2050
Europe’s aviation sector is collectively on board to lead the way in reducing aviation CO₂ emissions – making flying more sustainable for the long term. In February 2021, Europe’s airlines, airports, civil aeronautics industry and air navigation service providers laid out a joint long‑term vision along with concrete solutions to the complex challenge of reaching net‑zero CO₂ emissions from all flights departing the EU, UK and EFTA by 2050. The independent report by the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and SEO Amsterdam Economics shows how a combination of actions from all stakeholders – including the EU and national governments – in four key areas could achieve substantial CO₂ emissions reductions in line with EU climate goals. These include: Improvements in aircraft and engine technologies (including hybrid, electric and hydrogen propulsion), using sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) both for fixed- and rotary‑wing platforms, implementing economic measures and improvements in air traffic management (ATM) and aircraft operations. The updated roadmap was released in February 2025. For more information, visit www.destination2050.eu

Media contacts

A4E
Kevin Hiney
Communications Director
Email: kevin.hiney@a4e.eu
Phone: +32 499 82 82 94

ACI EUROPE
Agata Lyznik
Director of Communications and Media
Email: agata.lyznik@aci-europe.org
Phone: +32 2 552 09 89

ASD
Adrian Schmitz
Communications Director
Email: adrian.schmitz@asd-europe.org
Phone: +32 473 13 33 30

CANSO Europe
Johnny Pring
Manager Europe Policy and Advocacy
Email: johnny.pring@canso.org
Phone: +32 493 53 61 24

ERA
Becky Warburton
Editor Corporate Communications
Email: becky.warburton@eraa.org
Phone: +44 (0)1276 485582