Destination 2050 partners urge EU action on comprehensive aviation decarbonisation strategy and competitiveness

The Destination 2050 partners welcome the mention of aviation in the European Commission’s Clean Industrial Deal (CID) but stress that it lacks a comprehensive aviation strategy for effective decarbonisation while safeguarding the sector’s socio-economic benefits and competitiveness. The CID highlights the need for low-carbon fuels and infrastructure, yet aviation decarbonisation requires urgent action across all four pillars outlined in the Destination 2050 roadmap: Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), air traffic management (ATM) optimisation, new aircraft technology, and economic measures.

The sector calls on the Commission to go further, with specific actions such as recognising aviation’s strategic importance, implementing an EU strategy for Sustainable Aviation Fuels, and rolling out alternative financing mechanisms. Support for Fit for 55 and continued investment in next-generation technologies is essential. The Destination 2050 alliance, committed to climate-neutral European aviation, outlined proposals in a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on 12 February.

The window for decisive action is closing, and the EU must lead to ensure European aviation remains competitive through the transition. The time to act is now.

Details of the outcome

• 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 Sustainable Aviation Fuels 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 to maximise efficiency gains.

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