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the price of fossil fuel. The intention of the industry is to go to net zero, but it involves huge investment and requires infrastructure. We can’t build SAF production plants. In Europe we see a mandate forcing us to use SAF that isn’t produced, forcing up prices. This [requires] government intervention.” Spohr pointed out “30%
of airline costs are fuel” and said: “How can we accept a fuel that is five times the price? We have to scale up SAF production and bring down the price. But right now investors go to the US because it created attractive policies [with the] IRA.” He suggested “there is a
global race and Europe has to be careful” or it will lose “the race for SAF”. The UK government
launched a second three-month consultation on its ‘SAF mandate’, part of its ‘Pathway to Net Zero’ plan, last week. The government proposes to introduce a mandate from 2025 requiring at least 10% of jet fuel to comprise SAF by 2030. Airlines UK chief executive
Tim Alderslade welcomed the fresh consultation but said: “While a mandate creates demand for SAF, it does not provide revenue certainty for producers in what is a nascent industry, [and] existing policy won’t provide certainty to investors here in the UK. “Without a clear
commitment . . . we risk investment going to the US, which announced its support for SAF production months ago.”
Airlines urge reform of EU airspace to cut emissions
Ian Taylor
Europe’s major airlines have called for reform of EU airspace, arguing CO2 emissions on some intra- European routes could be cut by up to 19% if routes were shortened. They blame the European
Commission for failing to act, but the EC blames individual member states. EasyJet chief executive Johan
Lundgren told the Airlines for Europe summit in Brussels last week: “Airspace reform is a ‘net zero’ priority. It’s been debated for over 20 years, [but] it’s the quickest, least-expensive way to reduce emissions today.” He suggested an easyJet flight
between Paris and Milan could save 19% on fuel and the resulting CO2 emissions if permitted to fly in a straight line and said: “What is the cost of removing that CO2?” An EC study concluded airspace
reform could cut overall flight CO2 emissions in Europe by 10%.
O’Leary calls for protection of flights when strikes hit ATC
Leading airline bosses want urgent EU action to alleviate air traffic control delays this summer. They want the EC to order
protection of ‘overflights’, which simply pass through a member state’s airspace, when there are strikes by air traffic controllers and cite the example of France. French air traffic control (ATC) staff staged 23 days of strikes
46 6 APRIL 2023 Johan Lundgren Lundgren argued: “Routeing is
done so inefficiently. We must focus on this reform for the sake of the planet. This is the cheapest way to remove CO2. It’s a 19% reduction in emissions on a route that people fly daily. The issue has been on the table for 20 years. There is no excuse.” He noted: “You can’t point to a
single organisation that owns the issue. It’s up to every member state.
in the first three months of this year and plan more. Ryanair group chief executive
Michael O’Leary said: “We’re calling on the commission to take action to protect overflights. The Italians already do this. Greece does it. Why not the EU?” Speaking at the Airlines for
Europe (A4E) summit in Brussels, O’Leary said: “Why not prioritise overflights if there is a strike? The vast majority of flight delays are caused by French ATC and France’s minimum service provisions mean French domestic flights go ahead, but overflights are cancelled or significantly delayed. All we want
is that extended to other flights.” He argued: “We were forced to
cancel 230 flights over one weekend, affecting 40,000 passengers and flight delays affected another 400,000. We should have minimum service levels applied to overflights across Europe.”
travelweekly.co.uk
The barrier is domestic politics.” Lundgren added: “I haven’t met
a politician who doesn’t agree we should have airspace reform. The focus on sustainability has never been so great. Why not take this opportunity? Is it reasonable that because of politics we emit 19% more CO2 on a route?” Lufthansa Group chief executive
Carsten Spohr insisted: “It just needs the political will.” But Ryanair chief executive
Michael O’Leary argued: “It’s naive to expect individual countries to reform [their airspace]. The EC has to drive this through. The problem is the EC doesn’t want to drive it through. The commission doesn’t do anything.” EU transport commissioner
Adina-Ioana Valean blamed EU member states for the failure, telling the summit: “I don’t understand why member states don’t support this reform – we could save 10% of CO2 emissions.”
Michael O’Leary
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