Planes

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, emissions from European aviation had been growing faster than any other mode of transport, and have more than doubled between 1990 and 2019. Aviation emissions went from 1.5% of all European emissions in 1990 to 4.7% in 2019. By 2025, aviation emissions have exceeded pre-pandemic levels and likely account for around 5% of total European emissions.

Aviation is set on a rapid growth path again. If this growth is unmitigated, aviation fuel consumption could more than double (compared to 2019) by 2050 and in doing so, the sector could deplete its carbon budget to stay below 1.5°C of warming as soon as 2026.

Aviation remains heavily subsidised, with all parts of the sector – from airports to aircraft to airlines – receiving state support. Aid is being given to airports by local, regional or national authorities – often in breach of EU guidelines concerning state aid. At EU and national level, aid is also granted to aircraft manufacturers.

And airlines are exempt from paying tax on their fuel and VAT on their tickets. These subsidies result in artificially cheap ticket prices, which serve to drive up demand and reduce incentives for more sustainable aviation. Any public money should come with green strings attached.

Cleaner fuels and changes to aircraft design can play an essential role in reducing emissions from flying. Ensuring planes are as efficient as possible and are capable of being powered by alternatives to fossil kerosene, is essential. Both pathways have a role to play, and will require cooperation between industry and regulators.

However, the right type of fuels need to be pursued. Using crop-based biofuels causes negative effects such as driving deforestation or increasing food prices. Therefore the focus needs to be on truly Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). These can be advanced biofuels, which are produced using feedstocks which don’t compete with food (but are available in limited quantities), or feedstocks derived from renewable electricity with a great scalability and sustainability potential, known as e-kerosene or e-SAF. Read more about Sustainable Aviation Fuels.

To deliver savings in the short term, we will need to maximise the efficiency of traditional aircraft design. Unlike most other transport modes, there are no credible CO₂ efficiency standards for aircraft design. It is therefore important that regulators step in with more effective standards, and provide further incentives through higher taxation of the aviation sector.

But tweaks to traditional aircraft designs are not enough. We need radically innovative aircraft, and zero-emission airplanes powered by clean electricity or hydrogen from renewable sources to decarbonise the sector. Several concepts for such aircrafts have emerged, with potential entry into service in the coming years. With the right measures in place, electric, hybrid-electric and hydrogen planes could make a dent in aviation emissions in the next decades, while securing Europe’s leadership in aircraft manufacturing.

However, a lack of market competition and the absence of effective policies are slowing down innovation in aircraft design, with no new medium or large commercial aircraft expected before the late 2030s.. Policies to favour more efficient and ZE aircraft, and support to European innovative companies, will be crucial to increase the contribution of made-in-Europe aircraft technologies to decarbonisation goals.

The EU has put in place a carbon market for aviation called the Emission Trading System (ETS) which remains one of the few measures in place attempting to address the sector’s soaring emissions. Under the carbon market, airlines must pay for emissions on flights within the European Economic Area (EEA). However, in 2025, airlines still received around half of their pollution permits for free and all long-haul flights (extra EEA flights) – which represent the bulk of aviation emissions – are not counted under the carbon market.

T&E has published a Roadmap to climate neutral aviation in Europe, which outlines the pathway to reducing the emissions of this carbon-intensive industry.