Zero-emission aircraft are emerging as a key solution to cut aviation emissions, reduce noise around airports and strengthen Europe’s clean industrial base. To discuss how Europe can accelerate their development and deployment, T&E, Aura Aéro, Elysian Aircraft and Vaeridion hosted a high-level event on 3 November at TownHall Europe.
The event opened with William Todts, Executive Director of T&E, who warned that Europe risks losing leadership to global competitors unless electric and hydrogen aviation becomes a central pillar of the EU’s clean industrial strategy.
This was followed by a session on electric and hydrogen pathways where Giovanni Raimondi (Safran) and Victor Vareille (ZeroAvia) outlined industry progress, certification timelines and the infrastructure needs for hydrogen-electric flight.
Two panels then explored how the EU can support disruptive R&D and enable market uptake. Speakers from DG RTD, DG MOVE, DG CLIMA, Clean Aviation, CAA Norway, airlines and manufacturers discussed the need for more risk-tolerant funding, early airport planning and stronger links between research, certification and deployment.
The event closed with Pierpaolo Settembri, Deputy Head of Cabinet to the European Commissioner for Transport and Tourism, who highlighted the role of EU programmes and regulation in bringing zero-emission aircraft to commercial service.