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EU Strategy on Aviation
The EU's aviation strategy is centered on ensuring safety, promoting sustainable growth, maintaining global leadership, and fostering competitive markets. It aims to enhance the competitiveness of the European aviation sector, ensure high standards of safety and security, and reduce environmental impacts. The strategy involves a Single European Sky (SES) initiative, modernizing air traffic management through initiatives like SESAR and addressing market challenges via comprehensive agreements and regulations.
Read the Summary of the EU's Strategy on the side. The Implementing tools of the Strategy adapt to continuous changes due to changing commercial and safety needs and technological innovation. Single European Sky (SES) The Single European Sky (SES) initiative addresses the challenges of Air Traffic Management (ATM) in Europe, characterized by increasing air traffic and unexpected disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent years have seen insufficient airspace capacity, resulting in long delays and inefficiencies, which have additional costs for airlines and increased carbon emissions. SES, launched in 2004, seeks to reduce the fragmentation of European airspace and enhance ATM performance in terms of safety, capacity, cost-efficiency, and environmental impact. The initiative involves implementing new technologies and practices, primarily through the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) Project. This project unites civil and military stakeholders, along with EU institutions, to develop innovative technologies and methods for ATM improvement. In order to mitigate flight delays in the EU, the Commission has designated Eurocontrol as the Network Manager until 2029 (Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/709). Eurocontrol is tasked with identifying short-term solutions for congestion and delays, especially during peak travel periods. This approach is supported by Commission Implementing Regulations, including the Network Functions and Performance and Charging Scheme Regulations. For long-term challenges, the Commission has proposed more structural changes. In 2020, it introduced an amended proposal along with a proposal amending the EASA (EU Aviation Safety Agency) Basic Regulation. This amendment aims to enhance EASA's capacity as the Performance Review Body. The SES2+ reform is geared towards introducing structural changes to ensure the sector's efficiency, scalability, and environmental performance, both now and in the future. |
Key legislative components of this initiative include:
These measures represent a comprehensive approach to addressing both immediate and long-term issues in European ATM, focusing on efficiency, environmental sustainability, and adaptability to future challenges.
- SES II (2009) legislative package (549/2004, 550/2004, 551/2004)
- Network functions: Commission Implementing Regulation (2019/123
- Performance and charging: Commission Implementing Regulation (2019/317
- EASA Basic Regulation (2018)
- SES2+ proposals (COM/2020/579 final and COM/2020/577 final), press release and Staff Working Document
- SESAR’s Common Project 1: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/116
These measures represent a comprehensive approach to addressing both immediate and long-term issues in European ATM, focusing on efficiency, environmental sustainability, and adaptability to future challenges.
The EU aviation sector in 2023 is navigating through significant changes and developments, focusing heavily on sustainability, safety, operational efficiency, and economic recovery:
These developments highlight the EU's commitment to a more sustainable, efficient, and resilient aviation sector, focusing on environmental responsibility while fostering economic growth and operational excellence.
- Market Recovery & Challenges:
- Global passenger numbers surged by over 55% in 2022, with revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) up nearly 70%, indicating a robust return to international travel.
- Average passenger load factors neared 80% throughout the year, reflecting capacity constraints due to fleet limitations, maintenance backlogs, labor shortages, and the cancellation of numerous flights.
- The airline industry managed to reduce its annual net losses to below $7 billion in 2022, with North America being the only profitable region.
- Passenger demand is projected to see substantial growth in 2023, spurred by the reopening of China to inbound and outbound travel, potentially offsetting economic challenges elsewhere.
- European Plan for Aviation Safety (EPAS) 2023-2025:
- The new EPAS edition expands to three volumes, covering strategic priorities, actions, and safety risk portfolios.
- The strategic priorities, set for a three-year timeframe, focus on systemic safety, personnel competence, operational safety across domains, and the integration of new technologies and concepts.
- The plan also emphasizes proportional rules for business aviation, addressing climate change's impact on safety, and promoting digitalization in aviation, among other priorities.
- EUROCONTROL's Aviation Overview:
- In order to mitigate flight delays in the EU, the Commission has designated Eurocontrol as the Network Manager until 2029 (Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/709). Eurocontrol is tasked with identifying short-term solutions for congestion and delays, especially during peak travel periods. This approach is supported by Commission Implementing Regulations, including the Network Functions and Performance and Charging Scheme Regulations.
- EUROCONTROL provides comprehensive overviews of the European aviation landscape, detailing challenges and developments within the sector.
- Their reports offer insights into traffic trends, operational issues, and the impact of external factors on European aviation.
- Emission Reduction Initiatives:
- The EU is intensifying efforts to cut aviation emissions as part of its broader climate goals, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050.
- The Emissions Trading System (ETS) for aviation is being revised to phase out free emissions allowances by 2026 and promote sustainable aviation fuels, including hydrogen from renewable sources.
- The Refuel EU aviation initiative mandates that fuel suppliers ensure a minimum share of sustainable aviation fuels at EU airports, starting at 2% in 2025 and reaching 70% by 2050.
- The EU is also collaborating on a global level through the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) to manage emissions for flights outside the European Economic Area (EEA).
These developments highlight the EU's commitment to a more sustainable, efficient, and resilient aviation sector, focusing on environmental responsibility while fostering economic growth and operational excellence.