‘Green’ shoots of recovery By Chloe Wilson

With airports and airlines across Europe gradually reopening and resuming operations, industry associations are calling for support for a green recovery post COVID-19, writes Chloe Wilson.

More than a dozen air transport associations have urged EU leaders to prioritise specific decarbonisation initiatives in their allocation of future COVID-19 recovery funding.

“The current crisis gives us an opportunity to ‘build back better’ by reducing carbon emissions from flying in the most efficient way,” declared Tanja Grobotek, Director Europe Affairs for the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO).

The temporary suspension of commercial air traffic during lockdown has certainly meant less pollution in the skies above us and cleaner air. And with experts predicting that aviation activity won’t return to pre-pandemic levels much before 2023, the opportunity to move forward with a giant ‘green’ footstep is now.

Industry associations underline that ensuring an accelerated deployment of existing decarbonisation solutions and adequate investments to bring new technologies forward will be key. In the meantime, existing financial tools, such as loans, could also be made available to provide urgent relief.

Air bp supplies Biojet | photo courtesy Air bp

ACI Europe’s Director General, Olivier Jankovec, underlined that despite the industry being brought to its knees by the crisis, “Our determination to pursue climate action remains as robust as ever - but our ability to invest has been hit hard. Aviation is one of the sectors where decarbonisation is particularly challenging, so including it in a joined up green recovery makes sense for all.”

The European Regions Airlines Association’s (ERA’s) Director General, Montserrat Barriga agrees. She stated that: “Economic recovery and the ambitious decarbonisation agenda need to go hand in hand. Aviation is a catalyst for growth and businesses in Europe, and at the same time it is essential that the sector meets its sustainability targets. As such, the European recovery funds need to be allocated to support the right policy, research and economic measures for the aviation sector, to ensure a quick and sustainable recovery of Europe after the COVID-19 crisis.”

Embracing of SAF

A combination of both public and private investment is necessary to allow air transport leaders to speed up work to decarbonise the sector - in line with the EU goal of climate neutrality by 2050. Specific proposals put forward by the sector to support aviation during its recovery include boosting the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and making Europe the centre of excellence for the development and production of SAF. They also include a call for investments in sustainable airport and heliport infrastructure and continued investment in the European air traffic management system.

In addition, associations are proposing the implementation of a green incentive scheme for airlines and aircraft operators to replace older aircraft with more modern and environmentally friendly aircraft. They are also calling for increased public funding and public co-funding rates for Civil Aviation Research & Innovation (Clean Aviation and SESAR).

Such support measures are important to ensure a global level playing field for EU aviation stakeholders especially in light of the significant support provided by non-EU governments to non-EU industry. However, as the European Business Aviation Association’s Secretary-General Athar Husain Khan, concludes, “These support measures will also help the sector regain its economic viability - a prerequisite for safeguarding both air connectivity and the industry’s ability to keep investing in decarbonisation.”

Chloe (Wilson) Greenbank wrote her first airline magazine nearly two decades ago and has been immersed in aviation magazines ever since. She is a highly experienced editor and reporter who has worked for over a decade in the publishing sector specialising in the global aerospace industry. As senior editor at one of the world’s leading travel media companies, Ink, she was tasked with launching and overseeing various titles including two inflight magazines for Brussels Airlines. With a solid understanding of the inflight market, she has also contributed to magazines for airlines including easyJet, MyTravel, Thomas Cook, Virgin Express, Ryanair, British Mediterranean Airways, Air Burkina and Korongo Airlines.

In 2017 Chloe moved over to the B2B publishing industry when she joined HMG Aerospace for whom she edits Regional Gateway and contributes to a number of titles including LARA and Inflight. She also contributes to the Times Aerospace Group’s African Aerospace. Having strengthened her knowledge and understanding behind the global aviation community Chloe has been a working journalist on the Emerald Media team since early 2018, primarily supporting its client Air bp.

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 2nd July 2020 | Issue #564

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