European aviation commits to deliver environmentally friendly sky

CREDIT: ACI EUROPE

Associations representing the European aviation sector adopted a Joint Industry Declaration on 10 October 2023, announcing their intention to make Europe the most efficient and environmentally friendly sky to fly in the world.

In line with the EU’s Green Deal objective of reaching climate neutrality by 2050, and to optimise capacity in the skies, associations representing airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, aviation manufacturers and business aviation have committed to joint action. They aim to transform the sector and work together to maximise capacity in the air, whilst further reducing the environmental footprint of flying.

A key technological pathway to this transformation in the coming years is the optimisation of the European air traffic management (ATM) system. With European passenger traffic set to recover to pre-pandemic levels in 2024, digital innovation in ATM can improve efficiency and provide the capacity to meet this projected demand, while at the same time realising considerable CO2 savings. This transformation will be achieved by deploying new digital tools developed under the EU’s Single European Sky ATM Research Programme (SESAR).

As a first immediate step, the associations will work together to update the EU ATM Master Plan, which serves as the common roadmap for SESAR.

With the Joint Industry Declaration, the associations confirm their commitment to work together to make their industry truly sustainable and more efficient, for the benefit of all Europeans.