Green jet fuel for all flights, expanding the ETS, and defending the internal combustion engine

The EU executive hinted this week that the upcoming requirement to use green jet fuels will apply to all flights departing from EU airports – regardless of whether the destination is inside the bloc – a statement likely to enrage some airlines and delight others.

Low-cost carriers, such as Ryanair and easyJet, have pushed for all airlines to be subject to the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blending mandate, on environmental and fairness grounds.

Legacy airlines, however, have argued that imposing a SAF mandate on flights travelling outside of the EU will make European aviation less competitive and encourage companies to refuel outside of the bloc.

The Commission seems to have a plan to make these arguments moot, however. Rather than imposing a mandate on individual airlines, it will require fuel at EU airports to contain a certain percentage of SAF. That way, all aircraft will refuel with SAF, regardless of where they’re off to.

All will become clear once the ReFuelEU Aviation proposal is published, which EU transport commissioner Adina Vălean said will happen “before summer”. In the meantime, read more about the statements by Filip Cornelis, director of aviation with the European Commission’s transport directorate, below. (...)