A number of low-cost cargo airlines have complained to the European Union that the biofuel quotas introduced should apply to all flights, not just low-cost airlines. European low-cost airlines and NGOs have expressed concern about the restrictions on intra-EU flights imposed by the EU’s “ReFuel EU Aviation” initiative. The new legislation proposed by the Commission would require the aviation sector to blend a percentage of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) with kerosene-based fuel. In a letter to the Vice-President of the European Commission and the Commissioner for Transport, the coalition of Ryanair, EasyJet and Wizz Air stresses that long-haul flights are the main source of the sector’s negative impact on the climate. “Only 6% of flights, those over 4,000 km, generate half of all CO2 emissions. An increase of just 10% in sustainable aviation fuel in the propellant of long-haul flights would reduce net carbon emissions more than for short-haul flights.” – said a Eurocontrol representative. Flights and long-haul operations outside the EU have already been excluded from many European environmental policy objectives, such as the Greenhouse Gas Directive. The signatories also call on the European Commission to ensure that the use of sustainable aviation fuels does not delay the development of zero-emission propulsion (i.e. hydrogen or electricity). “The EU’s sustainable fuels policy will only have an impact on aviation emissions if we all take the necessary steps, including long-haul operators who are the biggest source of emissions,” said EasyJet’s CEO. Sustainable fuel is only a short interim step, according to the coalition, with the ultimate goal of developing zero emission technologies.
Source: Lechotouristique.com