The European Union has agreed on a new directive to reduce CO₂ emissions in aviation by two thirds by 2050. The plan is to add more sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to conventional kerosene in the coming years. From 2025, 2% of sustainable fuel will be added to fuel in the EU. By 2050, this proportion is set to increase to 70%. Airports must ensure their fueling infrastructure is suitable for sustainable aviation fuels.
These sustainable fuels can be “recycled carbon fuels” or e-fuels. Biofuels are also allowed as long as they are not produced from food or feed crops. The Renewable Energy Directive is decisive and is now being revised. The “ReFuelEU Aviation” directive for aviation fuels also stipulates that aircraft at EU airports may only fill up with as much fuel as is necessary for the flight.
The Federal Association of the German Aviation Industry (BDL) welcomes the guideline in principle. However, the sustainable fuels are up to five times more expensive than conventional fuels, putting European airlines and airports at a disadvantage compared to non-European ones.
The aviation industry assumes that climate-neutral flying will be possible by 2050. This emerged in March of this year from their “Roadmap for climate-neutral flying”. In October 2022, the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO of the United Nations agreed on the year 2050 as the target for CO₂-neutral flying.
