The industry's primary concern lies in the growing imbalance between regulatory obligations and actual fuel availability. Airlines warn that global SAF production remains limited and that there is a substantial gap between current supply and the volumes needed to comply with the mandatory blending quotas established by Brussels for the coming years. According to industry leaders, this imbalance could create supply shortages, drive up operating costs and make compliance with the new requirements increasingly difficult.
Executives from Europe’s major airlines emphasize that the challenge is not a lack of commitment to sustainability, but rather the pace at which the transition is being imposed. They argue that the aviation sector cannot be expected to meet increasingly ambitious mandates without corresponding investments in production facilities and supply chains. In their view, expanding industrial capacity, encouraging private investment and ensuring a reliable supply of SAF should take priority before additional regulatory obligations are introduced.
Another key issue raised by the industry concerns international competitiveness. European airlines argue that imposing stricter environmental requirements than those applied in other regions of the world could place EU carriers at a competitive disadvantage compared with airlines operating from countries that are not subject to equivalent obligations. Such disparities, they warn, could distort competition on international routes and negatively affect both European airlines and the continent’s major aviation hubs.
Carriers have also highlighted the potential financial impact on travelers. Sustainable Aviation Fuel remains significantly more expensive than conventional jet fuel, meaning that mandatory increases in its use are likely to raise overall operating costs. Although airlines continue to improve fuel efficiency through fleet modernization, optimized flight operations and technological innovation, they acknowledge that part of these additional costs could eventually be reflected in higher ticket prices.
The debate comes at a particularly important time for European aviation, as the sector continues to consolidate its recovery following several years of unprecedented challenges. Strong growth in international tourism and passenger traffic has enabled airlines to regain much of their pre-pandemic activity. However, the industry now faces an environment characterized by tighter regulatory requirements, rising operational expenses and the need for substantial investments to accelerate decarbonization efforts.
Industry associations stress that airlines have already made significant progress toward sustainability by introducing more fuel-efficient aircraft, improving operational efficiency, digitalizing processes and investing in new technologies. Nevertheless, they emphasize that Sustainable Aviation Fuel currently represents the single most effective solution for reducing carbon emissions from commercial aviation in the short and medium term, provided that production reaches sufficient scale and becomes economically viable.
Against this backdrop, airlines are urging European policymakers to adopt a more flexible approach that better aligns regulatory obligations with the actual pace of market development. Among the proposals put forward are stronger incentives to expand SAF production, increased financial support for new industrial projects and the introduction of mechanisms aimed at narrowing the price gap between sustainable fuels and conventional jet fuel.
The aviation industry believes that the transition toward more sustainable air transport can only succeed through close cooperation among governments, energy producers, aircraft manufacturers, airports and airlines. While the sector remains fully committed to Europe’s climate ambitions, it insists that meaningful decarbonization will require a balanced approach that combines environmental ambition with industrial capacity and economic sustainability, ensuring that air travel remains accessible, competitive and capable of meeting the challenges of the decades ahead.
