How Sustainable is Aviation in Europe?
The aviation sector finds itself navigating a critical moment in its transition to decarbonisation.
Faced with mounting pressure to meet environmental targets, the industry must also tackle supply chain disruptions, the high costs of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and limited production capacity.
All of this comes while millions of people continue to fly, as aviation remains vital to Europe’s connectivity, employment and economy.
These complex dynamics are explored in the European Aviation Environmental Report 2025, which reviews progress toward sustainability while highlighting ongoing challenges.
Florian Guillermet, Executive Director, EU Aviation Safety Agency, says: “Much has been done in recent years to set us on the right path to achieve the European Green Deal objectives.
“However, we need to move faster at turning sustainability goals into action.
“A concerted effort is required now to manage an orderly transition to cleaner aviation while maintaining a high uniform level of safety and connectivity.
“Honest, transparent and effective communication is critical to securing the trust of European citizens that aviation is indeed acting to become more sustainable and will meet the future goals.”
The numbers behind the flights
In 2023, EU27+EFTA airports saw 8.35 million flights — 10% below pre-COVID-19 levels recorded in 2019.
Low-cost airlines rebounded quicker than traditional mainline operators.
At the same time, the average fleet age climbed to 11.8 years, reflecting challenges in fleet renewal.
Passenger demand and flight distances continued to grow, with an average of 135 passengers travelling 1,730km per flight.
However, long-term traffic projections were revised downward.
By 2050, flight numbers are expected to reach 9.4 million under a low-growth scenario, 11.8 million under the base scenario and 13.8 million if high growth occurs.
Addressing emissions
In 2023, aviation departing from EU27+EFTA airports emitted 133 million tonnes of CO₂, down 10% from 2019.
Despite this reduction, twin-aisle and single-aisle jets accounted for 96% of emissions, with long-haul flights (more than 4,000km) making up 46% of the total.
Per passenger kilometre, CO₂ emissions dropped to 83g in 2023 — the equivalent of 3.3 litres of fuel per 100 passenger kilometres.
The majority of these emissions occurred during the cruise phase (62.9%) and climb phase (23.2%) of flights.
Efforts to reduce emissions further include airport initiatives to achieve net zero targets.
To date, 118 airports in Europe have pledged to reach net zero CO₂ emissions by 2030 or earlier, and 16 have already succeeded.
Additionally, the Single European Sky (SES) ATM Master Plan, if fully implemented, could save 400 million tonnes of CO₂ by 2050, cutting emissions per flight by 9.3%.
Fuel and noise challenges
The use of sustainable aviation fuel is a key pillar of Europe’s decarbonisation strategy.
However, its adoption faces hurdles. SAF currently represents only 0.53% of global jet fuel use and costs three to ten times more than conventional fuel.
The ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation aims to address this by mandating a minimum SAF supply, starting at 2% in 2025 and increasing to 70% by 2050.
Airports must adapt their infrastructure to accommodate SAF as well as zero-emission technologies like hydrogen and electric aircraft.
Some are already investing in SAF production and supply chains, while also offering financial incentives and engaging with policymakers to accelerate its uptake.
Noise reduction is another focus area.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is expected to finalise new noise and CO₂ standards for aircraft by February 2025.
These would replace limits that have remained unchanged since 1999 for light propeller aircraft and since 2002 for helicopters.
Meanwhile, airports are advancing renewable energy production on site, which helps electrify ground support equipment and mitigate both noise and emissions.
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