During a summit in Paris on 14 October 2025, CEOs from Europe’s largest airline association released a joint statement aimed at the EU leaders to ensure a competitive aviation sector in the future. Airlines for Europe (A4E) is urgently asking for action to be taken before the end of the year in order to prevent passengers from paying the price.
Accounting for 4% of Europe’s GDP and providing more than 12 million jobs, the aviation industry has an important role to play in the EU’s economic landscape. While flying has become more accessible and more efficient than ever before, the industry is faced with a number of challenges in the years to come. Airlines for Europe points out that some adaptations to the EU’s policymaking are necessary in order to insure the competitiveness of the sector, the accessibility of air travel for all, and Europe’s connectivity.
In March 2025, Airlines for Europe’s 17 CEOs had already issued a damning critique of European policymaking. Some seven months later, they have reiterated some of their previous demands while adding others, asking the EU leaders to intervene before the end of 2025. According to the organisation, more than a year into the new EU term, airlines have seen little action to reinforce competitiveness, support aviation’s transition to net zero, and keep European airspace resilient.
Three key demands
In their statement, the CEOs affiliated to Airlines for Europe ask the eU leaders to address three major pain points in particular:
- Tackle airspace fragmentation and mitigate the effects of damaging air traffic controller strikes disruptions. The organisation is asking the EU to require mandatory arbitration before a strike is called, to set a 21-day advance notice for any industrial action, to protect overflights while ensuring local departures and arrivals are not impacted, and to guarantee a right of redress for airlines.
- Deliver a passenger rights framework which actually puts passengers first. A4E is asking to extend the current three-hour thresholds applied in delay compensation to five hours, stating this could prevent up to 40% of delays, with better outcomes for passengers and the environment. They also say the political calls to impose free cabin bags are out of sync with passenger preferences.
- Create a functioning SAF market. The organisation asks for the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) to derisk investment in SAF production and to bring down the cost of SAF. Furthermore, according to A4E, Europe needs a market intermediary for SAF, more multi-year SAF allowances, a simple book-and-claim system, EU ETS revenues reinvested, and a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)-like mechanism.
“The clock is ticking, and time is running out. Europe’s airlines cannot continue being held back by outdated thinking and self-defeating policies. Without urgent EU action and reform this year, Europe’s competitive edge will erode, leaving passengers paying the price. There is only one choice for Europe: bold action today to maintain a resilient European airline sector tomorrow. For all these reasons, the European Commission must launch a Strategic Dialogue for European aviation as was done for other key industrial sectors”, Airlines for Europe states.
