Flying ahead: How business aviation fuels EU’s competitiveness
The word “competitiveness” is on everyone’s lips in Brussels, with Mario Draghi’s report sparking a rare sense of urgency to address an unchallenged fact: Europe’s growth has trailed behind the U.S. and China for decades, weighed down by a sharp decline in productivity. Meanwhile, the EU’s ambitious decarbonisation goals remain an untapped well of potential to ignite competitiveness.
An intense debate has emerged among policymakers, academics, and industry leaders over which sectors should be prioritised to help Europe regain its lost productivity. While breakthrough digital technologies like AI, quantum computing, and 6G stand out as game changers for many sectors of the economy, it is important to remember that, at its core, productivity remains a timeless principle: achieving more in less time.
This is precisely where business aviation proves its value for the European economy: by offering efficient, time-saving transportation, it enables faster decision-making, enhances connectivity, and opens new business opportunities for executives and government officials.
The impact of business aviation on Europe today
We believe business aviation should be at the heart of Europe’s joint plan for decarbonisation and renewed competitiveness, as it plays a crucial role in driving sustainable innovation and inclusive growth. The reasons are clear:
On average, business aviation saves 126 minutes per trip while connecting over 80,000 unique airport pairs and 1,500 airports, including 1,000 commercial airlines cannot access, driving trade, tourism, and regional integration.
Beyond its unmatched connectivity, business aviation also delivers significant economic impact through its extensive value chain, spanning aircraft manufacturing, operations, maintenance, and supporting infrastructure. The sector employs more than 440,000 workers across Europe, directly and indirectly, and contributes approximately €110 billion annually to the continent’s GDP.
The impact of business aviation extends far beyond efficiency. It stands at the forefront of innovation within Europe’s aeronautical industry, serving as a testing ground for cutting-edge technologies essential to decarbonising aviation. Many of these breakthroughs—developed, tested, and proven within the sector—pave the way for a more sustainable future in air travel.
The Draghi report highlights civil aviation as one of Europe’s few competitive advantages, with business aviation playing a crucial role as a leader in zero-emissions propulsion technologies like electric, hybrid, and hydrogen aircraft.
To unlock its full potential, policymakers must position business aviation at the heart of Europe’s competitiveness strategy, leveraging its ability to drive innovation and decarbonisation.
The European Business Aviation’s Manifesto provides a clear roadmap of policy measures to achieve these goals, aligning with Draghi’s call for renewed economic dynamism in Europe.
At the heart of the manifesto lies the call from hundreds of SMEs and their highly skilled workers to European policymakers: grant the business aviation sector fair and equitable treatment alongside other key players in the European transport ecosystem, allowing it to continue contributing to Europe’s prosperity.
Enabling business aviation to reach net-zero by 2050
Although aviation is among the hardest sectors to decarbonise, business aviation is committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, supported by regulations like ReFuelEU Aviation and the European Trading Scheme (ETS).
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and technological advances are key to this transition.
However, limited SAF supply and the EU’s mandate to prioritise large “Union airports” leave business aviation disadvantaged, particularly at smaller airports.
To enable business aviation to do its part in the path to reduce aviation emissions, a reliable book-and-claim system under ReFuelEU is essential.
This system should empower operators to effectively drive the widespread adoption of SAF across Europe and accelerate the aviation industry’s transition to a greener future.
Safeguarding a competitive and fair European single market for business aviation operators
Unrestricted access to airports across Europe is essential for business aviation to maximise its connectivity potential.
Business aviation operators find it particularly difficult to acquire airport slots under the current EU Slot Regulation, as their unscheduled nature is not considered adequately.
This situation has been exacerbated by recent proposals to restrict access to unscheduled flights by some European airports and outright bans on short-haul flights in some Member States.
Business aviation addresses needs different from those of commercial airlines. The upcoming revision of the EU Slot Regulation should move away from a one-size-fits-all approach in favour of a tailored framework for the sector.
Investing in a strong European aviation manufacturing industry
Europe is home to a thriving industrial base for the manufacturing of business aviation aircraft, with several manufacturers having a long story of pushing the boundaries of nascent technologies in aviation.
As also noted by Draghi’s report, in the wake of growing global competition to develop strategic decarbonisation technologies, Europe must capitalise on the opportunity of being a first mover in the critical solutions that will abate emissions in aviation.
The recent exclusion of business aviation from the EU Taxonomy contradicts this principle, as pioneering companies would be deprived of the lifeblood capital needed to research, test, and certify groundbreaking zero-emissions propulsion systems.
The EU should incorporate business aviation into the Taxonomy framework and develop tailored regulatory and funding mechanisms under the forthcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP). This will facilitate the market entry of innovative, clean aviation technologies, ensuring Europe retains its competitive edge in the aviation sector.
EBAS 2024: business aviation at the crossroads of competitiveness and sustainability
The importance of business aviation’s role in European competitiveness and decarbonisation will take centre stage at EBAS 2024. This event will bring together key stakeholders, including policymakers, industry leaders, and innovators, to discuss how business aviation can drive Europe’s future leadership.
It will also focus on the transformative power of innovation in aviation, highlighting cutting-edge technologies that drive sustainability and efficiency. Finally, it will address pathways to decarbonisation, emphasising policy solutions to reduce emissions and achieve net-zero targets.
These discussions, detailed in the event programme, will highlight the opportunities and challenges facing business aviation as a key enabler of Europe’s economic and environmental ambitions.
Holger Krahmer is the Secretary General of the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA).
Author :
Publish date : 2024-12-02 22:23:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
The post Flying ahead: How business aviation fuels EU’s competitiveness first appeared on Love Europe.
Author : love-europe
Publish date : 2024-12-12 18:31:43
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.