FGA response to ReFuelEU Aviation Consultation

FGA will be responding to the consultation that the European Commission opened March 24th and which closes 21st April. 

We think this is an excellent opportunity and platform to share market experiences, discuss mechanisms and air industry views as a contribution toward the European Commission’s New Green Deal. 

This is all the more relevant during a period where sustainable recovery of the aviation sector will be key to a successful future and green bailouts and change are being demanded. 

What is being said in the media? 

• ‘COVID-19 will change the world permanently, the rules we lived by won’t apply…new forms of reform’ – Politico 
• ‘Reimagine capitalism’- Professor Rebecca Henderson, Harvard 
• ‘We need more proactive thinking from airlines – they can’t imagine we will go back to the way they were before’ – Climate Policy Initiative
• ‘Airlines calling for public support in bad times should accept they need to start paying taxes in good times’ – Transport & Environment 

So how do we move forward to a new deal for aviation? A few key points in our response:

• Fast track access to grants or free grant writers to scale SAF research and consortium 
• Red II – recast to Red III – aviation as mandatory part of member state climate action plans for transport
• Auctioning/tendering – we agree this will work in 5 years time, as per our discussion here citing Wind Europe’s example of successful tendering 
• It is essential to create financial structures which include agreed: airport, airline, technology, feedstock and corporate customers before defining targets across member states based on feasible volumes
• Read our additional comments in Recharge News from earlier this year 

We ask you to join us to make a joint statement or hope to encourage you to respond individually. Please contact us if you wish to discuss your thoughts further with FGA.