Press statement: Airlines’ calls for regulatory rollback would come at innovators’ expense

Brussels, 19 March 2026: At the Airlines for Europe (A4E) Clean Aviation Summit airline CEOs are calling for the ReFuelEU Aviation e-SAF sub-mandate to be postponed and for the emissions trading system (ETS) to be aligned down to the level of CORSIA, in an attempt to lobby against the very policies needed to clean up their highly-polluting sector.

Aurelia Leeuw, Director of EU Policy at the SASHA Coalition, says:

"While aviation profits soar on subsidies and exemptions, the industry clings to a victim narrative despite rising emissions. Ending the ETS exemption for long-haul flights is an obvious step to protect innovators over incumbents: something Europe was incapable of doing in the automotive industry and is now paying the price for.

"Crucial alternatives like e-fuels languish due to airlines' and fuel suppliers' refusal to invest; a classic fossil fuel tactic of delaying and pressuring legislators to drop requirements. Europe must hold the industry accountable and not cave to lobbying that shields subsidy-dependent polluters at the expense of competitiveness.