Currently, an electric aircraft pays more tax on its renewable electricity than a conventional aircraft pays on its polluting fuel.
A coalition of aviation pioneers, aviation workers and climate groups has today called on the European Commission, warning that the EU risks losing its aviation competitiveness and technological leadership to the US and China unless the upcoming Aviation Strategy receives a significant clean-tech upgrade.
A number of measures can be taken, with some of the most important being:
1️⃣ The EU investment budget (MFF) should explicitly support zero-emission and hybrid-powered aircraft (ZEHA), helping new entrants survive the industrial scale-up phase.
2️⃣ Pollution should be properly priced in line with other sectors, with part of the generated revenue reinvested to support ZEHA.
3️⃣ The private jet sector should be capitalised on as a testing ground for this green tech. Ban all private flights under 1,000 km by 2030 unless they are zero-emission or hybrid.
ZEHA technologies could reduce Europe’s dependence on foreign energy, strengthen the leadership of our aviation industry, and reduce emissions.
However, EU laws must allow these zero-emission aircraft to fly.
Read the letter here ➡️ https://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/open-call-to-the-european-commission-make-europe-the-home-of-zero-emission-and-hybrid-powered-aircraft
Signatories:
