Safe Landing have submitted a response to the “EU Air Services Rules (revision)” consultation, which closed on 16th Dec 2025.
Overview
The revision of the EU Air Services Regulation should be understood as a strategic opportunity to reshape Europe’s air transport system around three core principles:
- Resilience to recurring economic, geopolitical, health and climate-related shocks;
- Environmental sustainability, aligned with the EU’s climate objectives and long-term energy constraints;
- Fairness, including high-quality employment and community connectivity.
Rather than optimising for short-term conventional air traffic growth, EU aviation policy should aim to minimise total system energy use and emissions/pollution while maintaining essential connectivity, In doing so, Europe can strengthen its long-term economic performance and energy security.
These EU regulations can be upgraded to align with Europe’s environmental and economic targets, and accelerate the transition to a cleaner aviation industry.
By updating them, Europe can:
- Cut aviation emissions faster.
- Boost innovation in zero-emission aircraft and fuels.
- Accelerate clean economic growth and technology development.
- Protect the health of aviation workers, air travellers and nearby communities by reducing air pollution and noise.
Our proposals ✅
- Build Resilience into the Aviation System
- Boost Decarbonisation, Competitiveness and Level Playing Fields
- Reward and Enable Environmental Performance
- Support Innovation through Flexible Regulations
- Strengthen Labour Standards and Enforcement
- Use Public Service Obligations (PSO) routes as a transition tool
In particular, we support innovative policies that will accelerate the development and deployment of cleaner, novel (such as battery-electric, hybrid-electric and hydrogen) aircraft on EU flight routes. This can contribute to the EU pioneering these technologies, delivering economic growth, improving access to air travel for Europeans, and reducing noise and air pollution for those working at and living near airports.
Read our Safe Landing response
Read our full response here: Safe Landing Response to the EU Air Services Regulation Consultation