ERA sustainability report confirms need for governments to invest in regional aviation

• ERA (European Regions Airline Association) has conducted its first sustainability report, outlining its sector’s efforts and members’ initiatives in the fight against climate change.
• Climate change represents one of the biggest threats to the existence of the air transport industry, with movements such as ‘flygskam’ (flight shame) having grown exponentially in 2019.

Despite the challenges facing the industry today as a result of COVID-19, green issues remain at the top of the agenda for ERA’s members. ERA is therefore pleased to launch its first Green and Sustainable Connectivity report, providing an outline of the work undertaken by regional aviation stakeholders, particularly its airlines, in order to tackle environmental concerns.

This report highlights how the aviation sector is approaching the challenge of reducing its environmental footprint through a multi-pillar strategy: developing new technology, transitioning to sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), moving to more efficient operations and better use of infrastructure, including defragmentation.

ERA’s Green and Sustainable Connectivity report – which was conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic – equally shares the association airline members’ emissions data and a technology review exploring the different decarbonisation technologies available for aviation, including benefits and barriers for implementation.

Montserrat Barriga, ERA Director General, says: “The industry takes its responsibility towards sustainable aviation seriously and is working to minimise its impact on the environment as much as possible whilst, under normal circumstances, continuing to deliver essential connectivity and travel opportunities to millions of people across Europe. Given the nature of regional aviation, characterised by short-haul flights, the regional sector lends itself to new, clean technologies and should, therefore, be the forerunner for testing and selecting the right technology needed to decarbonise the industry. This further strengthens ERA’s position in challenging governments on their intentions to impose further taxes on aviation – that are in turn not reinvested in the sector – and encouraging them to invest in innovation and research.”

The full report can be found here. For more information, please contact Becky Taylor, Editor Corporate Communications, on +44 (0)1276 485582 or by email at becky.taylor@eraa.org. 

* Founded in 1980, ERA is a non-profit trade association representing 64 airlines and 150 companies involved in European air transport and is the only association representing the entire spectrum of companies involved in European aviation. The association promotes the interests of European airlines by lobbying European regulatory bodies on policy matters, promoting the social and economic importance of air transport and its environmental commitments.