PARLIAMENT STUDY EXAMINES COMPETITIVENESS OF THE EU AVIATION SECTOR
A study prepared by STEER for the European Parliament's Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) provides a comprehensive assessment of the competitiveness of the EU aviation sector and identifies a range of policy options to strengthen its long-term position in an increasingly competitive global market.
The report analyses the entire aviation value chain, including airlines, airports, ground handling, air navigation services, aerospace and aviation fuel supply. It examines both the sector's economic contribution and the challenges arising from global competition, decarbonisation requirements, infrastructure needs and regulatory developments.
The study highlights the continued strategic importance of air cargo for European trade and supply chains. In 2024, air cargo volumes transported across the EU-27 reached 14.6 million tonnes, with Germany accounting for approximately one-third of the total. Over the period 2015–2024, air cargo volumes grew by around 15%, with extra-EU traffic representing more than 83% of total freight throughput. The report notes the importance of maintaining international connectivity, as air freight continues to play a critical role in the transport of time-sensitive and high-value goods.
A central theme of the report is the challenge of reconciling competitiveness with the aviation sector's decarbonisation objectives. The study assesses the impact of measures such as ReFuelEU Aviation, the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and CORSIA, noting that sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are expected to play a key role in reducing emissions.
Within this context, the study examines the potential development of a book-and-claim system for SAF. According to the report, such a mechanism could create an EU-wide marketplace for SAF. The study notes that this could increase flexibility in SAF deployment, enhance competition and contribute to lower costs. The report also notes that the benefits of such a system may not be evenly distributed across fuel suppliers and could contribute to further market concentration.
More broadly, the study recommends a package of measures aimed at preserving the competitiveness of European aviation while supporting the transition to lower-carbon operations. These include actions to stimulate SAF production, improve investment certainty, address infrastructure constraints.
The full study can be accessed here.