ACI EUROPE welcomes release of Alliance for Zero-Emission Aircraft Vision
The European Commission’s Alliance for Zero-Emission Aircraft (AZEA) vision document was released at its General Assembly held during ILA Berlin Air Show. The Alliance for Zero-Emission Aviation is a voluntary initiative that prepares the European aviation ecosystem for the transition to electric and hydrogen propulsion, in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal.
The Vision establishes the objective of having 36-68% of intra-EU flights operated by new aircraft configurations by 2050, and identifies the total renewable and low carbon energy required to operate those flights in 2030 (not including SAF). This includes 78 – 198 TWh/y of electricity for aircraft propulsion and hydrogen production and 1.2 – 2.9 Mt/y of hydrogen. Through this, CO2 emissions on intra-EU routes could be reduced by 30% by 2050.
The Vision also recognises the barriers and challenges to make electric and hydrogen flight a reality, and the need for sufficient investment in infrastructure on the ground. The Vision also further highlights the importance of collaboration across the aviation ecosystem. ACI EUROPE leads European airports in AZEA for this reason, bringing the airport sector experience and expertise needed to make the energy shift towards electricity and hydrogen a reality in aviation.
The Vision also points to the requirement that most of the infrastructure needed to bring electricity and hydrogen to the aircraft still needs to be developed – be it external infrastructure or internal generation on the airport site. This will need to be factored into national and European energy plans, echoing calls ACI EUROPE made in our Policy Manifesto.
Giorgio Medici, Chair of the AZEA Working Group 3 and chair of the ACI EUROPE AZEA Working Group, reflects on how AZEA naturally fits with ACI EUROPE’s work towards decarbonisation. ‘ACI EUROPE has been actively promoting the decarbonisation of the airport industry for more than 15 years, having committed to Net Zero since 2019 and publishing a DESTINATION 2050 roadmap to Net Zero in 2021 with all European air transport stakeholders. Through AZEA, the first EU-wide initiative to successfully unite stakeholders from across the air transport industry under one common Vision for the adoption of zero-emission aircraft, ACI EUROPE continues that work.’
AZEA Vision: Flying on electricity and hydrogen in Europe
Our Press Release on the ACI EUROPE Airport Industry Manifesto for the Next EU Political Cycle
