In an upcoming reboot of its aviation strategy, the EU will seek to shield domestic firms from undercutting by foreign airlines and producers, go all in on new technologies like autonomous aircraft, and make sure it is ready to resist international crises.
“A global level playing field is paramount to supporting the competitiveness of EU airlines and attractiveness of EU hub airports,” reads a document outlining an initial consultation opened on Thursday.
The EU executive’s concerns over competitiveness go well beyond the immediate issue of fuel supply risks stemming from the US-Israeli war on Iran.
The Commission refers indirectly to the financial burden that complying with European climate legislation places on local airlines, and says EU plan should “shield” the aviation and aeronautical industries “unfair competition”.
This means boosting strategic autonomy when it comes to supply chains: ensuring access to aviation fuel, critical raw materials, and other technologies.
The upcoming plan must also ensure European industry “benefits from modern and sovereign IT and data ecosystem”, the EU executive says.
“Unpredictable global trade creates uncertainty for the EU’s strategic autonomy,” according to the consultation paper. “This challenge arises alongside the expected rapid growth of competing global aircraft manufacturers, paired with foreign takeover of EU aviation startups.”
Leading on sustainable aviation and zero-emission technologies is an “imperative”, it added.
Unmanned aircraft
Beyond clean tech, however, the Commission is concerned the EU is losing ground in the global race to create small, electric aircraft – drone-like flying taxis, for example – such as those that are already being developed in the US and China.
Brussels wants to invest in research and “boost the large-scale deployment of unmanned aircraft by accelerating the implementation of an enabling regulatory framework”.
There is also a security aspect to the EU executive’s plans. The Commission wants the sector to be ready for a world increasingly plagued by war, and where the potential to disrupt global navigation satellite systems is already being weaponised.
The upcoming strategy should “increase aviation’s resilience to emerging security threats such as GNSS interference, drone incursions, use of aviation for irregular migration, and potential future major crises”, it writes.
The consultation runs until 21 May; the adoption of the EU strategy is scheduled for the third quarter of 2026.
(rh)
