The need to mitigate climate change is broadly supported in the aviation ecosystem, also by EREA. However, how this is best done remains a challenging question. To contribute to a way forward, EREA proposes 7 clear steps:
- Climate: reducing the impact towards zero;
- Quality of life: serving society by means of seamless, accessible and affordable mobility with the least impact on environment and people;
- Serving society: special missions required under extraordinary circumstances;
- Digitalization: an enabler for making society greener and part of artificial intelligence and cloud computing (Gaia-X);
- Competitiveness: be most innovative on a worldwide scale;
- Prosperity: guaranteeing the workforce, research and infrastructures through European industrial and operational leadership;
- Implementation: from the 6 points stated above to a new concept for sustainable aviation in Europe.
These points have been used already as input for the new ACARE European Vision ‘Fly the Green Deal’ and thus should be used for future reference by European governments and stakeholders, to ensure the achievement of concrete actions and results accelerating the twin transition of aviation towards a digital and green mode of transport. At the same time, EREA invites the European Commission to work towards a European Aviation Research Union, stepping up efforts in Research and Innovation as well as providing a framework allowing for effective and efficient use, upgrading or building of Technology Infrastructures.
Finally, the European aviation ecosystem is invited to subscribe to Future Sky (futuresky.eu); the EREA Joint Programme covering key themes, such as quiet air transport, safety and energy.
EREA looks forward to engaging with its stakeholders further. For inquiries, please contact the EREA Executive Secretariat.