The European Commission has outlined its Clean Aviation research programme, intended to replace the EU's two previous Clean Sky joint undertakings and facilitate technology development toward achieving climate-neutrality by 2050.
Formally named the European Partnership for Clean Aviation, the programme sits alongside similar joint activities between the EU, member states and industry across multiple business sectors, under the bloc's Horizon Europe research and innovation framework. The EU says it will provide nearly €10 billion ($12 billion) of funding for the overall programme, which "partners will match with at least an equivalent amount of investment". Additional initiatives at national, regional or private level are set to support the EU programme. Scheduled to run from this year until 2031, Clean Sky says that the new aviation programme will "accelerate the development of disruptive technologies through simulations and integrated demonstrations of novel aircraft and propulsion configurations and systems at the aircraft platform level". Activities will be focused on three areas: hybrid- and fullt electric concepts, ultra-efficient aircraft architectures, and technologies for hydrogen-powered aircraft. The objective is to develop a "new breed" of regional, short- and medium-haul airliners, which "will be offered to the market by 2030 for an entry into service by 2035", Clean Sky says. Earlier this month, several European aviation industry players and bodies disclosed a roadmap, Destination 2050, toward climate-neutrality through improvements to aircraft and engine technology, air traffic management, sustainable aviation fuels, and emissions trading and offsetting. Clean Sky 2 executive director Axel Krein states: "The time has come for a radical change. We need faster, more disruptive innovations and a rapid influx and integration of key emerging technologies, including promising solutions from other sectors, to secure climate-neutral aviation. "Faced with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, we must take this opportunity to reimagine the aviation industry – in a sustainable and green way."

Global passenger demand is deteriorating through the first half of 2021, IATA has warned while significantly downgrading its traffic estimates for the year. The airline association now expects traffic as measured by revenue passenger-kilometres to reach just 33-38% of 2019's levels in 2021, down from an estimate of 51% in December. It cites data showing a decline in domestic ticket sales since the end of 2020 while international bookings remain just a fraction of pre-pandemic levels. Speaking during IATA's regular press briefing, chief economist Brian Pearce said the estimates raised questions over airlines' "survivability" as they were unlikely to be profitable until 2022: "We are concerned now it's going to take much longer for the industry to stop burning through cash." Whereas previously IATA expected airlines to be generating profits by the final quarter of 2021, it now believes they could burn through $95 billion this year. The excess debt taken on by airlines will result in a "challenging environment", hindering their ability to invest in fleets and meet other spending commitments, adds Pearce. IATA attributes the deterioration in trading conditions to more stringent travel restrictions owing to the spread of new variants of Covid-19. The change in estimates represents a rapid adjustment of IATA's expectations. On a 3 February press call, it floated the prospect of RPKs declining to 38% of 2019's levels in 2021, but cautioned this was not a scenario but "an introduction of what may happen". Three weeks later it has not only made a recovery to 38% its "optimistic scenario", but introduced a further, lower potential pathway of a return to 33% of pre-pandemic levels. "With governments having tightening border restrictions, 2021 is shaping up to be a much tougher year than previously expected," says IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac. "Our best-case scenario sees airlines burning through $75 billion in cash this year. And it could be as bad as $95 billion. More emergency relief from governments will be needed." He adds: "A functioning airline industry can eventually energise the economic recovery from Covid-19. But that won't happen if there are massive failures before the crisis ends. If governments are unable to open their borders, we will need them to open their wallets with financial relief to keep airlines viable."

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency is looking to introduce an environmental labelling scheme that could require airlines to publish greater information on the carbon imprint of their operations. "We can confirm that EASA has the intention of introducing an environmental label for aviation". "It is not, however, foreseen that airlines will be obliged to display carbon emission data, or any other information from such a label, on tickets or during the booking process." Still, the agency is hopeful that information will be "distributed in a way that really benefits the consumer in making more sustainable air travel choices". German newspaper Welt am Sonntag had reported that EASA was seeking tenders for a classification system to rank flights and aircraft by their carbon footprint. The label concept is "still at the very early stages of development". Discussions are ongoing with stakeholders, including airlines."The main driver behind this initiative is to provide clear and credible information with regards to the environmental impact of aviation which is currently missing, often leading to confusion and mistrust," adds the agency.