Boeing, Ryanair and ENAV power European Parliament sustainable aviation exhibition

Boeing showcased the company’s latest sustainability innovations and advocated informed decision-making as part of ‘A Journey to Sustainable Aviation’ exhibition at the European Parliament in support of the European Union’s sustainable aviation policy initiatives.

Sponsored by Portuguese Member of the European Parliament and ReFuelEU shadow rapporteur Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar and in partnership with Ryanair and ENAV, the exhibition presented the latest sustainability data, innovations in research and technology testing, as well as the milestones ahead. Aviation24.be was present at the event.

The exhibit’s attractive audio-visual setup sparked discussions among its visitors around the ongoing policy negotiations towards a net-zero European aviation. It focused on three key strategies on the path towards aviation sustainability – Fleet renewal, Sustainable Aviation Fuels and Operational efficiencies. Low-carbon technologies as a crucial part of the decarbonisation journey towards 2050 were also discussed at the exhibition, where a model of Boeing’s 2022 ecoDemonstrator that will test 30 new technologies to improve operational efficiency and safety was also demonstrated.

“As co-legislators, we have three levels of concern to bear in mind: passengers, sustainability, and the reality of airlines, airports, and fuel manufacturers. A sector as crucial as aviation cannot be subject to unrealistic target proposals, however well-intentioned they may be. Countries and passengers must have equal access to this way of transportation, especially those in peripheral regions, more dependent on it. We often tend to privilege, and in an isolated manner, one of these dimensions and we forget the others. Our decisions must be based on equality and proportionality,” said MEP Monteiro de Aguiar in her opening statement at the exhibition’s inauguration on 11 October.

“We are proud to collaborate with the EU and industry partners on informing Europe’s sustainable aviation journey through increased SAF uptake, operational efficiencies and accelerated fleet renewal,” said Brian Moran, Vice President, Global Sustainability Policy and Partnerships at Boeing. “Boeing actively supports ReFuelEU Aviation and the proposal to leverage the EU Emissions Trading Scheme’s SAF allowances and the Innovation Fund to bring low-carbon technologies in energy-intensive industries. As a proud member of the Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuels Value Chain Industrial Alliance, we continue to support sustainable-feedstock neutral SAF policy and pathways, and the creation of a Sustainable Aviation Fund under ReFuelEU Aviation to achieve zero impact aviation by 2050.”

“We are happy to partake in this exhibition with Boeing and ENAV to show what the sector is doing to reduce its climate impact while efficiently delivering the essential service of air connectivity,” said Steven Fitzgerald, Head of Sustainability and Finance at Ryanair. “We echo the call to legislators to make sure that SAF will play a central role in the decarbonization of the sector, and we look forward to improvements in the air navigation systems to keep reducing the footprint of the sector.”

“We very much welcome the opportunity given to ENAV to display and discuss with decision-makers and stakeholders how the whole aviation sector is committed to reducing the environmental footprint of air transport in a collaborative effort,” said Stefano Casalegno, Chief Innovation & Sustainability Officer at ENAV. He added that environmental sustainability, along with traffic growth and digitalization, is among the main objectives of the future of the aviation industry.

This exhibit was key to raising awareness of the actions already taken and the need for additional actions from all parts of the aviation sector to meet civil aviation’s goal of net zero emissions as well as the EU Green Deal’s objective of achieving a climate-neutral EU by 2050.

Boeing is determined to make flying more economical for airlines, affordable for more travellers and better for the environment as part of our commitment to environmental stewardship and social progress. Boeing is committed to delivering commercial aeroplanes capable and certified to fly on 100% SAF by 2030, and continues to work with EU legislators and regulators to ensure the sustainable and safe growth of the aviation sector in Europe and across the globe.