The European Regions Airline Association (ERA) has issued a stark warning that the current implementation of the European Union’s ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation is creating structural disadvantages for smaller regional carriers, potentially isolating remote communities and endangering vital air links.
An ERA meeting in Copenhagen earlier this year saw delegates challenge Eddy Liegeois, EU Head of Aviation Policy, over EU Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandates. And as members gather this week in Estoril, Portugal, for the Association’s General Assembly, the issue is likely to be high on the agenda.
The Association’s new study – titled “Cutting emissions without cutting connections: How to make ReFuelEU work for all of Europe’s airlines” – reveals that the supply of SAF is heavily concentrated at major aviation hubs, leaving many smaller, regional airports without access. This exposes Europe’s most remote communities to rising costs, complex compliance burdens, and the risk of reduced connectivity.
The ERA says that while the airline sector is fully committed to the goal of net zero emissions by 2050, the fragmented rollout of ReFuelEU risks penalising regional airlines and the communities that rely on their services.
Under the Destination 2050 roadmap, SAF is expected to deliver the largest share of aviation’s emission reductions, with ReFuelEU requiring suppliers to blend increasing shares of the fuel, starting at 2% in 2025 and rising to 70% by 2050.
However, ERA members report that the early implementation is fragmented and unfair, forcing airlines to reconsider and redesign their network viability.
Key issues highlighted in the study include:
- Unfair Access: The concentration of SAF at major hubs means regional airports are under-served, preventing carriers from claiming necessary SAF credits.
- Cost Distortions: Smaller airlines with less purchasing power face inflated costs due to opaque surcharges and bundled pricing.
- Compliance Traps: Complex and inconsistent reporting rules disproportionately affect regional carriers who have fewer resources to manage them.
- Operational Risks: The Article 5 “anti-tankering rule,” intended to stop airlines from carrying extra fuel to avoid refuelling at higher-cost destinations, is creating unintended safety and cost issues on essential lifeline routes, particularly for smaller aircraft, without providing clear environmental benefits.
ERA Director General Montserrat Barriga said the situation could soon put some regional operators out of business.
“Europe’s green transition cannot come at the cost of territorial regional cohesion,” she added. “If ReFuelEU continues on its current path, Europe risks seeing airlines go bankrupt and losing vital air connectivity.”
The ERA is now calling on EU policymakers to urgently revise the ReFuelEU Regulation. They urge the commission to ensure that SAF is scaled up fairly and efficiently across all regions and to align the regulation’s implementation with the funding priorities of the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP).
A revised framework, the association argues, would accelerate SAF deployment, strengthen competition, deliver genuine emissions reductions, and protect Europe’s essential air connectivity.
ERA Director General Montserrat Barriga is warning that SAF mandates could bankrupt regional airlines.
