The European Commission (EU) has adopted a new decision on Sept. 8, 2026, allocating EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) allowance to airlines for using sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) in 2025. Sustainable Aviation Fuels support increases The EU ETS support for SAF commitment in 2025 amounted to approximately 5.2 million ETS allowances, worth €430 million which […]
Travel Radar•Alice Atherton17 Sept
Nine countries have reportedly told the European Commission they will not be enforcing the European Union’s (EU) entry-exit system (EES) at border control until the system is fully operational. The scheme was due to be resumed last week following an EU-permitted summer hiatus, but some countries have refused to do so. EES checks have caused […]
Travel Radar•Olivia Jarvis16 Sept
Wizz Air has renewed its call on the Serbian authorities to urgently resolve a regulatory dispute which it says threatens the future of its Belgrade base. The airline claims that regulatory changes introduced this year have placed the viability of its Belgrade base at risk. It warned that the dispute extends beyond its own operations and could affect employment, competition, affordable travel, Serbia’s connectivity with Europe and international investors’ confidence in the Serbian market. The European Commission is examining whether the amendments to Serbia’s aviation regulations comply with the country’s obligations under the European Common Aviation Area Agreement. Wizz Air’s Chief Corporate Officer, Owain Jones, said, “Wizz Air has been investing in Serbia for more than fifteen years. We want to stay, grow and continue investing. However, investment requires fair rules and certainty. We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for equal treatment and the opportunity to compete for Serbian passengers on price, service and network. Serbia should be attracting investment and improving connectivity, not putting both into question. The solution is simple: remove discriminatory restrictions and allow competition to work. Wizz Air has made its choice: we choose Serbia. Now Serbia must decide whether it chooses competition, connectivity and investment”. Wizz Air said it remains prepared to engage in constructive discussions with the Serbian authorities, the Civil Aviation Directorate and European institutions in order to reach an urgent solution. It added the protection of a single company from competition benefits no one The Serbian Ministry for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, said recently, “There is no intention to “force” Wizz Air out of Serbia or to restrict its, or any other EU carrier’s, right to operate services, either in terms of routes or frequencies”. It noted that the airline’s Belgrade base is contrary to the Multilateral Agreement on the Establishment of a European Common Aviation Area. EX-YU Aviation News
Aviation News – The European Commission officially approved a 6.1 billion euros ($7.1 billion) tranche of defense aid for Ukraine on Sept. 11, granting specific...
The European Commission will discuss Serbia’s contentious changes to its aviation regulations with the Serbian authorities at a meeting of the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) Joint Committee in Brussels on September 22 and 23, in talks that could prove decisive in determining whether the amendments comply with the country’s obligations under the ECAA Agreement. The outcome could have major implications for Wizz Air, which has warned that the new rules could force it to close its Belgrade base. A European Commission official confirmed to EX-YU Aviation News that the matter will be raised directly with Serbia during the meeting. “The Joint Committee takes place in Brussels on 22 and 23 September. It will bring together all ECAA Parties, but the Commission services will also have bilateral meetings with each of the Western Balkan partners. The Commission will take the opportunity to discuss the matter with Serbian authorities at the Joint Committee”, the official said. The Joint Committee is responsible for administering the ECAA Agreement and ensuring its proper implementation. Under the Agreement, where new legislation is introduced, the parties can consult on its implications through the Joint Committee, which can determine whether the legislation is in accordance with the Agreement or take other steps aimed at safeguarding its functioning. The upcoming talks are therefore expected to represent a key stage in the Commission’s assessment of the Serbian regulatory changes. The European Commission began examining the matter earlier this year following a complaint from Wizz Air. At the time, Brussels told EX-YU Aviation News that it was in contact with the Serbian authorities “with a view to checking the compatibility of this Regulation with Serbia’s obligations under the European Common Aviation Area Agreement”. The dispute centres on amendments to Serbia’s Regulation on Issuing Approvals to Foreign Air Carriers for the Operation of International Commercial Air Services, adopted by the Civil Aviation Directorate earlier this year. Under the amended provisions, approvals granted to EU airlines exercising third- and fourth-freedom traffic rights are limited to flights which begin and end within the European Union. Wizz Air argues this effectively prevents a foreign EU carrier from beginning its rotations in Serbia and therefore makes its current Belgrade base model unworkable. Wizz Air currently stations four aircraft in the Serbian capital and has maintained a base in Belgrade since 2011. It has warned that unless a solution is reached, the based aircraft could be relocated from Serbia with the start of the 2026/27 winter season, beggining on October 25. The airline has stressed that it would not withdraw from Belgrade altogether but would instead attempt to retain as many routes as possible using aircraft based elsewhere, which would likely result in fewer flights and frequencies. Wizz Air is expected to make a final decision on the future of the base by the end of September, falling shortly after the Brussels meeting. In a statement to EX-YU Aviation News, the Serbian Ministry for Construction, Traponsport and Infrastructure, said, “There is no intention to “force” Wizz Air out of Serbia or to restrict its, or any other EU carrier’s, right to operate services, either in terms of routes or frequencies. The issue concerns the so-called establishment of EU air carriers in Serbia, specifically at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, Niš Constantine the Great Airport and Morava Airport in Kraljevo, as this is contrary to the Multilateral Agreement on the Establishment of a European Common Aviation Area (ECAA Agreement). Under the Agreement, Serbia is currently in the First Transitional Period, during which the standard arrangement is for foreign air carriers to commence their flights at a point outside Serbia and terminate them at a point within Serbia. Ultimately, the adoption of the new regulation removes the more favourable treatment previously afforded to one carrier compared to all others”. EX-YU Aviation News
French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Thursday for Europeans to "act" on a massive scale to find their place against the United States and China in the space race, from communications to crewed spaceflight. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney, Svetla Ben-Itzhak, Assistant Professor of Space and International Relations, and Deputy Director of the West Space Scholars Programme at Johns Hopkins University, explains that "Europe does have world-class scientific and industrial capabilities, as well as aspirations, but it lacks the investment, the launch cadence, the scale as well as the degree of political integration that the US and China possess".
French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed their commitment to space at a major summit co-hosted by France and Germany in Paris.
Euronews10 Sept
Ryanair has called on the European Commission to extend until April 2027 emergency flexibility allowing countries to suspend parts of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) when border-control queues become excessive. The airline said the derogation expired on 6 September despite continuing problems with kiosks, staffing and processing times. According to Ryanair, passengers faced waits of […]
Aviation24.be•André Orban7 Sept
EU competition authorities had examined whether Pratt & Whitney Canada restricted independent spare-parts suppliers’ access to components and services
Air Data News•Ricardo Meier21 AugBelgian space company Aerospacelab has secured the largest contract in its history after being selected by the European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium to help build IRIS², the European Union’s flagship secure satellite communications constellation. The Mont-Saint-Guibert-based company will be one of four prime satellite manufacturers responsible for delivering the space and ground infrastructure required […]
Aviation24.be•André Orban7 Aug
The European Commission has released an additional €3.47bn to support Ukraine's defence efforts, as part of the €90bn Ukraine Support Loan.
LARA•Matthew Wilson29 Jul
The Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG has appointed Lorenza Maggio as the new CEO of Brussels Airlines. The decision is still subject to approval by the Board of Directors of SN Airholding. Alongside leading the Belgian airline, Lorenza Maggio will assume the role of “Executive Board Representative to the European Commission.” Her predecessor, Dorothea von Boxberg, is leaving the company at her own request with effect from 31 August 2026. The date for Lorenza Maggio’s transition from Rome to Brussels will be determined shortly.
The Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG has appointed Lorenza Maggio as the new CEO of Brussels Airlines, a Lufthansa subsidiary. Alongside her role as CEO, she will serve as the Executive Board Representative to the European Commission. She will succeed Dorothea von Boxberg, who is leaving the company at her own request, effective August […]
Travel Radar•Zoe Weyrauch-Gosling18 JulAirlines for Europe (A4E) has criticised the European Commission’s proposed reform of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), arguing that it will increase costs for passengers without ensuring that ETS revenues are reinvested in aviation decarbonisation. A4E said the EU had chosen to extend a regional emissions pricing system to address what it considers a […]
Aviation24.be•André Orban17 JulThe Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa has appointed Lorenza Maggio as the next Chief Executive Officer of Brussels Airlines, subject to approval by the Board of Directors of SN Airholding. Maggio will also take on the role of Executive Board Representative to the European Commission. She will succeed Dorothea von Boxberg, who is leaving the […]
AviTrader•Heike Tamm17 JulThe European Commission has announced its official support for Bertrand Piccard’s Climate Impulse project, which aims to complete the first non-stop, around-the-world flight in a hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2030. The European Union’s backing is symbolic rather than financial, recognising the initiative’s contribution to climate action, technological innovation and European industrial competitiveness. European Commission Executive Vice-President […]
Aviation24.be•André Orban16 JulThe European Commission has begun disbursing €3.9 billion to Ukraine to finance the procurement of military drones, marking the first payment under a dedicated defence tranche of the EU’s €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan. The funding forms part of an initial drone package worth around €6 billion and follows a separate €3.2 billion payment made […]
Aviation24.be•André Orban30 JunThe European Commission has warned the Netherlands that its rules for allocating capacity on the country’s main railway network may breach EU competition law by favouring state-owned rail operator NS over rival companies. In a Letter of Formal Notice sent to the Dutch authorities, the Commission expressed preliminary concerns that the current system gives NS […]
Aviation24.be•André Orban29 Jun
Speaking at ACI EUROPE’s 36th Annual Congress & General Assembly in Prague, the association’s President & CEO of Fraport, Stefan Schulte, today called on the European Commission to deliver an Aviation Strategy that restores Europe’s competitiveness by empowering aviation to invest, innovate, strengthen its resilience, and enable decarbonisation. EES IMPACT UNMANAGEABLE In a high‑level discussion
Airline Routes & Ground Services•Eddie Saunders23 Jun
