The European Commission presented, on 5 November 2025 in Brussels, the so-called Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP), which aims, among other things, at supporting the ramp-up of sustainable aviation fuels.
Concrete steps needed
According to the BDL chief executive Dr. Joachim Lang, this is a first step in the right direction, but central opportunities would remain untapped. Subsidies alone would not be enough to establish SAF as a competitive alternative.
"What matters are concrete steps to long-term reductions in SAF prices, the
targeted build-up of production capacities for biogenic and synthetic SAF in Europe, and more flexibility for airlines, for example through a book-and-claim system or the expansion of SAF allowances," said Lang.
Herculean task
At the same time, according to him, a competition-neutral overhaul of EU climate protection legislation is needed in order not to disadvantage European airlines in global competition.
"The decarbonisation of aviation is a Herculean task. Given the sector's high energy intensity, the reduction of CO2 emissions remains particularly challenging,
and it is foreseeable that aircraft will continue to rely on liquid energy carriers. At the same time, global demand for air travel continues to grow," said the BDL chief executive.
According to him, therefore, the rapid expansion of SAF production capacity must have top priority. However, the current regulatory framework conditions are not sufficient to enable this growth.
The current EU regulation makes production development more difficult and imposes "disproportionate costs on European companies alone, while international competitors remain largely unaffected,"
Lang continued.
Call
The Federal Association of the German air transport industry calls on the European Commission to adjust the regulatory framework for SAF expansion now — in order to promote production sustainably, according to the BDL.
According to Lang, competition neutrality, growth opportunities, and connectivity should create level playing fields between EU and non-EU airlines. In addition, the association addresses the federal government with the demand to provide financing instruments for SAF expansion — for example from the revenues of the
