The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) this week launched the new Climbing Fast Europe website as an advocacy platform for the industry. Based on the campaign launched by the NBAA in 2023, the initiative was announced during the EBACE show in May.
The European version of Climbing Fast is part of a wider initiative backed by the International Business Aviation Council and the British Business and General Aviation Association. Announcing the launch of the site on Wednesday, EBAA said the content posted there will promote and defend the value of business aviation and include specific information for EU policymakers.
In June, EBAA made a formal request for the European Commission (EC) to suspend the application of the ReFuelEU regulation for what it defined as small aircraft operations. In effect since January 1, the rule requires European operators to uplift at least 90% of their annual fuel at EU airports in an effort to severely restrict tankering.
ReFuelEU Suspension Requested
In a letter to Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism, the association argued that these requirements are impractical for business aircraft operators. They urged the EC to defer enforcement until 2027 to allow more time to gather data as to how the system works in practice and what environmental impact it will have.
The new site includes information about steps being taken by the business aviation sector to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. There is also extensive data that details the socioeconomic benefits of the industry to European countries.
Business aviation companies continue to face new regulatory challenges at both the European and national levels. For instance, charter flights in France continue to be subject to a punitive tax for each passenger, which has greatly increased costs.
EBAA’s French chapter has been lobbying to have the tax scrapped in the government’s 2026 budget, with debates around this plan expected to intensify during September. However, with French Prime Minister François Bayrou now facing a parliamentary vote of no confidence on September 8, there is an increasing likelihood that his government will collapse, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to scramble to secure an alternative coalition from the fractious National Assembly.