Air Service Regulations

Air traffic restrictions are increasingly recognized as a critical policy instrument in advancing aviation decarbonization and reducing sector-wide greenhouse gas emissions. Within the European Union’s revision of the Air Services Regulation, environmental-based operating limitations are viewed as an immediate and complementary mechanism for mitigating carbon dioxide output, particularly on routes where lower-emission alternatives such as rail are available.

Article 20 of the regulation provides Member States with the authority to impose restrictions on environmental grounds, enabling targeted reductions in high-emission flight activity. Preserving and reinforcing this provision ensures that governments retain the flexibility to implement proportionate, climate-aligned measures rooted in national policy objectives. Excessive procedural additions could limit the effectiveness of these interventions.

Beyond direct emissions reductions, such restrictions can accelerate the transition toward sustainable aviation fuels, zero-emission aircraft technologies, and multimodal transport integration, contributing to a broader, systems-level approach to sustainable European mobility.

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