Airline lobby groups have denounced the European Commission’s proposed revamp of the EU emissions trading system (EU ETS), arguing that it ambition to cover flights beyond the EU amounts to extraterritorial and unilateral approach. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said the EU was undermining the global mechanism CORSIA, while Airlines for America said the proposal violates international agreements.

The proposal, set to enter into force as of 2029 if approved, includes fully covering all flights that land or depart at any airport within a 5,000-kilometre radius from Paris. This would mostly impact operations to the Middle East, Türkiye, and North Africa. Emirates president Tim Clark called the proposal “a double whammy” and echoed his support for CORSIA.

Currently, the ETS only covers flights within the EU and EFTA countries.