Ryanair cranks up pressure over Lisbon slots

European Parliament mandates new 2050 SAF targets

The European Parliament last week passed a law that will require aircraft flying in and out of European Union (EU) airports in 2050 to use at least 70% sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). The parliament passed the law on September 13 as part of its Fit for 55 package.

Under the new law, known as the RefuelEU aviation rules, from 2025, EU airports and fuel suppliers must ensure that 2% of the fuel supplied is SAF. This ratio will increase every five years - 6% in 2030, 20% in 2035, 34% in 2040, 42% in 2045 and 70% in 2050. Additionally, a specific proportion of the fuel mix (1.2% in 2030, 2% in 2032, 5% in 2035, progressively reaching 35% in 2050) must comprise synthetic fuels like e-kerosene.

Five hundred and eighteen parliamentarians voted in favour of the new law, 97 voted against, and eight abstained. Parliamentary rapporteur José Ramón Bauzá Díaz called the new law a "tremendous step" towards the decarbonisation of aviation. "It is now time for EU governments to implement the new rules and support the...

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Ryanair slams Italy's "stupid and illegal" fare cap

Ryanair (FR, Dublin International) has lodged a complaint with the European Commission over what CEO Michael O'Leary described as Italy's "stupid and illegal decree" capping fares to Sicily and Sardinia, reports Reuters.

Speaking during the presentation of Ryanair's new winter routes from Milan Malpensa and Milan Bergamo, he warned the Italian government was interfering with airlines' freedom to set low fares on domestic routes, which would drive up prices for Italian passengers. "This decree will only bring fewer flights and higher fares to Sardinia and Sicily," he said. He also cautioned it would impact Italian regional connectivity, employment, and tourism as airlines would shift their capacity from domestic to international routes, which are not subject to fare caps.

He insisted the decree was also unenforceable: "European law guarantees airlines the freedom to set prices lower or higher, and no Italian decree can limit this regulation".

"Unfortunately, this stupid and illegal decree, based on false and inaccurate advice from [the Italian civil aviation authority] ENAC, will have the opposite effect by reducing capacity...

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