Kuala Lumpur,29th July 2026:
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) has responded to the European Commission’s 17 July 2026 proposal regarding the review of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). While welcoming targeted provisions, the association has strongly cautioned against unilateral expansions that conflict with established global frameworks.
In a statement, AAPA said that they welcome the Commission’s decision to maintain the ‘stop the clock’ on applying EU ETS to the full length of international flights, and the additional support proposed for sustainable aviation fuels. However, we share the concerns raised by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which noted that a unilateral expansion of the EU ETS for aviation would be inconsistent with the objective of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), the only global market-based measure applying to CO2 emissions from international aviation, and risks duplicative measures.
CORSIA was approved by ICAO Member States in 2016. AAPA believes that a unilateral, regional extension of EU ETS risks setting a precedent for fragmented, extraterritorial climate measures that could undermine this multilateral framework over time.
The association mentioned that they encourage the European Parliament, Council and Commission, as this proposal is negotiated in the months ahead, to reaffirm their support for CORSIA and the integrity of the global, consensus-based approach it represents.
Further, they will continue to monitor this proposal as it moves through the EU legislative process and engage constructively with European institutions and ICAO on behalf of our member airlines.”
