Aviation industry wants more subsidy for cleaner jet fuel

The airline industry wants European governments to put more taxpayer money into limiting aircraft CO2 emissions. At a panel discussion ahead of next week's Paris Air Show, speakers warned on Friday that Europe risks falling behind the United States. There, government subsidies are very important in funding the development of alternatives to fossil fuels.

"Policy is absolutely crucial in order to create momentum," said Jonathan Wood, director at Neste, which makes biofuels from used cooking oil and animal fats. "This is where we need to get to work. We don't have time to look for the perfect solution." Remona van der Zon, who is responsible for sustainability strategy at airline KLM, also stressed that the stakes are high. In her opinion, "it is crucial that these incentives are available today and tomorrow.

The political lobbying appeared to show immediate results on Friday when French President Emmanuel Macron said France would help finance a plant to produce sustainable jet fuel. The plant will cost about 1 billion euros to build. However, this amount is minuscule compared to the equivalent of more than 1,300 billion euros estimated to be needed to enable the global push for clean fuel.

The meeting also criticized the Dutch plans to limit the number of flights at Schiphol Airport, a tone that has been heard more frequently in the industry recently. On stage, Tim Clark, CEO of Dubai-based Emirates airline, expressed anger about this. He also opposed a French ban on certain flights to encourage train travel. He predicted that air travel prices will "skyrocket" if all these measures are enforced.