New analysis of airline lobbying in the EU shows that legacy airlines and industry associations are continuing their long-standing efforts to block the expansion of the key emissions reduction policy for the sector, the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), while support for the expansion among low-cost carriers declined.
This consolidation of negative advocacy on this issue, as well as longstanding industry opposition to multiple strands of climate policy, calls into question the credibility of any industry-led technological solutions or voluntary measures to address the sectors' climate impact. In October 2025, at the same time as the industry was advocating against the EU ETS, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) held its 42nd Global Assembly. The delegates present failed to strengthen existing voluntary regulation- the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, CORSIA. Industry players also continue to oppose stringent sustainable aviation fuel mandates and a tax on kerosene.
InfluenceMap’s latest assessment of lobbying via the July 2025 EU ETS call for evidence, alongside company statements on the topic, reveals that low-cost carriers are aligning their lobbying efforts with legacy airlines. This advocacy directly contradicts their previous statements and builds industry opposition to the proposed geographical extension of the EU ETS to include long-haul flights. This is particularly concerning, given that full implementation of this policy has been repeatedly delayed following industry pressure, with the full scope intended to come into force first in 2012. A second proposal to extend the policy to reach its full ambition in 2023 also failed.
The EU ETS caps total emissions across covered sectors and aims to drive emissions reductions through trading and compliance incentives. Currently, the policy has not been implemented as originally proposed in 2008 and is still only in force for flights within the European Economic Area (EEA), significantly decreasing the emissions reduction potential of the policy. Flights outside this area are supposed to be covered by the CORSIA, however, this is a voluntary offsetting initiative that has required airlines to make virtually no changes to their emissions since its conception in 2016.
Despite previously supporting extending the EU ETS to all flights departing the EEA, the research found that easyJet and Ryanair did not support the extension in 2025. Ryanair instead advocated to weaken the EU ETS by advocating for its costs to be aligned with CORSIA rates. At the same time, easyJet’s stance on CORSIA shifted significantly, from questioning its effectiveness to endorsing its implementation, in line with industry association positions. As a result, the split InfluenceMap previously highlighted between short-haul and long-haul airlines' positions on the EU ETS, observed between 2021 and 2024, has narrowed.
Long-haul airlines and industry associations continued to oppose the extension of the scope of the EU ETS in 2025, as they have done consistently since 2007. Airbus and International Airlines Group (IAG) opposed applying the EU ETS to all departing flights, whileAir France-KLM emphasized numerous concerns with the proposal. Airlines for America (A4A), Airlines for Europe (A4E), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) advocated for the repeal and replacement of the EU ETS for intra-EEA flights with CORSIA, which would significantly weaken emissions reductions. A4E and IAGalso advocated to effectively delay the expansion of the scope.
The research also notes that a small set of actors, including Schiphol Airport, Wizz Air, the SASHA coalition, and SkyNRG, continued to support expanding the ETS to all departing flights, arguing that such an expansion would provide regulatory certainty and unlock substantial climate finance.
Béa des Boscs, Aviation Analyst at InfluenceMap, said:
This research highlights the continuous trend of airlines pushing back against any kind of stringent emissions reduction policies and calls into question the integrity of the industry’s decarbonization plans. It clearly demonstrates that the aviation industry is prioritising short-term gains over its own long-term viability, expecting record net profit in 2026 while failing to address the climate breakdown that will threaten its profits for decades to come. The upcoming review of the EU ETS is a critical opportunity for the European Union to guide aviation emissions toward a science-aligned pathway, it is crucial that the scientific consensus and the positive actors that are engaged in promoting science-aligned policy are listened to.
Click here to read the full report
Kitty Hatchley, Media Manager, InfluenceMap (London)
Email: kitty.hatchley {@} influencemap.org
