Keynote address by Director-General Magda Kopczyńska during the opening of the 7th edition of ‘Wings of Change Europe’ (WOCE) organised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
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Thank you for inviting me to speak at Wings of Change Europe. I don’t often get to spend time with the operational core of European aviation; it is a pleasure to do so. For years now, aviation in Europe has ridden the wave of post-deregulation growth. Passengers, airlines, airports – everyone has benefited from our leadership on the global aviation stage. But my message today is one of caution: Europe is still a world leader in aviation. But this leadership cannot be taken for granted. Today, I would like to share my views on how Europe can keep its aviation sector competitive, despite a challenging geopolitical landscape.
But first, let’s remind ourselves what we’ve built. Our aviation single market has transformed connectivity across the continent. It has more than tripled direct intra-EU routes, significantly cut ticket prices, and helped air passenger numbers in the Union reach 1.1 billion by 2025. Aviation directly supports around 2 million jobs in the EU, and indirectly 9.3 million. It accounts for around 4.5% of EU GDP, and is part of a broader ecosystem supporting connectivity, trade, tourism and regional cohesion. Europe’s aerospace manufacturers ranked first for large commercial aircraft deliveries in 2025, with a 55% market share and around 60% of backlog orders. And while European technology manages 70% of global airspace, the EU is the world’s largest exporter of high-tech civil aeronautical products.
But the world has changed. The world of 2026 is not that of 2015, the year of the EU Aviation Strategy. Since then, we have seen the Paris agreement, the Green Deal, the pandemic, geopolitical instability, sharper industrial rivalry, more fragile supply chains, higher energy costs, and a more fragmented global environment. In parallel, the sector is under pressure to decarbonise faster, modernise infrastructure, strengthen resilience and remain globally competitive. That is why Europe needs a new aviation strategy. Aviation is a strategic sector for Europe’s prosperity, sovereignty, innovation, connectivity and resilience. And in these volatile times, we need to be strategic. For Europe to remain an aviation leader, we need a policy framework that is broader, more industrial, more security-aware and more future-oriented.
But what does this mean in practice? First, it means putting competitiveness centre stage. Preserving connectivity and affordable air services requires competitive airlines, airports, manufacturers and service providers. So we need to increase supply-chain resilience, decrease strategic dependencies, support the aeronautics industry, and ensure that the conditions for competition are fair both inside Europe, and globally. Let’s stay with this last point – fair competition – for a moment. Because I would really like to emphasise the Commission’s position on this. We are asking European operators to decarbonise, invest and innovate faster — and we stand firmly by these demands. But we also know that your sector is facing stiff competition from non-EU countries. We are determined to make sure that EU companies are never put at a permanent disadvantage compared to its competitors, which are often operating with lower costs and/or weaker constraints. Believe me, we are very focused on this.
My second message today is that decarbonisation and competitiveness must go hand in hand. The Commission’s view is clear: decarbonisation is not the opposite of growth. It is the condition for aviation’s long-term growth. Sustainable aviation fuels are central to the transition, and increasing uptake is encouraging. But the challenge ahead is huge. Sustainable Aviation Fuels are still significantly more expensive than fossil kerosene, e-SAF projects face major investment barriers, and the business case for scaling up remains difficult. That is why Europe must continue to combine regulatory certainty with practical support. We need more production, more competition in fuel supply, stronger financing mechanisms, and more investment in innovation — including electric, hybrid-electric and hydrogen aircraft. This must be accompanied by work on non-CO2 impacts and cleaner operations. The objective is not only to reduce emissions, but to put Europe in the lead on the technologies, fuels and industrial capabilities of clean aviation.
Third, we must address one of the clearest structural weaknesses in European aviation: air traffic management. Europe’s ATM system remains too fragmented and too dependent on outdated technologies. This affects punctuality, capacity, costs, emissions and passenger experience. In 2025 alone, ATM delays were estimated to have cost the sector more than EUR 2 billion. This is not sustainable. We need an ATM system that is more integrated, more digital and more performance-driven. That means implementing the new regulatory framework, improving network governance, accelerating technological deployment, addressing controller shortages, and moving towards interoperable, cloud-based and AI-enabled systems. A smarter, more connected European sky is not a slogan — it is an economic, environmental and strategic necessity.
Fourth, we need to think of airports and infrastructure differently. Airports are no longer simple points of departure and arrival. They are becoming multimodal nodes, energy hubs, digital platforms and, increasingly, dual-use assets. They must invest in modernisation, decarbonisation, passenger experience, resilience and operational efficiency. At the same time, Europe must ensure that its regulatory framework on slots, charges and groundhandling remains fit for purpose in a more constrained and competitive environment. Infrastructure is also key for resilience and security. We have seen cyber threats, GNSS interference, drone incursions, climate-related disruptions and broader geopolitical instability in recent years. A future-proof aviation policy must include stronger cybersecurity, better crisis preparedness, more resilient fuel and data systems, and closer civil-military coordination.
My fifth point is the need for more innovation — and deployment. Europe has extraordinary strengths in aeronautics, research and high-value manufacturing. But leadership requires more than new technologies. It also depends on certifying, industrialising and deploying them in Europe. And preferably before they are deployed elsewhere. So the future research and innovation agenda must be more focused and more operational: cleaner aircraft, AI-enabled ATM, sustainable aviation fuels, drones, counter-drone technologies, and dual-use capabilities. We also need strong certification capacity and a clear pathway from laboratory to market. Scientific excellence is good. Turning that excellence into real industrial leadership is much, much better.
The final part of the aviation puzzle is of course people. The sector faces workforce shortages, a wave of retirements and changing skills needs. To succeed in the green and digital future, aviation must remain attractive to the next generation. We need investment in skills, training, mobility, upskilling and reskilling across the ecosystem — from engineering and manufacturing to airport operations, air traffic management and digital systems.
So let me conclude. Europe starts from a position of strength. Aviation remains one of our greatest economic and strategic assets. But in a fundamentally changed context, this leadership cannot be taken for granted. The right response is not to retreat. It is to act with greater clarity, ambition and coordination. That means a strategy that supports competitiveness, preserves connectivity, accelerates decarbonisation, strengthens resilience, modernises infrastructure and turns innovation into industrial advantage. Maintaining Europe’s leadership in aviation is a shared responsibility. Industry must invest, innovate, scale and train. The EU must provide strategic direction, a stable regulatory framework, financing tools, innovation support and strong external leverage. Member States must play their part in implementation — for infrastructure, airspace, skills, security and enforcement. In today’s world we need to take care of ourselves, strengthen our autonomy, but for us that does not mean turning away from multilateralism. Europe supports ICAO because we believe joint solutions are better than fragmented ones, particularly in a global sector like aviation We support ICAO not only in words but also in our actions: we support ICAO with people and funding, including for example a large budget contributed to ACT SAF. We are also among those jurisdictions who have implemented CORSIA in law, from day 1. We will continue to support ICAO, looking forward to be in Montreal myself for the Air Transport Conference in a couple of weeks
Aviation needs to adapt. But I want us to go further – I want us, here in Europe, to shape the future of aviation. And if we work together, I firmly believe that we can do that!
Publication date
16 October 2026
