Among findings, the Parliament observes the importance of regional airports in the union for short and medium-range electric flight operations; highlights the potential of regional airports as multimodal innovation hubs and of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) throughout the whole supply chain, benefiting research and competition not only in the aviation sector, but also in other transport sectors such as road, maritime and rail; asks the Commission, therefore, to affirm its financial support for regional airports, especially those that are active in the field of electric aviation.
Parliament also noted that cleaner, faster and more convenient air transport options would increase connectivity and accessibility in smaller, more isolated and sparsely populated areas, including island regions and the outermost regions, and particularly in terms of access to public services, the creation of job opportunities and more sustainable tourism.
The findings also emphasised that electric and hybrid-electric aircraft will offer significant potential for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in aviation and new possibilities for urban mobility; welcomes the work undertaken so far by EASA on eVTOL aircraft intended to be used as air taxis, on the design of the necessary ground infrastructure for safe urban air mobility operations[17] and on the adaptation of the aviation regulatory framework to facilitate the entry into the market of aircraft that use electric and hydrogen-powered propulsion; stresses the key role of EASA in certifying these types of aircraft as it could speed up their development; supports the commercialisation of environmentally friendly aircraft using alternative propulsion technologies to complement the measures launched under the sustainable aviation fuel initiatives; and invites the Commission to take action in the future to ensure that electric flights serve short regional routes for the purposes of public service obligations under the applicable EU rules.
View the Parliament decision here
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