EUROCONTROL and ACI EUROPE release guidance to strengthen climate resilience across European aviation

EUROCONTROL and ACI EUROPE today jointly released "Adapting European Aviation to a Changing Climate: Guidance on Risk Assessment and Adaptation", a comprehensive framework designed to help airports, airlines and air navigation service providers (ANSPs) prepare for, and adapt to, the escalating impacts of climate change.

The European aviation community strives to achieve net zero CO_² emissions - including through the DESTINATION 2050 roadmap at a sectoral level, as well as airport-specific Net Zero pledges and the ACI Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. However, European aviation is increasingly exposed to rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events - all of which pose growing risks to operational continuity, infrastructure integrity, safety, connectivity and economic performance. The new guidance builds on existing actions by providing a roadmap for the sector to anticipate these challenges and build long-term climate resilience.

"Europe is projected to be the fastest-warming continent, making climate adaptation no longer optional but both an operational necessity and a strategic imperative. Under EUROCONTROL's Trajectory 2030 Strategy, we are fully committed to supporting the aviation sector in adapting to the impacts of climate change while reinforcing the resilience of our stakeholders' operations and infrastructure.

Through this new guidance, we aim to raise awareness, provide actionable recommendations and showcase real-world examples that demonstrate what effective adaptation looks like. This marks a pivotal step toward ensuring that the entire European aviation network, from airports and airlines to ANSPs, can anticipate and adapt to the climate challenges through coordinated, science-based action."

"Climate action is more than ever a non-negotiable imperative. As such, it involves not only reducing greenhouse gases but also adapting our aviation infrastructure to a fast-changing climate. This is precisely what this new Guidance is all about, providing a practical and comprehensive toolkit allowing to integrate mitigation and adaptation strategies. Boosting the resilience of our aviation system also comes down to safeguarding Europe's competitiveness - by protecting and future proofing the essential economic and social benefits of air connectivity. This is core to our mission at ACI EUROPE and of course to our longstanding cooperation with EUROCONTROL."

The guidance outlines practical steps and strategic priorities for all aviation stakeholders, including:

• Infrastructure adaptation: Upgrading drainage and cooling systems, reinforcing runways and taxiways, and deploying nature-based solutions to manage flooding, heat stress and soil instability.
• Operational resilience: Enhancing flight planning and scheduling to account for temperature extremes, wind shifts and storm disruptions; improving turbulence forecasting and emergency preparedness.
• Resource management: Addressing water scarcity and fluctuating energy demand through efficient technologies and sustainable practices.
• Biodiversity integration: Managing wildlife risks while leveraging ecosystems for natural climate regulation and resilience.
• Collaborative planning: Strengthening coordination among airports, airlines, ANSPs and external partners to ensure continuity of critical services and address cascading climate risks.

Produced in close collaboration with representatives from airports, air navigation service providers, airlines and aviation staff and trade associations, the guide has been developed by the European Climate Change Adaptation Working Group, which was set up in 2022 by EUROCONTROL and ACI EUROPE joined by 37 partner organisations with the aim of preparing the European aviation sector for the impacts of climate change.

It is a follow up to the Aviation Preparations for Winter 2023 Adverse Weather report and the Adapting Aviation to a Changing Climate briefing note published in November 2024.

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