⚖️ EBAA Pushes Back Against ETS Expansion as European Business Jet Movements Soften
On June 12, 2026, EBAA formally advanced reforms to the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), explicitly opposing the expansion of the ETS geographic scope to international flights into and out of EU countries, and calling for rules that are more proportionate to business aviation. At the same time, it joined forces with GAMA to resist cumulative charges such as the new fuel tax on aircraft with fewer than 19 seats and the Dutch charter tax. Avi-Go data shows that from January 1 to June 11, 2026, business jet movements across the five core markets of France, Germany, the UK, Italy, and Spain totaled 354,525, a year-on-year decline of 1.94% (a decrease of 7,005 movements) compared to 361,530 in the same period of 2025, with departures down 1.97% and arrivals down 1.91%, reflecting a balanced downward trend. Against this backdrop, if the ETS expansion is implemented, operating costs will rise further, intensifying the already weak downward pressure on the European market.
Impact: The combination of regulation and taxes will directly drive up per-movement costs for European operators, potentially prompting some routes to shift to more rule-friendly non-EU hubs; FBOs and brokers face the risk of continued pressure on their business volumes within the EU.
Recommendation: Operators should closely track legislative developments before the European Commission completes its ETS review in the summer of 2026 and calculate their carbon cost exposure under an expansion scenario; brokers can evaluate route alternatives in high-tax markets such as the Netherlands before the third quarter of 2026, locking in compliance and pricing strategies in advance.