Airlines push back on strict rule that could have big impact on aviation industry: 'Forced to collect their own data'

A new law that requires airlines to report pollutants to the European Union was implemented in January. However, airlines have warned the EU that they're unable to comply with the new mandate yet because the EU hasn't launched its promised reporting system, Reuters reported.

What's happening?

Per EU rules, airlines must track and report pollutants like soot, water vapor, and nitrogen oxides. The EU developed a system called NEATS to collate the data for reporting.

However, the EU hasn't launched NEATS yet, leaving airlines at a loss regarding data collection methods. Reuters reported that the airline industry has until March next year to report its 2025 emissions.

In December 2024, industry groups Airlines for Europe (A4E), the European Cargo Alliance, and the German Aviation Association wrote to the European Commission voicing concerns regarding the deadline and collating data without NEATS.

In the letter seen by Skift, they emphasized that "NEATS is currently unavailable" and that they had no opportunity to develop alternative tools for data collation. Because of this, airlines are "forced to collect their own data" without any clear guidelines on data migration to NEATS once the system becomes available.

According to a European Commission spokesperson, the EU planned to launch NEATS in 2025. With the strict deadline for compliance and NEATS still unavailable, airlines say compliance is impossible without a delay.

Why is the emissions reporting policy important?

The EU requires all airlines operating in Europe to monitor and report their pollution to ensure they stay within their limits and reduce their carbon footprint, according to the European Commission. 

Without NEATS, airlines may struggle to comply with the policy, potentially weakening enforcement. This could lead to aviation emissions rising unchecked, contributing to increased air pollution and rising global temperatures.

The aviation industry has difficulty decarbonizing because planes emit pollutants on every flight. This is why they need to uphold policies on tracking and reporting their aviation pollution.

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What's being done about it?

According to Reuters, campaign advocates for Transport & Environment find it concerning that NEATS still hasn't been launched, but they don't see it as a cause to delay the policies.

NEATS was supposed to help automate the monitoring of pollution. A4E Policy Director Monika Rybakowska told Reuters that airlines would have to collect thousands of data points per flight without the system. 

"Airlines will, in any case, need to monitor some data to be fed to the tool," a European Commission spokesperson told Reuters. The spokesperson added that the airlines already have the data available through their monitoring or databases. 

With the compliance deadline fast approaching and NEATS still unavailable, airlines are urging the EU to delay the policy. The outcome of this policy issue could affect future emissions policies for the aviation industry.

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