FPÖ criticism: EU plans to dismantle air passenger rights – who really benefits?

FPÖ criticism: EU plans to dismantle air passenger rights – who really benefits?

On June 18, 2025, Mag. Roman Haider, European Parliamentarian for the FPÖ, expressed clear criticism of the EU Commission's recent decisions in the aviation sector. In his statement, he described the planned increase in the obligation to compensate passengers for delays from three to four hours as a “devastating signal” for passengers. This project could lead to unpunctuality being encouraged and, in particular, connecting flights being negatively affected, which could have a significant impact on travel comfort. In addition, the slot regulation, which required slots to be used at least 80 percent of the time, will be withdrawn, according to Haider. This change favors large aviation groups and is detrimental to competition for smaller providers.

Haider's criticism comes at a time when the aviation industry's resistance to sustainable measures in the Green Deal has diminished. The debate about Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is in full swing. More and more voices within the industry are calling for a shift to more environmentally friendly trends, while at the same time the European biofuel industry is coming under pressure from cheap SAF palm oil imports. Haider sees these developments as contradicting the basic principles of the EU and is concerned about the loss of consumer protection and competition.

Movement in aviation

A bright spot in the debate about sustainable measures is the EU's recent political agreement on sustainable aviation fuels. From 2025, fuel providers at EU airports will have to mix kerosene with these fuels in increasing quantities, and by 2050 the proportion of sustainable aviation fuel is expected to rise to 70 percent. This agreement was highlighted by key figures such as Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, and Adina Vălean, Commissioner for Transport, as a significant step forward in reducing emissions in the aviation sector. Germany.representation.ec.europa.eu reports that a minimum share of sustainable aviation fuels of 2 percent by 2025, followed by gradual increases in the following years, has already been set.

According to the “Fit for 55” legislative package, which also includes the “ReFuelEU Aviation” regulation, greenhouse gas emissions from aviation should be reduced by at least 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. With this regulation, the EU aims to improve competitive conditions in the internal market and reduce dependence on energy products from third countries. From 2025, airports must provide suitable refueling infrastructure for sustainable aviation fuels to enable this transition , as Europarl.europa.eu reports.

Sustainability in focus

The new regulations provide for the extensive use of various types of sustainable aviation fuels, including synthetic and biofuels made from agricultural or forestry residues, as well as recycled materials. However, under these regulations, fuels obtained from food and feed crops or palm and soy materials are not recognized as sustainable. In addition, an environmental labeling system will be introduced from 2025 that will allow airlines to label the carbon footprint of their flights and thus make transparent how environmentally friendly their offers are.

The challenge of achieving climate targets remains present given rising emissions from aviation, which increased by an average of 5 percent annually between 2013 and 2019. The time pressure created by the goal of climate neutrality by 2050 requires a drastic reduction in transport-related emissions by 90 percent compared to 1990, a task that is entrusted to both the aviation industry and political decision-makers.