Welcome Messages - Patrick Ky

Patrick KyPatrick Ky
Executive Director, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)

Safety is a core element of the culture within the aviation sector and this commitment is reflected at all levels. The set of beliefs, values and rules, both formal and unspoken, on aviation safety is shared by all stakeholders and considered an essential prerequisite for a successful and effective business. The European Green Deal means that these same principles now need to be applied to the strategic issue of environmental protection to ensure the long-term viability of the industry.

This is especially so for climate change where decisions and actions taken in this decade will be decisive in terms of delivering on Paris Agreement commitments and mitigating climate impacts during this century. The challenge of decarbonising the economy is tough, especially for the aviation sector, and coordination at the international level is critical to address this global issue, but we’re up to it if we focus on what we gain, which is a sustainable aviation sector.

The aviation sector needs to harness its creativity and ability to innovate, and act as a leader in finding solutions to address environmental challenges, rather than being seen as a barrier to these objectives. Addressing these urgent issues now, and mitigating future risks, is in the sector’s self-interest.

Future European and industry goals linked to the environmental performance of the aviation sector now need to be delivered, while maintaining connectivity. It is critical that this is done in a transparent manner to gain the confidence and trust of European citizens that measures in place will meet the agreed targets.

The European Aviation Environmental Report is a key element that supports this objective and informs these discussions. It provides objective, clear and accurate information on the past and future environmental performance of the European aviation sector and the actions being put in place to drive forward sustainability ambitions. It also contains recommendations on how the level of environmental protection in the area of civil aviation could be improved.

aerial view of a dense rainforest