Implementation of EU regulation: Wrong fuel - Federal government plans penalties for airlines
For environmental reasons, airlines in Europe have to refuel most of their fuel shortly before departure. The German government is now planning concrete penalties for violations.
Deutsche airlines face fines for improperly refueling planes, according to a new EU regulation. The German Federal Ministry of Transport has planned a penalty of €1,332 per tonne of fuel improperly added. The oversight will be carried out by the Air Traffic Federal Office, as per a draft law available to dpa. The regulation aims to prevent aircraft from carrying extra fuel, which could exacerbate environmental impact due to increased weight.
The loosening of tankering rules during the Iran war was a topic of discussion, but it was never implemented nationally. The German Association of the German Air Transport Industry welcomes the planned law, stating that it would not introduce any national exceptions. However, the association prefers that the revenue should be used to promote alternative fuels instead of general funds.
Administrative fees for the Air Traffic Federal Office's activities are also contested by the association. The blending of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is also monitored. Since 2025, a blend of up to 2% SAF is legally required for all flights starting within Europe, which will gradually increase to 5% by 2030 and 70% by 2050.
The responsibility for ensuring the prescribed SAF content falls on the mineral oil companies. SAF is more expensive than conventional jet fuel, which makes it more expensive for passenger flights. Research is also being conducted on synthetic fuels that can be produced using electricity.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
