On 26 May 2025, the European Commission released a Notice detailing how to calculate the price difference between kerosene and eligible sustainable aviation fuels, a key step in activating the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) support scheme for aviation. Under this mechanism, aircraft operators using sustainable fuels on ETS-covered flights may receive free allowances to help offset fuel cost differences.

The Notice presents 2024 average fuel prices and price gaps, along with the average price of EU ETS allowances used to determine free allocations. These figures are based on the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) February 2025 technical briefing, pending formal confirmation in the first full EASA report in September 2025.

National authorities will now calculate and report free allowance allocations for eligible operators, with the Commission expected to issue final allocation decisions by 31 August. The publication supports uniform application across Member States and promotes cleaner fuels in line with EU climate goals.