ReFuelEU Aviation revision: what changes in 2026

Understanding the ReFuelEU Aviation revision

Filip Cornelis, Director for Air Transport at the European Commission (DG MOVE), briefed the European Parliament's Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN) on the planned revision of ReFuelEU Aviation. His message was unambiguous: this is an exercise in simplification, not a retreat from the sector's decarbonisation targets.

The revision is primarily intended to ease the administrative burden on airlines and sustainable fuel suppliers, without changing the ambition level set out in the original regulation. In other words, the greening trajectories for jet fuel remain unchanged, but implementation procedures should become clearer.

On timing, the Commission's formal proposal is expected in the second half of next year. Airlines and fleet managers therefore have a window to prepare, though it is narrowing as reporting obligations become more precise.

Concrete impacts: eSAF targets and fair competition

Two priorities emerged from DG MOVE's presentation. The first concerns the effective enforcement of the eSAF sub-target, which mandates a rising share of synthetic sustainable aviation fuel in the sector's energy mix.

An eSAF trajectory that must be enforced

This sub-target starts at 1.2 percent in 2030 and must reach 35 percent by 2050. The Commission stresses that this trajectory only holds if backed by credible penalties for non-compliance: without an effective enforcement mechanism, the incentive to invest in eSAF remains theoretical.

Ensuring a level playing field

The second priority is fair competition between European airlines and carriers from third countries. The goal is to prevent greening obligations from giving an advantage to operators not subject to the same regulatory constraints — an issue closely followed by European carriers.

Strong market signals: the trilateral auction example

Beyond regulatory announcements, a concrete market signal has reinforced the credibility of the eSAF trajectory. Germany, Austria and Luxembourg have announced the launch of a trilateral pilot auction dedicated to eSAF.

Structured as a double-sided auction, the scheme carries a budget of €2.1 billion and is expected to be operational in 2027. State aid approval from the Commission is anticipated within the coming weeks, suggesting the scheme could move quickly once cleared.

A €2.1 billion pilot eSAF auction confirms that the 2030-2050 targets are not meant to remain theoretical.

How to prepare your fleet for this transition

For airlines and fleet managers, the challenge is no longer to wait for the final text but to start positioning now. Several levers can help anticipate upcoming changes with confidence.

• Monitor ReFuelEU Aviation regulatory developments and eSAF trajectories closely to adjust procurement plans ahead of time.
• Secure sustainable fuel volumes as early as possible, in a market where demand is likely to outpace short-term available supply.
• Prepare fuel data collection and traceability systems, essential to meet future reporting obligations.
• Start documenting compliance evidence now, to avoid a difficult catch-up once enforcement tightens.

How Heeding supports aviation players

Heeding is a marketplace dedicated to sustainable fuels, built to support airlines and fleet managers through this regulatory transition. The platform allows users to compare offers from multiple sustainable fuel suppliers in one place and identify volumes genuinely available on the market.

Beyond procurement, Heeding centralises compliance data and simplifies retrieval of the traceability documents needed for future ReFuelEU Aviation reporting. This centralisation saves time on processes that are often scattered across suppliers, spreadsheets and email threads.

Conclusion: a transition to prepare for now

The ReFuelEU Aviation revision confirms a clear trend: the Commission is simplifying procedures, not scaling back the industrial and environmental ambition set for the aviation sector. eSAF targets remain the compass, and market signals such as the trilateral auction show that funding is following suit.