The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have signed an agreement to integrate their environmental data systems, aiming to provide passengers with standardized flight emissions information when booking travel.
The two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Monday at IATA’s Wings of Change Europe conference in Brussels to explore synergies between the EU Flight Emissions Label and IATA’s existing EcoHub and CO2 Connect calculator. The partnership seeks to streamline how airlines display carbon dioxide emissions data to travelers across Europe.
Florian Guillermet, Executive Director of EASA, emphasized the collaboration’s potential reach. “This partnership with IATA, the world’s largest airlines’ association, will build it clearer for airlines to join the Flight Emissions Label,” he stated. He added that greater airline participation would improve information available to passengers, enabling more informed booking decisions.
The Flight Emissions Label stems from a regulation launched by the EU in 2024, under EASA’s responsibility, providing a framework for airlines to share flight emissions data with passengers transparently. The regulation, adopted in December 2024 by the European Commission, aims to empower passengers with information on flight-related emissions, allowing them to build informed decisions when booking and comparing flights.
Airlines from both EU and non-EU countries can voluntarily participate in the Flight Emissions Label program. However, only participating airlines may display emissions to passengers in the EU, according to the regulation’s requirements. The European Commission and EASA encourage airlines to join if they want to display flight emissions or offer sustainable aviation fuel and other emissions offsets to customers.
IATA manages the EcoHub and IATA CO2 Connect, a carbon emissions calculator for both passenger and air cargo based on primary airline data collected from more than 90 airlines. The collaboration will explore how leveraging these existing tools can create efficiencies and synergies with the EU Flight Emissions Label, ensuring consistency and transparency across the indusattempt.
Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA, stressed the importance of accurate emissions data. “Regulatory compliance and customer demands for transparent emissions information must be met with the highest standards,” he noted. “Providing accurate emissions data is crucial for informed decision building and for maintaining confidence in the sustainability of air transport”.
IATA’s EcoHub serves as a comprehensive system for airline sustainability data management, reporting and compliance. The CO2 Connect calculator collects airline operational data and calculates carbon performance for flights, similar to data required for issuing the Flight Emissions Label. By integrating these systems, EASA and IATA aim to reduce administrative burdens and achieve cost savings for airlines while maintaining data accuracy.
Airlines are continuously joining CO2 Connect, with Kenya Airways the latest to sign up. The expanding participation increases the calculator’s effectiveness and data quality, providing more comprehensive emissions information across the aviation sector.
The agreement addresses growing passenger demand for environmental transparency. Survey data indicates that approximately 90 percent of passengers expect airlines or travel agents to provide carbon emission data for their flights. However, roughly 79 percent report that carbon calculations provided are not always consistent. The partnership aims to resolve these inconsistencies by establishing a standardized methodology for emissions calculations and reporting.
The Flight Emissions Label will increase accountability within the aviation sector by establishing a harmonized emissions calculation methodology, data reporting and emissions display for all airlines operating in the EU. Building on a fully digitalized process, the label will also reduce administrative burden for the sector.
Under the current system, airlines and ticket sellers report emission levels applying disparate methodologies that are not necessarily comparable. The Flight Emissions Label aims to alter this by setting out a reliable and harmonized methodology for estimating flight emissions. The framework considers operational factors including aircraft type, passenger numbers, freight volume on board and the amount and type of aviation fuels uplifted per airport.
IATA represents approximately 350 airlines comprising more than 80 percent of global air traffic. The organization has been working to enhance sustainability data management through its EcoHub platform, which aids airlines in reporting and compliance efforts. The CO2 Connect calculator already applys real operational data, such as aircraft type specific fuel consumption, directly contributed by participating airlines.
The collaboration supports broader EU sustainability initiatives, including the ReFuelEU Aviation regulation, which promotes sustainable aviation fuels. Airlines can apply emissions data from the Flight Emissions Label when offering sustainable aviation fuel options or carbon offset programs to passengers, creating additional incentives for participation.
Implementation of the integrated system will occur in phases. Airlines interested in participating must submit required data to EASA through established reporting processes. The agency will then assign flight labels based on standardized calculations that reflect actual performance on specific routes. This approach ensures emissions estimates represent real operational data rather than modeled averages.
The partnership represents a significant step toward building aviation emissions more transparent and comparable across the indusattempt. By aligning EASA’s regulatory framework with IATA’s existing data management infrastructure, the collaboration creates a streamlined pathway for airlines to provide consistent environmental information to passengers throughout the booking process.
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