EUROCONTROL, IFATCA and the SESAR Joint Undertaking are pleased to host a joint conference on “Navigating the Operational Impacts of Environmental Measures”, taking place on 1 October 2026 at EUROCONTROL’s Headquarters in Brussels.
As aviation accelerates its commitment to addressing climate and environmental challenges, this conference will focus on the operational implications, both in the air and on the ground.
Bringing together operational professionals, regulators and subject-matter experts, the event will explore the practical realities where environmental ambition meets operational feasibility.
The conference will examine how environmental measures translate into day-to-day operations, including:
Together, participants will explore how to effectively bridge the gap between policy goals and operational practice.
Non-CO₂ effects
Operational challenges
Local vs. global trade-offs
Human factors
Climate impacts on operations
Together, we aim to bridge policy and practice by showcasing practical, actionable solutions that support both environmental sustainability and operational efficiency.
| Time | Session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 - 09:30 | Registration and welcome coffee | |
| OPENING | ||
| 09:30 - 09:45 | Welcome and opening | Welcome by EUROCONTROL, IFATCA and SESAR JU representatives |
| SETTING THE OPERATIONAL SCENE | ||
| 09:45 - 11:15 | Panel 1: Operational complexity & human factors How is the accumulation of environmental measures reshaping the day-to-day operational reality of airlines and ANSPs, and what is that doing to the people inside the system? A broad opening panel on cumulative operational load, cognitive demands on controllers and pilots, training and accountability gaps, and the safety and just-culture implications of pushing complexity tactically rather than handling it strategically. | |
| 11:15 - 11:45 | Coffee break and tour of exhibits | |
| CO₂ AND NON-CO₂: FROM SCIENCE TO FLIGHT PLANS | ||
| 11:45 - 13:00 | Panel 2: Climate impacts: operational consequences of CO₂ and non-CO₂ measures When science, monitoring and regulation across aviation's full climate impact — from established CO₂ frameworks (ETS, CORSIA, SAF mandates, fuel-efficiency KPIs) to emerging non-CO₂ MRV — collide with daily flight operations, what actually changes in the network? Focus on flight planning, altitude and speed choices, contrail-avoidance manoeuvres, SAF integration, sector load, tooling and data needs, and airline-ANSP coordination under a regulatory landscape that is mature on CO₂ and still moving on non-CO₂. | |
| 13:00 - 14:00 | Lunch and tour of exhibits | |
| TRADE-OFFS AND ADAPTATION | ||
| 14:00 - 15:15 | Panel 3: Local vs global trade-offs When a local environmental decision produces system-wide effects, who arbitrates and how? Noise, local air quality, CO₂ and non-CO₂ objectives rarely point the same way. The panel explores the visible inconsistencies between local acceptance and global emissions, and the governance gap that needs filling. | |
| 15:15 - 15:45 | Coffee break and tour of exhibits | |
| 15:45 - 17:00 | Panel 4: Climate change adaptation: when climate hits operations Aviation talks a lot about its impact on the climate: how well are we handling the climate's impact on aviation? Summer thunderstorm clustering, clear-air turbulence, heatwaves, flooding, wildfire smoke, shifting winds. Where is the system on adaptation, and what is actually being deployed by ANSPs, airports and airlines? | |
| WRAP-UP AND NEXT STEPS | ||
| 17:00 - 17:20 | Closing Remarks and next steps | |
