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 | Arrival & networking coffee | |
| OPENING | ||
| 09:30 - 09:45 | Welcome | Tânia Cardoso Simões, EUROCONTROL Jean-François Lepage, IFATCA Andreas Boschen, SESAR Joint Undertaking |
| SETTING THE OPERATIONAL SCENE | ||
| 09:45 - 10:00 | Scene-setter Framing the day: the cumulative picture of environmental measures reaching operations. | Felix Eggert, ATAG |
| COMPLEXITY & HUMAN FACTORS | ||
| 10:00 - 11:15 | Panel 1: Operational complexity & human factors Cumulative operational load, cognitive demands, training and accountability — complexity pushed to crew and controllers. | Marc Baumgartner, IFATCA (MODERATOR) Loïc Michel, ECA Byron Post, IFATCA Alexandre Diogo, CANSO / Skyguide Anja Diesing, EUROCONTROL MUAC Andreas Petrikat, NATS |
| 11:15 - 11:45 | COFFEE BREAK & TOUR OF EXHIBITS | |
| CO₂ AND NON-CO₂: FROM SCIENCE TO FLIGHT PLANS | ||
| 11:45 - 13:00 | Panel 2: CO₂ & non-CO₂ impacts From mature CO₂ instruments — ETS, CORSIA, SAF mandates, fuel efficiency — to contrail avoidance and the operational consequences of acting on non-CO₂ effects. | Marylin Bastin, EUROCONTROL (MODERATOR) Dimitar Nikov, DG CLIMA Krisztina Hencz, Transport & Environment Audran Borella, Klima Consulting Anthony Garcia, Airbus Sian Andrews, NATS |
| 13:00 - 14:00 | NETWORKING LUNCH & TOUR OF EXHIBITS | |
| LOCAL TRADE-OFFS | ||
| 14:00 - 15:15 | Panel 3: Local vs global trade-offs Local noise and air-quality objectives against CO₂ and non-CO₂ ones: the governance gap, arbitration and who carries the consequences. | David Bachelor, SESAR Joint Undertaking (MODERATOR) Tim Rees, IFATCA Alexandre de Joybert, ACI EUROPE Gaulthier Sturtzer, ETF Tim Johnson, AEF Speaker to be confirmed |
| 15:15 - 15:45 | COFFEE BREAK & TOUR OF EXHIBITS | |
| CLIMATE ADAPTATION | ||
| 15:45 - 17:00 | Panel 4: Climate change adaptation Storms, turbulence, heatwaves and infrastructure: how a changing climate is already reshaping operations, and what resilience costs. | Rachel Burbidge, EUROCONTROL (MODERATOR) Valentine Huet, VINCI Concessions Salvador Lasa, ENAIRE / APROCTA Francisco Hoyas, Airline Pilot (Iberia) Paul Williams, University of Reading Michel Brafman, La Réunion Aérienne & Spatiale |
| CLOSING | ||
| 17:00 - 17:20 | Cross-panel synthesis & next steps Summary of the day followed by closing remarks from the three hosts. | EUROCONTROL · IFATCA · SESAR Joint Undertaking |
| 17:30 - 20:00 | End of the Conference | |
