Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury warned on Friday at Forum Europa in Brussels that Europe’s competitiveness is “at serious risk” and urged the new European Commission to place it at the heart of its agenda.
Speaking at the event organized by Nueva Economía Fórum in Brussels, Faury called for a balanced approach to addressing Europe’s priorities. While emphasising that decarbonisation is the second-highest priority for Airbus, after safety, he stressed that achieving competitiveness must remain central to Europe’s strategy.
“Decarbonisation is not optional - there is no future without it. However, Europe must integrate its economic and ecological goals,” Faury argued. He pointed out that, from a global perspective, Europe has sometimes focused too heavily on leading by example instead of fostering international agreements.
“In a global market, achieving worldwide agreements is more impactful than striving to be the best in isolation,” he stated.
Faury also raised concerns about Europe’s regulatory environment, noting that it poses challenges for investment. “The cumulative impact of regulations, combined with high costs and taxes, makes investing in Europe a great challenge,” he said. “We need to create conditions that attract capital - this is essential for developing industries like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which require substantial investments to achieve competitiveness.”
He called for a regulatory framework that supports innovation and growth while facilitating Europe’s decarbonisation and digital transitions. Faury highlighted SAF as a critical area requiring focused investment and collaboration to make sustainable aviation a reality.
Airbus urges Europe to prioritise competitiveness alongside decarbonisation
