EASA and IATA Partner to Align EU Flight Emissions Label with Global CO₂ Data Standards

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to align the European Union Flight Emissions Label with IATA’s EcoHub and CO₂ Connect platforms. The partnership aims to create a unified and transparent framework for reporting airline CO₂ emissions, ensuring passengers can access reliable and comparable environmental data when booking flights.

The Flight Emissions Label (FEL), launched under an EU regulation in 2024, establishes a standardized system for airlines to share verified emissions information directly with passengers. Under this new collaboration, EASA and IATA will explore technical synergies between FEL and IATA’s data management tools, streamlining emissions data collection, verification, and display across the aviation industry.

IATA’s EcoHub is a comprehensive platform for sustainability data management, reporting, and compliance, while CO₂ Connect uses real airline operational data to calculate flight-specific emissions. By integrating these tools with the FEL, airlines will be able to provide passengers with consistent CO₂ metrics while reducing administrative complexity.

“This partnership with IATA, the world’s largest airline association, will make it easier for carriers to join the Flight Emissions Label,” said Florian Guillermet, Executive Director of EASA. “The more airlines participate, the better information passengers will have to make informed choices when booking flights.”

Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA, added: “Regulatory compliance and customer demand for transparent emissions data must be met with the highest standards. Through EcoHub and CO₂ Connect, airlines can easily align with the EU label while maintaining confidence that accurate, real-world data is used. This cooperation will help streamline compliance, reduce costs, and enhance transparency.”

The MoU signing took place at IATA’s Wings of Change Europe, on 18-19 November 2025, in Brussels.

Background

The Flight Emissions Label (FEL) regulation, adopted by the European Commission in December 2024, empowers passengers to make climate-conscious travel decisions by standardizing how emissions data is calculated and displayed across all EU airlines. It introduces a digitalized, harmonized framework that reduces administrative burdens while improving accountability in aviation sustainability.

Under the Regulation (EU) 2023/2405 “ReFuelEU Aviation” both EU and non-EU airlines can voluntarily join the FEL program. Only participating airlines are authorized to display flight emissions data to passengers in the European Union, as outlined in Article 6(5) of the regulation.

By leveraging IATA’s EcoHub and IATA CO2 Connect, which already aggregate verified operational data from more than 90 airlines worldwide, the collaboration is expected to improve data consistency, reduce duplication, and promote transparency in how emissions are calculated and presented. Kenya Airways recently became the latest airline to join CO₂ Connect, reflecting growing industry adoption of IATA’s sustainability tools.

This initiative represents a major step toward a globally harmonized emissions reporting system, supporting the aviation sector’s shared commitment to sustainability, transparency, and net-zero carbon goals by 2050.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, iata.org