Headlines:
- Editor’s View: Airports should not ignore cycling: a lesson from Velo-city
- UK ZEV mandate debate reopens despite 2025 review
- Electric aviation programmes advance as industry gathers at ILA Berlin
- European EV market share reaches record 23.6% in May, industry data show
- Parliament, Council strike deal on revised EU air passenger rights rules
- Commission opens consultation on rail ticketing reforms aimed at expanding passenger access
- Commission extends multimodal ticketing consultation after limited stakeholder response
- Port sector presses Commission on ETS reform following Council backing
- Aviation industry coalition urges stronger enforcement of EU airport noise rules
- Commission advances preparations for ETS2 allowance auctions from 2027
- Commission updates urban mobility planning guidance ahead of TEN-T deadline
Editor’s View: Airports should not ignore cycling: a lesson from Velo-city
One of the more interesting discussions I had at Velo-city 2026 was not with a city authority or cycling organisation, but with Milan Bergamo Airport.
At first glance, airports and cycling appear to have little in common. Most airports are designed for long-distance travel, and many are located in places where cycling will never be a realistic option for most passengers.
Yet Bergamo demonstrates that this is not universally true.
The airport has spent several years developing facilities for both cycle tourists and employees. Today, passengers can access dedicated bicycle facilities, use a fully equipped bike room, rent e-bikes directly at the airport and connect onto a growing network of regional and international cycling routes. SACBO, the airport operator, has also invested heavily in encouraging cycling amongst its own workforce.
What struck me during discussions at Velo-city was not the infrastructure itself, but the recognition that airports can play a role in a wider mobility ecosystem.
Too often, airports are treated as isolated pieces of infrastructure. In reality, they are gateways to regions, cities and tourist destinations. Where an airport sits close to a city, close to leisure destinations or within an established cycle tourism corridor, there is a strong case for ensuring that cyclists are considered alongside motorists, public transport users and pedestrians.
That does not mean every airport should copy Bergamo.
Location matters. Passenger demographics matter. Existing infrastructure matters.
An airport serving predominantly transfer traffic, located dozens of kilometres from the nearest urban area and surrounded by major road infrastructure, is unlikely to see significant demand. Equally, there is little value in building cycling facilities where safe onward connections do not exist.
However, where the conditions are favourable, airports should not overlook cycling as part of their access strategy.
The benefits extend beyond sustainability. Better cycling infrastructure can support airport employees, strengthen cycle tourism, improve links with surrounding communities and provide passengers with an additional transport option.
Bergamo will not be the right model everywhere. But it is a useful reminder that airports are not only places where journeys begin and end. They are also part of a wider transport network, and in some locations, the bicycle deserves a place within it.
UK ZEV mandate debate reopens despite 2025 review
UK industry groups have reacted sharply to reports that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is considering further changes to the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, less than a year after the government completed a review of the scheme and reaffirmed its overall trajectory to 2030.
According to reports, ministers are examining whether to ease electric vehicle sales requirements imposed on manufacturers under the mandate, which requires increasing proportions of new vehicle sales to be zero-emission.
ChargeUK warned that any further weakening of the framework would undermine investor confidence and threaten charging infrastructure deployment. The organisation said the charging sector had invested billions of pounds on the basis of the existing policy and argued that another revision would damage the UK’s credibility as a market for electrification investment.
The intervention comes as parts of the automotive industry continue to call for a review of the mandate. In a position paper published on June 12th, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders argued that electric vehicle uptake is not keeping pace with regulatory requirements despite growing model availability, infrastructure investment and government support measures.
The organisation said manufacturers have absorbed more than £10 billion in incentives and discounts over the past two years to support demand and maintain compliance with the mandate. It argued that the assumptions underpinning the framework no longer fully reflect market conditions, citing affordability concerns, energy costs, consumer confidence and charging infrastructure deployment.
Novuna Vehicle Solutions adopted a more cautious position, stating that a review reflecting market realities could be justified but warning that policy uncertainty itself had become a significant challenge for manufacturers making long-term investment decisions.
The debate reopens a discussion that the Labour government appeared to settle in 2025. Following a consultation on the 2030 phase-out of new petrol and diesel cars and the operation of the ZEV Mandate, ministers confirmed the restoration of the 2030 deadline, retained the mandate’s overall trajectory and introduced additional compliance flexibilities for manufacturers.
At the time, the government said the changes were intended to provide certainty for industry while supporting the transition to zero-emission vehicles.
No formal proposal to amend the mandate has yet been published.
Electric aviation programmes advance as industry gathers at ILA Berlin
Electric aviation developers and policymakers used this year’s ILA Berlin Air Show to highlight progress in aircraft development, battery technology and regional support for sustainable aviation projects, as Germany simultaneously launched a new national aviation strategy focused on competitiveness and innovation.
German electric aircraft developer VÆRIDION announced that it had secured more than 100 additional aircraft commitments for its Microliner programme from six new customers across Germany, Denmark, Ireland, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. The commitments cover both passenger and cargo configurations and build on previous orders announced in 2025.
The company also announced the completion of its aircraft-level Preliminary Design Review, a key development milestone validating the aircraft architecture ahead of flight testing. The first flight is currently targeted within 100 weeks.
Alongside the aircraft programme, VÆRIDION revealed a battery technology partnership with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. The agreement represents the first commercial application of the company’s proprietary airborne battery system, which was originally developed to meet civil aviation certification requirements but is also attracting interest for defence applications.
The company said the battery systems are designed to deliver high-voltage, high-power performance for mission-critical applications and that initial deliveries to original equipment manufacturers are expected later this year.
Separately, Clean Aviation signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the German states of Brandenburg and Saxony aimed at strengthening collaboration on sustainable aviation technologies and preparing a common technical roadmap aligned with Clean Aviation’s Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda.
The two regions committed more than €10 million by 2028 to support activities linked to the roadmap, building on existing investments in aviation research, infrastructure and propulsion technologies. The agreement is intended to support innovation, supply chain development and workforce skills within the aviation sector.
The cooperation follows similar agreements concluded by Clean Aviation with regions in France, Italy, Spain and Germany, as well as Portugal.
The announcements came as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz opened the air show and presented Germany’s new aviation strategy, replacing the country’s 2014 framework.
Merz said the strategy would focus on strengthening Germany as an aviation location while improving competitiveness and innovation across civil aviation, aerospace manufacturing and military aviation. The German government also reaffirmed support for future aircraft development programmes, sustainable aviation technologies and aerospace research, while highlighting measures intended to reduce costs for airlines and airports.
More than 750 exhibitors from 37 countries are participating in this year’s ILA Berlin, which has seen a strong focus on sustainable aviation technologies, defence applications and aerospace industrial policy.
European EV market share reaches record 23.6% in May, industry data show
Battery electric vehicles accounted for a record 23.6% of new passenger car registrations across 17 key European markets in May, according to new data published by E-Mobility Europe and research organisation New AutoMotive.
A total of 212,387 battery electric vehicles were registered during the month, representing a 34.4% increase compared with May 2025. Year-to-date registrations reached 962,010 vehicles, up 31.8% year-on-year.
The figures suggest that electric vehicle adoption continues to accelerate across much of Europe following a strong start to 2026. The organisations estimate that battery electric vehicles now account for approximately 24% of new passenger car registrations across the wider EU market.
France recorded the highest battery electric vehicle market share among Europe’s largest automotive markets, with electric vehicles accounting for 29.5% of new registrations in May. Germany reached a 25% market share, registering almost 60,000 battery electric vehicles during the month, while Italy remained the fastest-growing major market, with registrations increasing by more than 100% year-to-date following the introduction of new support measures.
The Nordic and Benelux countries continued to record the highest levels of electrification. Battery electric vehicles accounted for 97.8% of new registrations in Norway, 78.7% in Denmark, 49.6% in Finland, 41.3% in the Netherlands, 41.2% in Sweden and 36.8% in Belgium.
Several emerging markets also recorded strong growth rates. Spain, Poland, Romania and Slovakia all reported year-to-date increases exceeding 28%, although battery electric vehicle market shares remained below 11%.
E-Mobility Europe said seven of the ten best-selling battery electric vehicle models in Europe this year originate from European manufacturers. The organisation pointed to growing order books among domestic manufacturers, citing a reported 50% increase in Renault electric vehicle orders in key markets and more than 50,000 orders for BMW’s new iX3.
Chris Heron, Secretary General of E-Mobility Europe, said the figures demonstrated that electric vehicles were becoming one of Europe’s strongest automotive growth segments as consumers and governments increasingly focus on reducing fuel costs and dependence on imported oil.
The data cover Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, representing approximately 90% of the combined EU and EFTA passenger car market.
