A new EU law requiring airlines to report their non-CO₂ emissions took effect this month, but airline industry groups warn they cannot comply due to the system’s unavailability.
The mandate, known as the non-CO₂ Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system, requires airlines to log pollutants per flight into the non-CO₂ Aviation Effects Tracking System. Airlines have until March 2026 to submit emission data from 2025.
Airline groups, including Airlines for Europe and the German Aviation Association, have urged the EU to delay implementation. In a December letter, first reported on by reuters.com, multiple airline representatives emphasised that the system was not yet operational, forcing airlines to collect data without guidance on how it would eventually be submitted.
Last year, when MRV was being refined, IATA Director General Willie Walsh warned that there was a lack of scientific consensus on how non-carbon dioxide, such as nitrous oxide, water vapour, and soot, should be measured. Many worry that the MRV could pave the way for stricter emissions caps or fees.
