Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: Airlines for America (A4A) exhibits strategic policy engagement that is broadly misaligned with policy pathways for delivering the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement in 2023-25. While A4A states top-line support for net-zero emissions for US aviation by 2050, it opposed the EU Emissions trading scheme, a flight cap at Schiphol airport and ambitious low carbon fuel standards, while supporting US sustainable aviation fuel tax credits.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: A4A supported net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050 from US aviation in June 2025 regulatory comments and in an April 2024 blog. However, in a June 2025 Call for Evidence and February 2025 consultation response, A4A appeared to use support for global GHG emissions regulations to oppose regional measures.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: In 2023-25, A4A appeared to support SAF tax credits, while advocating against other climate regulations for aviation. A4A supported federal tax credits and appeared supportive of Hawaii’s renewable fuel tax credit in a January 2024 testimony and supported Colorado’s tax incentive in April 2023 regulatory comments. A4A also supported Iowa’s SAF tax credit in a May 2025 news article and Arkansas’ tax credit in an April 2025 press release. A4A supported Hawaii’s SAF tax credit and Renewable Fuel Production tax credit in January 2025 testimony. However, A4A opposed Hawaii’s proposed SAF mandate and questioned the legality of the measure in a February 2025 testimony.
Regarding state low-carbon fuel standards (LCFS), in February 2024 and March 2023 comments, A4A opposed the mandatory inclusion of intra-state jet fuel and the legality of integrating intra-state jet fuel into California’s LCFS on a mandated basis. In August 2024 comments, A4A praised the revised proposal that maintained jet fuel inclusion on a voluntary basis.
Regarding measures to protect land-based carbon stores, A4A opposed a cap on crop-based biofuels under California’s LCFS in a March 2023 consultation response and appeared unsupportive of guardrails for crop-based feedstocks in February 2024 comments. A4A also opposed a cap on Hydrotreated Esters and Fatty Acid-derived SAFs and the exclusion of crop-based feedstocks under the UK SAF mandate in a June 2023 consultation response. However, through the Americans for Clean Aviation Fuels (ACAF) coalition’s June 2025 press release, A4A supported amendments to the Clean Fuel Production Credit under the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’, which proposes to remove indirect land use change from carbon intensity calculations. Through the SAF Coalition, A4A also supported the specific changes to indirect land use change calculations under the Clean Fuel Production Credit proposed under the Big Beautiful Bill, in a May 2025 media article. A4A echoed this position through the SAF Coalition’s May 2025 press release. A4A further appeared to push for crop-based SAFs through support for the Farm to Fly Act in a US Representative’s February 2025 press release and a March 2025 media article.
In the EU, in a July 2025 consultation response, A4A advocated for the repeal of the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) and its replacement with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). A4A opposed a monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) scheme for non-CO2 under the EU ETS that includes extra-EEA flights in a July 2024 consultation response. Similarly, A4A opposed the non-CO2 MRV framework and appeared to suggest it cannot legally be applied to US operators in notes from a May 2024 meeting with DG MOVE, accessed via FOI request. A4A advocated for a delay to the non-CO2 MRV in a July 2025 consultation response.
In the UK, in a June 2023 UK consultation response, accessed via FOI request, A4A opposed a UK SAF mandate and power-to-liquid sub-mandate, questioning the legality of a mandate imposed on A4A members. A4A also appeared to oppose the UK ETS, supporting CORSIA as the primary measure on flights from the UK to the EEA and Switzerland in a February 2025 consultation response.
Positioning on Energy Transition: A4A questioned the legality of Hawaii’s aviation fuel tax in a February 2023 regulatory submission. A4A further appeared to support measures that would maintain a high GHG energy mix in a July 2025 press release by advocating for the passage of the budget reconciliation bill which proposes to repeal many of the Inflation Reduction Act’s climate incentives and build out fossil fuel infrastructure.
In a September 2023 joint letter sent to DG MOVE, accessed via FOI request, A4A questioned the legality of a flight cap at Schiphol airport and requested the EU Commission conduct a formal review into the measure. Similarly, in a September 2023 legal complaint A4A urged the US Department of Transport to act against the Schiphol flight cap. A4A echoed its opposition to the flight cap in a July 2024 press release and a January 2025 meeting with the EU Commission. A4A opposed the flight cap at Dublin airport in a January 2025 media article and disclosed legal action against the cap in a November 2024 meeting with the EU Commission.
InfluenceMap collects and assesses evidence of corporate climate policy engagement on a weekly basis, depending on the availability of information from each specific data source (for more information see our methodology). While this analysis flows through to the company’s scores each week, the summary above is updated periodically.This summary was last updated in 2025.