Benelux, Durability, Mobility

Benelux and North Rhine-Westphalia join forces for sustainable aviation

17 Jul. 2026

The Benelux countries and the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia are set to strengthen their cooperation in the field of sustainable aviation. Liesje Schreinemacher and Tom Kôller, Deputy Secretaries-General of the Benelux Union, presented the Benelux Recommendation on cross-border cooperation in sustainable aviation to Oliver Krischer, Minister for Transport of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The cooperation focuses on the development of sustainable aviation technologies, including electric and hybrid aviation, hydrogen technologies, and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). By exchanging knowledge and experience and developing joint policy frameworks, the partners aim to accelerate innovation and reduce CO₂ emissions, air pollution, and noise nuisance.

Aviation faces the global challenge of becoming more sustainable while maintaining international connectivity. The Benelux countries and North Rhine-Westphalia are convinced that this transition can only succeed through close cooperation between governments, research institutions, and businesses.

The Benelux countries and North Rhine-Westphalia have been working together for many years across a range of policy areas. With this recommendation, they are extending their cooperation to the aviation sector. In doing so, they seek to accelerate the development and deployment of new technologies and contribute to a more sustainable European aviation industry.

Thanks to their central location, strong knowledge and innovation clusters, regional airports, and international transport networks, the Benelux countries and North Rhine-Westphalia are ideally positioned to play a leading role in the sustainability transition of European aviation.