Europe: EU-LISA EES and UK ETA Updates

• The EU-LISA Entry/Exit System (EES) Phase 1 missed its November launch date.
• The European Commission is working on a Progressive Rollout over the next six months.
• Next Working Group meeting: Friday, January 10th, 2025.
• The UK ETA program went live on January 8th, 2025, for U.S. citizens, the Americas, the Caribbean, and parts of Asia.
• Israel has also implemented new ETA requirements for Visa-Exempt travelers as of January 1st, 2025.

Sustainability: Reporting and Monitoring Updates

• The 2024 UK ETS, EU ETS, and CORSIA Reporting Periods are now open.
  • UK ETS: Reports due March 31st, offsets by April 30th.
  • EU ETS: Reports due March 31st, offsets by September 30th.
• 2025 Monitoring Period has started with new requirements for:
  • Tracking Non-CO2 Gases.
  • SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) utilization.
  • Updated Monitoring Plans are now mandatory.

Operational Aviation Taxes

• Sweden will officially end its aviation tax in June 2025.
• Denmark’s Passenger Tax is now live as of January 1st, 2025.
• France DGAC is issuing penalty notices for indirect taxes—validate these notices to avoid incorrect payments.
• Discussions around UK Air Passenger Duty rate increases targeting Business Aviation in 2026 are ongoing, with industry groups pushing back.

Saudi Arabia: Private Operator Annual Permits

• Saudi Arabia Civil Aviation now offers Annual Blanket Permits for private operators.
• This change simplifies trip planning and boosts flexibility for missions to the Kingdom.

Upcoming Events

• NBAA IOC Conference, San Juan:
  • I’ll be presenting on the U.S. Customs Panel next month.
  • Stop by and say hi if you’re attending!