International Flight Services Association

IFSA

The International Flight Services Association is a global professional association created to serve the needs and interests of airline and rail personnel, caterers and suppliers responsible for providing onboard services on travel routes around the globe.

Lobbying Activity

Response to Circular Economy Act

5 Nov 2025

Attached is the IFSA response to the Consultation. The content of the response is aligned with various stakeholders in the aviation and airline catering sector, including airlines, caterers, airports, as well as other organisations. We urge the European Commission to include provisions within the Circular Economy Act that support regulatory alignment. This would contribute to the broader objectives of reducing environmental impact, enhancing resource efficiency, and strengthening the single market for secondary raw materials. The airline catering sector stands ready to collaborate and support this transition. Please see more rationale in the attached document.
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Response to Waste Framework review to reduce waste and the environmental impact of waste management

20 Nov 2023

The International Flight Services Association (IFSA) welcomes the European Commissions proposal for the ‎revision of food waste and textile aspects of the Waste Framework Directive and the aspiration to achieve the ‎United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UN SDG) target to halve food waste by 2030. IFSA is committed ‎to helping reduce food loss and waste. In order to meet this ambition, the proposal sets a new target to reduce ‎food waste from processing and manufacturing by 10% by 2030, from 2020 levels. IFSA would like to emphasize ‎that while the Directive does not include clauses on international catering waste (ICW), that also require the ‎disposal of untouched food and drinks, the new Directive shall be consistent with it and other Farm to Fork ‎initiatives. IFSA, together with a coalition of associations from the air transport sector, airlines, airports and ‎caterers, have been calling for the reclassification of ICW to category 3 to facilitate biotreatment of food waste ‎and advise to conduct a risk assessment and potential revision of ICW provisions of Regulation (EU) 1069/2009. ‎The revision of the Regulation is even more crucial than ever, looking at the new targets set up in the proposals ‎for the above Directive. IFSA stands firm that food loss and food waste shall be reduced and prevented in the first ‎place. The attached joint statement calls for the Commission to start work on the revision of ICW provisions of ‎Regulation (EU) 1069/2009 and we find this work to be very relevant considering the announcement of the ‎revision of the Directive. ‎
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