Aspiration turns to inspiration as ANSPs partner to deliver ATM carbon reductions over the Indian Ocean
INSPIRE partners and their agreement
Fri 18 Mar 2011 – Three air navigation service providers (ANSPs) have joined forces to create the Indian Ocean Strategic Partnership to Reduce Emissions (INSPIRE) that aims to cut the output of aviation greenhouse gas emissions over the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. Airports Authority of India, Airservices Australia and ATNS South Africa inked the agreement, along with the GCAA of the United Arab Emirates, at a recent ceremony organised by the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO). The partners say the move is in accordance with the recent ICAO Assembly Resolution that agreed on fuel efficiency improvement targets for international aviation. Airservices Australia is already participating in the ASPIRE programme to create similar efficiencies on routes across the Pacific Ocean.
Significant growth in air travel took place during 2010 in the Middle East (up 21%) and Asia-Pacific (up 12.9%) regions with increasing demand expected in Africa and India, recognise the INSPIRE partners.
“We believe aggressive action to make real new concepts of operation and take advantage of innovations in aircraft and air traffic management technology are crucial if aviation is to exercise its proper stewardship of the environment,” said the ANSPs. “We look forward to regularly reporting our progress to the global aviation community in the hope that others may benefit from our collective efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of the aviation sector.”
The INSPIRE programme will work with airlines and other stakeholders in the region to:
accelerate the development and implementation of operational procedures to reduce the environmental footprint for all phases of flight on an operation by operation basis, from gate to gate;
facilitate worldwide interoperability of environmentally friendly procedures and standards;
capitalise on existing technology and best practices;
develop shared performance metrics to measure improvements in the environmental performance of the air transport system; and
provide a systematic approach to ensure appropriate mitigation actions with short, medium and long-term results.
