Proposal by BRIC states to set up a new group on a global MBM for aviation approved by ICAO Council
Fri 20 Dec 2013 - Following their success at the ICAO Assembly in mobilising wide support from developing countries over market-based measures (MBMs), a joint proposal by the BRIC states - Brazil, Russia, India and China - that ICAO sets up a group to take charge of the development of a global MBM has been approved in principle by the governing ICAO Council. This new body, the Environment Advisory Group (EAG), would report directly to the Council and have a broader representation than previous groups looking at the MBM issue. The terms of reference and tasks for the EAG will be drawn up and presented at the next Council meeting. The approval of the EAG marks a powerful shift away from the developed states such as Europe and the United States towards the developing world and will significantly define the work of ICAO over the next three years in the development of a global MBM. Read more ...
|
EU proposal to unilaterally regulate international flights in EU ETS puts global scheme at risk, says 'shocked' IATA
Fri 20 Dec 2013 - The proposal by the European Commission to include international aviation in its ETS without international consultation could re-open the threat of trade wars and distract States from focusing on working together to develop a global market-based climate scheme, says IATA. Following the agreement by ICAO States in October to develop a market-based measure and a rejection of unilaterally-imposed national or regional schemes, "it was with disbelief and shock that we received the news that Europe is returning to its misguided intentions," Director General Tony Tyler told journalists. The future direction of the Aviation EU ETS remains uncertain, with leading EU States rejecting the Commission's airspace proposals in favour of a continuation of the intra-EU Stop-the-Clock scope. This week, the European Parliament's environment committee debated the issue, showing up disagreements between MEPs. Read more ...
|
The air transport and climate change issue should be addressed in the broader context of tourism development, says UNWTO chief
Thu 19 Dec 2013 - Aviation climate change measures are crucial for the long-term development of the tourism sector, said Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in a lecture given at ICAO HQ in Montreal. He said the fight against climate change was perhaps the greatest and most critical challenge for tourism and aviation coordination. Over one billion international tourists travelled the world in 2012, over half of them by air transport and a much higher proportion to long-haul destinations, particularly landlocked and island developing nations that were dependent on air links, he reported. This interdependency, he suggested, called for mitigation measures in the context of the broad tourism spectrum rather than for air transport in isolation. Read more ...
|
Airport expansion must take into account climate change and environmental impact, says Davies interim report
Tue 17 Dec 2013 - The economic imperative to resolve the UK's airport capacity problem is strengthening by the year but aviation expansion must be set in the context of the climate change challenge and local environmental impacts, says the Chairman of the Airports Commission, Sir Howard Davies, in his foreword to its much anticipated interim report published today. The report accepts a need for a new runway in the UK southeast by 2030 and has shortlisted two options for an additional runway at Heathrow and a further option of a new runway at Gatwick. Although not shortlisted, a completely new Thames Estuary airport has not been ruled out but requires further assessment by the Commission. The UK aviation industry has broadly welcomed the report but environmental groups have opposed any expansion. Read more ...
|
Boeing supports RSB in workshop initiative to help small farmers in Southeast Asia produce sustainable biofuels
Mon 16 Dec 2013 - A workshop hosted by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) and supported by Boeing has been held in Kuala Lumpur to help small farmers in Southeast Asia grow feedstocks that produce sustainable fuels. The workshop is part of a programme launched by RSB, Boeing and other partners to understand and address the challenges for smallholder farmers in accessing markets for sustainable biofuels and biomaterials. A workshop was also held the previous week in Mexico as part of a similar initiative launched in Latin America, which is due to continue in 2014 with Boeing support. South Africa will also feature in plans for a workshop next year. The aviation industry has backed the RSB's voluntary certification system as providing the highest standard intended to promote best practices in social, environmental and economic sustainability. Read more ...
|
Baltimore/Washington airport concessions agree initiative to recycle waste cooking oil into biodiesel
Fri 13 Dec 2013 - North American airport concessions developer Airmall USA is to partner with Greenlight Biofuels on a waste cooking oil recycling initiative at Baltimore/Washington International Airport. Greenlight will collect the waste oil from tenants in the airport's concession programme and recycle it into biodiesel, a fuel alternative the company claims can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 78 per cent. On average, every 100 gallons of processed oil is equivalent to 70 gallons of biodiesel, which can offset up to 1,212 pounds (550kg) of carbon emissions. The UK's Heathrow Airport has been recycling all used cooking oil produced at the airport for some years now, with over 85 per cent being recycled as biodiesel, as part of its target to recycle 70 per cent of all waste generated. Read more ...
|
Boeing to partner with TUI Travel on next ecoDemonstrator programme to test new environmental technologies
Thu 11 Dec 2013 - Boeing is to partner with international leisure operator TUI Travel on the next stage of its ecoDemonstrator programme. The travel group, which operates six European carriers including Thomson Airways, will share insights to help promote wider adoption of sustainable aircraft technologies. The purpose of ecoDemonstrator is to flight test new innovations that can improve airplane performance and accelerate their introduction. The aircraft type selected for the next phase of the programme is a Boeing 757 - not from the TUI fleet - which will be fitted with a selection of technologies over the course of the next year before beginning technical validation and operational testing in 2015. Read more ...
|
Airservices Australia's Flex Tracks programme completes 10 years of fuel and emissions savings for Emirates
Wed 11 Dec 2013 - A collaborative effort between Australia's air traffic management provider Airservices Australia and Emirates Airline to deliver shorter journeys and reductions in fuel burn and emissions has marked its tenth anniversary. Designed to make the best use of high altitude jet-stream winds, Flex Tracks help airlines increase an aircraft's speed and reduce fuel consumption on long-distance flights by identifying tailwinds and avoiding strong headwinds. Emirates commenced using a Flex Track on a flight between Dubai and Sydney on 1 December 2003, the first airline to do so in Australian airspace at that time. Since then, the two partners have worked to improve Flex Track procedures, which have now been adopted by other airlines and between an increasing number of cities. Read more ...
|
Australian aviation biofuels technically viable but face significant obstacles, says major Qantas/Shell report
Tue 10 Dec 2013 - An investigation into producing sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) on a commercial scale in Australia concludes that action to address the lack of local feedstock and infrastructure availability will be required to make them economically viable. The 105-page report released by Qantas and Shell was carried out with the support of the Australian government and is one of the most comprehensive studies yet undertaken into the setting up of a national SAF supply chain. It looks at natural oil-based production pathways, modelling a plant capable of producing 1.1 billion litres of renewable jet and diesel fuel per year, and also assesses opportunities around a waste-based pathway. The feasibility study also finds that extending biodiesel production grants to biojet fuel would go a long way to making a commercial plant viable. Read more ...
|
Virgin Atlantic becomes the first airline to adopt a noise management strategy and reduction targets
Tue 3 Dec 2013 - Goals by airlines to reduce carbon emissions are not uncommon but Virgin Atlantic has become the first to set targets to reduce the noise impact of its aircraft fleet. In its Noise Management Strategy, the carrier sets out five pledges it will commit to in order to reach a 75 per cent reduction in noise energy, equivalent to a 6dB noise output, per flight by 2020. New aircraft replacements such as the Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 787-9 together with the continued implementation of operating procedures will be the main focus of the noise reduction policy. Since the airline started in 1984, with two Boeing 747-200 aircraft, a two thirds reduction in noise energy per aircraft (5dB) has been achieved. The noise policy and strategy have been validated and peer reviewed by consultancy Noise Communication Solutions. Read more ...
|
UK wobbles as US legislators join with China in opposing EU plans to include third countries in revisions to EU ETS
Mon 2 Dec 2013 - As EU legislators work on proposals to amend the scope of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), their US counterparts in the House of Representatives have called on the US Transportation Secretary, Anthony Foxx, to exercise his authority to prohibit US civil aircraft from participating in the scheme. Bipartisan leaders from the Transportation Committee urge Foxx to negotiate with the EU to ensure US operators "are held harmless from the unilateral application of the EU's system", which they argued was in contravention with the recent ICAO agreement. China has also voiced its displeasure at the proposals, saying they were detrimental to international solidarity in addressing climate change and that the UNFCCC principle of common but differentiated responsibilities must underpin the design and implementation of a global market-based measure. The UK, meanwhile, has signalled that it too is against the Commission's proposals to include flights to and from third countries. Read more ...
|
European Parliament rapporteur proposes tougher emissions cap and fewer free allowances for revised Aviation EU ETS
Thu 28 Nov 2013 - The European Parliament's rapporteur on the inclusion of aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), Peter Liese, says the sector should be brought into line with other industries in the scheme and should have to reduce emissions more than the current cap and also be subject to a higher level of allowance auctioning. Although he supports the European Commission's proposal to reduce the original scope of aviation emissions to just European airspace, by tightening the cap he argues the environmental integrity would be partly retained. Liese also wants changes to the Commission proposal to ensure the airspace approach is limited until the end of 2016, when the EU should review progress at the next ICAO Assembly on a global carbon scheme. He also calls for auction revenues to be earmarked for global climate finance and R&D investment in technology to reduce aviation emissions. Read more ...
|
Heathrow environmental initiatives and new Terminal 2 recognised by sustainability best practice awards
Wed 27 Nov 2013 - London's Heathrow Airport has picked up a number of awards for its environmental sustainability practices, including a Sustainability Leaders Award for the new Terminal 2 building due to open in June 2014. Sustainability was a guiding principle in the construction of the terminal, and its most sustainable terminal yet, said the airport operator. A key environmental feature of the rebuilt terminal is the Heathrow Energy Centre, which houses one of the largest biomass boilers in the UK. The facility, which opened in December 2012, provides renewable heat and power to serve new and existing airport infrastructure, saving around 13,000 tonnes of CO2 per year and representing five per cent of the airport's current carbon emissions. Heathrow has also won four categories at the International Green Apple Awards for environmental best practice and sustainable development. Read more ...
|
Virgin Atlantic hails RSB certification of LanzaTech's Chinese venture to convert waste gases into sustainable jet fuels
Mon 25 Nov 2013 - The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), the preferred sustainability standard of major airlines for jet biofuels, has certified LanzaTech's joint venture facility in China, which is aiming to produce future supplies of sustainable fuels for its partner airline, Virgin Atlantic. LanzaTech's patented fermentation technology transforms CO or CO2 gases generated by the steel industry into bioethanol, which can then be converted into low-carbon jet fuels, and other platform chemicals. The facility is the first RSB-certified biofuel plant in China and the first anywhere in the world to receive certification for industrial carbon capture and utilisation. Virgin's President, Sir Richard Branson, has described the LanzaTech process as a major breakthrough in the war on carbon. Read more ...
|
Cathay Pacific and Airservices collaborate on Pacific green demonstration flights as part of ASPIRE programme
Fri 22 Nov 2013 - Cathay Pacific yesterday conducted four flights from Hong Kong to destinations in Australia and the United States under the Asia and Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE) programme. Two demonstration flights were operated to Anchorage and San Francisco, along with flights to Melbourne and Sydney. Undertaken in collaboration with Airservices Australia, it was the first time two ASPIRE flights had been conducted at the one time in Australia. Set up in 2008, ASPIRE is a joint venture focused on lessening the environmental impact across Asia and the Pacific through the promotion of best practice in improved air traffic management. In September, Emirates conducted a flight from Dubai to Brisbane in cooperation with Airservices under a related Indian Ocean programme. Read more ...
|
Going with the flow – NASA and Boeing test advances in aerodynamic technology to improve fuel and noise performance
Thu 21 Nov 2013 - A NASA and Boeing research team has completed wind tunnel testing that shows active flow control technology can enhance the performance of a commercial aircraft's vertical tail enough to enable the size of the structure to be reduced for a whole family of airplanes. The reduction could lead to improved fuel efficiency, emissions savings and reduced noise levels through less aircraft drag and weight, says NASA. Active flow control involves the manipulation of a flow field through the addition of energy to improve aerodynamic performance. The next phase of the research will involve flight testing as part of Boeing's ecoDemonstrator programme that aims to improve environmental performance through new technologies, materials and methods. Read more ...
|
GOL to collaborate with Boeing on sustainable jet biofuel flights during next World Cup and Olympics
Wed 20 Nov 2013 - With Brazil hosting the FIFA World Cup 2014 next year and the Olympic Games in 2016, national airline GOL plans to showcase sustainable aviation biofuel development in the country by operating biofuel flights during the two major international sporting events. GOL has signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing to work together on speeding up the research, development and approval of new sources of sustainable aviation biofuel in Brazil, and help advance the long-term development of an industry for such fuels. The airline plans to use sustainable biofuels on 200 flights during the World Cup, which will take place around the country during June and July. It then aims to incorporate biofuels into 20 per cent of its flights operating during the Rio Olympics. Read more ...
|
Russia urges ICAO to reconsider 'unrealistic' carbon neutrality goal and market measures for international aviation
Mon 18 Nov 2013 - The Russian Federation, which played a leading role along with major emerging nations at the recent ICAO Assembly to dilute the scope of national and regional market-based measures (MBMs), says the goal of carbon neutrality from 2020 for international aviation is unrealistic. Such a goal predetermines the need for MBMs, which it argues reduces the potential of the sector to actually lower greenhouse gas emissions and would also have a negative impact on flight safety due to slower rates of technological development. To achieve real emissions reductions, the Russian Federation urges the ICAO Council to "revisit" the goals set out in the Assembly climate change resolution. The carbon-neutral goal (CNG2020) is also challenged by the other BRIC nations, whereas Europe argues the goal is insufficiently ambitious. Read more ...
|
Branson calls for 'brains trust' collaboration to achieve commercial scale-up of renewable jet fuels
Mon 18 Nov 2013 - The Carbon War Room, a global non-profit founded by Sir Richard Branson, is bringing together a 'brains trust' to collaborate in designing an innovative financial structure that would help the advanced renewable jet industry scale up commercial production. In a Request for Information (RFI), the Carbon War Room (CWR) is looking to set up a high-level advisory board on a volunteer basis, take on a small project team of paid financial consultants and seek potential partners from finance, fuel, NGOs and academic institutions. The CWR says that if novel financial instruments can be developed and deployed, enough renewable jet fuel added to the total jet fuel pool could eventually see a reduction in price volatility and eventually absolute prices. Read more ...
|
Airport industry carbon reduction scheme recognised as one of Europe's top low-carbon projects
Fri 15 Nov 2013 - The industry's Airport Carbon Accreditation programme has been named as one of the top three low-carbon European projects in the 'World You Like Challenge' competition organised by the European Commission. The runner-up award was presented to airport trade body ACI Europe by EU Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard at the annual global Sustainia Awards in Copenhagen. The Challenge is part of the Commission's pan-European public awareness campaign 'A world you like. With a climate you like', which promotes practical, innovative and cost-efficient solutions to climate change. Launched four years ago, the European airport carbon programme, which has been extended to ACI's Africa and the Asia-Pacific regions, now comprises 90 certified airports that collectively handle around 22 per cent of annual global air passenger traffic. Read more ...
|
Noise is the key issue constraining Heathrow growth, says CEO, as first airline noise rankings are released
Thu 14 Nov 2013 - London's Heathrow has carried out its promise to name airlines with the best and worst noise performance by releasing the first quarterly ranking of the top 50 airlines by number of flights serving the airport. The Fly Quiet table ranks airlines according to six noise-related criteria with each receiving a red/amber/green rating, as well as an overall score which allows airlines to understand how they are performing in relation to each other. Leading the performance table was British Airways' short-haul service, with Polish carrier LOT at the bottom. Heathrow CEO Colin Matthews said the airport wanted to encourage customer airlines to use the newest and quietest aircraft, and publishing the noise data was a better incentive than fining poor performers. Aircraft noise was the key issue constraining Heathrow growth, he added. Read more ...
|
SkyNRG gets Dutch government backing to set up a BioPort Holland sustainable jet biofuel supply chain
Tue 12 Nov 2013 - SkyNRG has signed a Letter of Intent with the Dutch government, KLM, Neste Oil, Schiphol Airport and the Port of Rotterdam to scale up production of sustainable jet fuels in the Netherlands. As part of its ambitious plans to create 'BioPorts' - centres served with affordable sustainable fuel by a dedicated regional supply chain - around the world, SkyNRG will make use of Neste Oil's renewable diesel plant in Rotterdam to ramp up supply and accelerate next-generation fuel production tracks. The Amsterdam-based company, which claims to be the world's market leader for sustainable jet fuels, will set up a supply chain with Neste Oil, with a focus on sourcing the necessary feedstock. Read more ...
|
United launches cargo emissions calculator in response to increasing customer need for carbon footprint data
Mon 11 Nov 2013 - United Airlines, in partnership with Sustainable Travel International (STI), has released a cargo emissions and offset calculator that computes and presents per capita carbon emissions for customers shipping through United Cargo. The airline says there is an emerging global trend for increased accountability and the need to report carbon footprint data to shippers, which is often now expected by customers. The new tool also enables United Cargo to accurately and efficiently respond to shipping requests-for-proposals, which increasingly require the inclusion of emissions reporting data. The calculator provides customers the opportunity to sponsor high-quality emission reduction projects around the globe. Read more ...
|
GE Aviation signs 10-year agreement to purchase 500,000 gallons of alternative fuel annually for engine testing
Mon 11 Nov 2013 - Aircraft engine manufacturer GE Aviation, which consumes more than 10 million gallons of jet fuel annually at its engine testing centres, has agreed to purchase cellulosic synthetic biofuel from D'Arcinoff Group (DG). The 10-year agreement calls for a baseline commitment of 500,000 gallons annually to be used at GE's main test facility in Peebles, Ohio, with options in place to order 10 million gallons per year. The fuel will be produced at a facility in Texas that is expected to be operational by 2016. The cost of the fuel will be comparable to traditional jet fuel, says GE. Depending on customer requirements, DG says it will be able to supply customers with three classes of ASTM D-7566 certified fuel - described as reduced, low and clear emissions jet fuel. Read more ...
|
Nordic aviation sector joins with Boeing and Airbus to launch a regional sustainable biofuels initiative
Fri 8 Nov 2013 - Nordic airlines, airports and aviation authorities, with the support of Boeing, Airbus and IATA, have come together to form an association to facilitate the development and uptake of sustainable aviation fuels in the region. The association, the Nordic Initiative for Sustainable Aviation (NISA), says it is important the aviation sector gets its share of the limited biofuel resources available. With commercial production of sustainable jet fuel still in its infancy, NISA says the industry is concerned that other industries and transport sectors are being prioritised. NISA is the latest in a number of national and regional stakeholder groups being set up around the world seeking to establish sustainable aviation biofuel research activities and supply chains. Read more ...
|
Count us out of carbon-neutral growth measures, China and other major emerging countries tell ICAO
Mon 4 Nov 2013 - In a reservation letter to the ICAO Secretary General sent after the conclusion of the recent ICAO Assembly, China says the adoption of a carbon-neutral growth goal from 2020 without differentiated responsibilities will impede development of its international aviation activities. Although it supports the establishment of goals for reducing international aviation emissions, China says it is the responsibility of developed countries to take the lead in reduction measures, which includes offsetting the growth of emissions by developing countries. Another emerging power, Brazil, has similarly written to the Secretary General calling for a reassessment of common global aspirational goals agreed by ICAO. By contrast, the United States has written to object to the de minimis provisions in the Assembly climate resolution and the inclusion of the differentiated responsibilities principle. Read more ...
|
UK CAA study calls on airports to use landing charges in efforts to encourage cleaner and quieter flights
Fri 1 Nov 2013 - A study by the UK's aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), concludes that UK airports should use their landing charges to offer better incentives for airlines to operate cleaner and quieter flights. It found that approaches to the environmental elements of landing charges, those relating to noise and NOx emissions, varied greatly over the six airports reviewed. The CAA therefore calls for charges to be more consistently linked to impact in order to maximise the incentives for more environmentally-friendly operations. Given that landing charge levels are regulated, the study acknowledges that options to increase incentives for airlines will be restricted to increasing differentials within the charges. It adds that airports will need to consider potential trade-offs with economic and consumer choice factors when considering their approach to landing charges. Read more ...
|
Airberlin counts the carbon calories in slimming exercise to reduce the weight of onboard items
Fri 1 Nov 2013 - The lower the weight of an aircraft, the less fuel it uses and therefore lower carbon emissions - but how much weight carried on board an aircraft can realistically be saved? Airberlin has just completed an exercise to remove, weigh and record all the objects not permanently attached to one of its Airbus A330 aircraft. The objective of its 'Papa Charlie Clear Out' mission was to identify those items that were not absolutely essential to flying the airplane in order to optimise fuel and carbon efficiency. It was found that there were actually few non-essential items but in many cases there were lighter-weight alternatives. Another positive outcome from the detailed analysis carried out on the aircraft's non-fixed furnishings was the identification of several follow-on projects, which the airline will now pursue as part of its efficiency drive. Read more ...
|
Lufthansa signs electric tractor development contract to extend its green ground handling programme
Wed 30 Oct 2013 - Lufthansa Technik's ground handling subsidiary Lufthansa LEOS has signed a contract with Sweden's Kalmar Motor to join in developing an electrically-powered hybrid towbarless tractor capable of towing aircraft as large as the Airbus A380 for distances up to seven kilometres. If it proves successful, the electric tractor would be the first of its kind in this widebody performance category and the aim is to eventually replace the diesel-powered tow tractors currently in use. The tractor, called the eSchlepper, will be part of Lufthansa's Airport eMove project that is developing a number of green ground handling initiatives at Frankfurt Airport in conjunction with the airport's operator Fraport and government. Lufthansa LEOS is also working with Israel’s IAI, Airbus and TLD Group to develop a semi-robotic, pilot-controlled vehicle called TaxiBot that is designed to transport airplanes from airport gate to runway. Read more ...
|
EU will fully comply with ICAO resolution on EU ETS airspace provision, says Commission, as opposition starts
Thu 24 Oct 2013 - The European Commission says it will comply with the climate change resolution agreed at the ICAO Assembly earlier this month and consult with third countries over its proposals to cover all aviation emissions over EU/EEA airspace from flights to and from airports in the region. However, it insists that Europe has the right to regulate its own airspace regardless of agreement by third countries. India has become the first country to publicly voice its opposition to the plans and John Thune, who co-sponsored the EU ETS prohibition bill through the US Senate is understood to have raised the issue with Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. Yesterday, the Commission published an impact assessment on the options available for the EU ETS following the Assembly outcome, together with a list of countries that will be exempted from the EU ETS in compliance with the resolution. Read more ...
|
Colombia's first commercial biofuel flight uses camelina-based renewable jet fuel blend from Honeywell
Wed 23 Oct 2013 - Colombia is the latest country to host a first-ever commercial biofuel flight when a LAN Airbus A320 between Bogota and Santiago de Cali used a 30/70 blend of Honeywell Green Jet Fuel and conventional jet kerosene to power one of the aircraft's two engines. The renewable fuel was made with natural oils from camelina, an inedible plant that grows, says Honeywell subsidiary UOP, in conditions where food crops cannot be grown. The company says that each gallon of its camelina-based Green Jet Fuel burned instead of petroleum reduces net CO2 equivalent emissions by 68 per cent. Depending on the feedstock used its fuel can offer a 65 to 85 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Read more ...
|
Too many airline operators are paying lip service to fuel efficiency management, concludes industry survey
Tue 22 Oct 2013 - With fuel accounting for up to 40 per cent of operating costs, most airlines and aircraft operators place fuel efficiency as second only to safety in their organisation's priorities, yet implementing and running a cost-effective fuel efficiency programme is far from common. A survey carried out by Aircraft IT magazine finds that for more than 50 per cent of operators, running such a programme at all was either a completely new departure or had only been embarked upon in the last three years. Of those who use in-house software, almost half are disappointed with the results. The biggest barrier to implementing an effective programme, according to the survey, is the issue of extracting and processing reliable data, with a lack of priority given to the issue by senior management, surprisingly, as the second most important reason. Suppliers of specialised fuel efficiency management software solutions say the survey backs up their own findings. Read more ...
|
Too far or not far enough - Commission's EU ETS proposals for international aviation greeted with concern
Fri 18 Oct 2013 - The European Commission's EU ETS proposals released this week on including from 2014 aviation emissions over European airspace from intercontinental flights to and from European airports have taken many by surprise. At the 38th Assembly earlier this month, ICAO Member States succeeded in reining back the inclusion of third countries into national and regional market-based carbon schemes such as the EU ETS by imposing a requirement for prior agreement. Regardless, the Commission has asserted the EU's right to regulate its own sovereign airspace but airline industry bodies have reacted with concern that this may undermine hard-won gains at ICAO towards agreeing a global scheme. Others though believe the airspace proposal does not go far enough as it severely reduces the environmental effectiveness of the scheme's original aims. Read more ...
|
Virgin Atlantic expects extensive fleet upgrade programme to bring significant savings in carbon emissions
Fri 18 Oct 2013 - Although total CO2 emissions from aircraft fuel burn increased by 1.8 per cent in 2012 over the previous year due to the addition of new routes, Virgin Atlantic's overall fuel efficiency on a per passenger kilometre basis improved as a result of fleet renewal and higher load factors. During the year, the airline completed one of its biggest fleet improvement projects that saw entry into service of 10 twin-engine Airbus A330-300 aircraft, which Virgin says are about 30 per cent more efficient on a per trip basis and about 19 per cent more efficient on a per seat basis than the four-engine A340-600s they replaced. In 2014, it will take delivery of the first of 16 Boeing 787-900 aircraft on order. Virgin has set a target to reduce aircraft CO2 emissions by 30 per cent per revenue tonne kilometre (RTK) from 2007 to 2020. Read more ...
|
European Commission to press ahead with airspace coverage of the EU ETS despite ICAO Assembly defeat
Wed 16 Oct 2013 - Despite the recent decision by a majority of ICAO States to impose restrictions on national and regional market-based measures (MBMs), the European Commission has put forward proposals that seek to apply the EU ETS to European regional airspace from 1 January 2014. In a late move at the recent Assembly, a number of large emerging nations such as Russia, India and China succeeded in including resolution wording that agreement should be obtained from third countries before applying interim MBMs to their airlines. However, European Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said today that EU countries had the sovereign right to regulate their own airspace. Under the proposals, flights to and from low and lower-middle income countries, as defined by the World Bank, with a share of less than 1 per cent of international aviation RTKs would be exempted, and new exemption levels have been set for business jet operators. Read more ...
|
Brazil’s Avianca to back Byogy’s alcohol conversion technology as a future source of renewable jet fuel
Mon 14 Oct 2013 - Brazil's fast-growing airline Avianca Brasil has selected California-based Byogy Renewables' alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) fuel process as a future source of renewable alternative jet fuel. Byogy has developed a catalytic platform that converts any source of hydrous ethanol or butanol into full replacement, drop-in biofuels, including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. The company says as a world leader in the production of sugar cane ethanol, Brazil can leverage the Byogy ATJ process and develop a world leading sustainable aviation fuel industry. Avianca will make an Airbus A319 aircraft available for advance testing and data acquisition to support the ATJ specification adoption process underway by fuels certification body ASTM International. Read more ...
|
Africa’s first sustainable aviation biofuel project gets underway as Boeing and South African Airways ink agreement
Mon 14 Oct 2013 - Boeing and South African Airways (SAA) are to collaborate on developing and implementing a sustainable aviation biofuel supply chain in Southern Africa, a first such project for the continent. The two partners say the project is part of broader efforts to support environmental sustainability for the airline's operations and in addition to advancing South Africa's social and economic development. Particular feedstocks have yet to be identified but they must be sustainable and not compete with food crops, said Ian Cruickshank, SAA's Head of Group Environmental Affairs. Only waste streams from various crops and processes are currently being considered although numerous streams have been identified for further exploration. The use of sustainable aviation biofuels has been identified as a priority by the South African government in efforts to develop a green economy and reduce the country's carbon footprint. Read more ...
|
Following ICAO limits on regional carbon schemes, European airlines disagree on next moves over the EU ETS
Thu 10 Oct 2013 - As EU legislators deliberate over last week's climate change agreement at the ICAO Assembly, European airlines have differing views on how the EU should proceed with its emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) for aviation. The European Low Fares Airline Association (ELFAA), whose members include two of Europe's biggest airlines, Ryanair and easyJet, contend none of the 'red line' conditions set by the European Commission or European Parliament had been met by the ICAO resolution. As such, says ELFAA, the EU should now honour its commitment to 'snap back' automatically to the full scope of the EU ETS. By contrast, the European Regions Airline Association (ERA), which represents intra-European regional carriers, believes the EU should suspend the entire scheme at least until 2016 to allow ICAO to formally adopt a global market-based measure (MBM). Meanwhile, the European Parliament's rapporteur on the aviation EU ETS, Dr Peter Liese, said it was unlikely his fellow MEPs would support a reduced scheme restricted to covering only intra-EU flights. (updated 11 Oct 2013) Read more ...
|
ICAO Assembly climate change outcome hailed by industry but seen as a missed opportunity by environmental NGOs
Sun 6 Oct 2013 - The adoption of a resolution by ICAO States at the close of their 38th Assembly on Friday that commits to developing a global market-based measure (MBM) to limit the growth of international aviation emissions was hailed by the aviation industry as an historic and landmark agreement. Airline representative body IATA said a global MBM was needed to complement a strategy to reducing the industry's climate impacts, including its carbon-neutral growth goal from 2020. IATA Director General Tony Tyler said the sector was eager to get on with the detailed work needed to design the scheme in time for finalisation at the next Assembly in 2016. Environmental NGOs were less impressed and said the deal reached in Montreal only committed to the possibility of an MBM agreement in 2016 and had reined back regional efforts such as the EU ETS to reduce fast-growing aviation emissions. (updated 8 Oct) Read more ...
|
ICAO States reach agreement on roadmap towards a global MBM but Europe suffers defeat over EU ETS
Fri 4 Oct 2013 - After two days of intense negotiations at the ICAO Assembly, States reached a consensus agreement to proceed with a roadmap towards a decision to be taken on a global market-based measure at the next Assembly in 2016. Unusually for ICAO, votes were taken yesterday on late amendments to the draft resolution proposed by a number of developing States led by Russia, China and India. Despite attempts by Europe to head off defeat, the developing States won a crucial vote to include a paragraph that, in essence, aims to kill off the inclusion of foreign aircraft operators in the EU ETS. The EU had believed a reduced airspace coverage framework in exchange for progress towards a decision on a global MBM in 2016 for implementation in 2020, would be acceptable to ICAO States. In the end they were outflanked and outnumbered. Read more ...
|
Climate researchers find even carbon-neutral growth from 2020 will not be enough to stave off climate impacts
Thu 3 Oct 2013 - As countries argue at the current ICAO Assembly over attempts to stabilise the growth in aviation carbon emissions, a new study from Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) shows even this will not be enough to hold back climate impacts. The key aspirational carbon-neutral growth goal of ICAO, and supported by the aviation industry, is to maintain CO2 emissions at 2020 levels (CNG2020) but because the greenhouse gas has a very long lifetime, the overall effect is an increase in radiative forcing and temperatures. Only the industry goal of halving 2005 emissions by 2050 is more likely to keep climate impacts from aviation within the 2 degree goal, conclude the researchers. The study follows other recent MMU research that demonstrated market-based measures were required to meet the CNG2020 target and that action to implement them had to be taken quickly. Read more ...
|
Measuring environmental impact – Positive results from the latest reporting tools for ATM performance
Mon 30 Sept 2013 - During the 38th ICAO Assembly currently taking place, 191 member countries are expected to approve the 4th Edition of the Global Air Navigation Plan, a 15-year rolling methodology that provides the global strategic direction to the aviation industry in five-year increments. It offers guidance on operational targets and the supporting technologies, avionics, procedures, standards and regulatory approvals needed to realise the plan. Once operational analyses and resulting implementations have been completed, reports Bernard Gonsalves of CANSO, the next step calls for air navigation performance monitoring through an established measurement and reporting strategy. Some ANSPs possess sophisticated measurement and reporting tools but for those that do not, ICAO, working closely with CANSO and other stakeholders, has developed a tool to estimate environmental benefits. Read more ...
|
Etihad conducts gate-to-gate fuel optimisation flight to Sao Paulo as part of week-long efficiency programme
Fri 27 Sept 2013 - Etihad Airways is coming to the end of a week-long campaign to promote its company-wide fuel efficiency programme in which it aims to raise awareness of its efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The Fuel Optimisation Week programme highlights specific activities designed to reduce aircraft fuel consumption, both on the ground and in the air, without compromising safety or guest comfort, says the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates. On Wednesday (25th), Etihad carried out a number of gate-to-gate fuel optimisation procedures and activities on an ultra-long haul flight from Abu Dhabi to São Paulo in Brazil, the airline's longest route. It worked with civil aviation authorities and air navigation service providers along the flight of over 12,000 kilometres. Read more ...
|
Meeting of ICAO States to discuss environmental activities ends with lack of consensus over MBMs
Fri 27 Sept 2013 - At a meeting yesterday morning to discuss ICAO's environmental protection programme, there was broad support among Member States for its work on alternative fuels, State action plans and assistance to States. However, most of the afternoon meeting was devoted to the controversial paragraphs on market-based measures in the draft climate change resolution before the Assembly (WP/34). Although there was a call by a majority of States for a consensus to be formed around the compromise text agreed by the ICAO Council, the Organisation's governing body, there was considerable opposition to two paragraphs (17 and 18) relating to national and regional interim MBM schemes and a de minimis provision that would see 160-odd developing countries exempted from such schemes. There was also a call from major developing countries for more recognition of the UNFCCC principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR). Read more ...
|
ICAO President upbeat on an Assembly climate agreement as UN leader calls on aviation sector to limit emissions
Wed 25 Sept 2013 - The opening of the 38th ICAO Assembly yesterday was marked by a video message from the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, which focused almost entirely on the aviation sector's climate change role and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He said commerce, trade and tourism around the world depended on ICAO to regulate the skies and the Organization was also central to the climate change and sustainable development agenda. ICAO Council President Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez later told reporters that some paragraphs in the draft climate change resolution needed "some work" but he was confident an agreement would be reached. Efforts are being made behind the scenes to persuade those States reluctant to back market-based measures to support the resolution's text. Meanwhile senior figures from the European Parliament sent an open letter yesterday to Kobeh warning that with the EU already compromising over its ETS to secure an agreement, further weakening of the text would not be acceptable. Read more ...
|
Divergent views of ICAO States point to the difficulty in achieving an international consensus on emissions schemes
Tue 24 Sept 2013 – Working paper submissions by ICAO Member States for consideration by this year’s Assembly show a divergence of opinions on the issue of market-based measures (MBMs) and highlights the difficulty in forming a consensus around the climate change resolution to be discussed this Thursday (26th). Whilst the majority of the working papers show some support for a global MBM, many States remain unhappy with national or regional schemes such as the EU ETS, which, they say, should only be implemented on a mutual consent basis. Although the principle is generally opposed by others, African countries are also seeking a de minimis exemption from such schemes. Russia goes even further and opposes MBMs in principle, arguing that they are unlikely to result in real reductions in aviation emissions. Instead, it proposes a global aviation fuel tax and the offering of economic incentives. Read more ...
|
Environmental NGOs call for ICAO to bring forward global MBM adoption to 2015 for implementation in 2016
Mon 23 Sept 2013 - The ICAO draft resolution to be considered by the 38th Assembly later this week appears equivocal on whether to adopt a global market-based measure (MBM), leaving it to the 39th Assembly in 2016 to make a decision. However, environmental NGOs say that evidence shows early action must be taken to ensure the climate impact from rapidly increasing aviation emissions is minimised. In a submission to the Assembly by their representative body, the International Coalition for Sustainable Aviation (ICSA), they call for ICAO member states to agree now to develop a global MBM for adoption in 2015 and implementation in 2016. This would require the holding of an Extraordinary General Assembly in 2015, which although not unprecedented would be highly unusual. Read more ...
|
Aviation industry calls for global agreement and climate change leadership by governments ahead of ICAO Assembly
Fri 20 Sept 2013 - Ahead of the 38th ICAO Assembly starting on Tuesday, the aviation industry has urged ICAO member states to set aside their differences on a controversial global market-based measure (MBM) and take bold decisions on mitigating the growth of aviation carbon emissions. In a joint paper submitted to the Assembly by trade bodies representing airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, aerospace manufacturers and business aviation, they call for action by governments to support the industry's own efforts in reducing the climate impact of the sector. Primarily, the industry is looking for a firm commitment at this Assembly towards an agreement at the following Assembly in 2016 on implementing a single global MBM from 2020, which would be in line with the sector’s own carbon-neutral growth (CNG2020) target. Read more ...
|
The wide gap in top and bottom domestic US airline fuel efficiency rankings highlights market complexity
Wed 18 Sept 2013 - A comprehensive study of the fuel efficiency of the 15 mainline airlines on US domestic routes shows a 26 per cent gap between the most and the least efficient. The study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) is the first to quantify performance using both publicly available data and a newly designed methodology to account for the differences in business operations across airlines. Alaska Airlines was the most fuel-efficient carrier operating in the United States in 2010, followed by Spirit Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. Around one-third of the variation in fuel efficiency between airlines can be attributed to differences in the utilisation of advanced aircraft efficiency technology. Those airlines towards the top of the rankings, however, were found not to be as fuel efficient as others on certain popular routes. Counter-intuitively, the least fuel-efficient airline was also the most profitable airline in the period studied. Read more ...
|
New Center of Excellence to receive $40 million FAA funding for alternative jet fuels R&D and environmental goals
Tue 17 Sept 2013 - The FAA is to provide $40 million over 10 years towards a new Air Transportation Center of Excellence (COE) for alternative jet fuels and the environment. The public-private programme will be led by Washington State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and will explore ways to meet the environmental goals that are part of the NextGen upgrade to the US air transportation system. Core partners include 14 other universities and the team will focus on goals for noise, air quality, climate change and energy, with areas of study to include new aircraft technologies as well as sustainable jet fuels. FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said the FAA's goal was to improve the energy efficiency of the National Airspace System by at least two per cent per year, with a target of one billion gallons of alternative jet fuel in use by 2018. Read more ...
|
Leading European leisure group calls for greater airline industry transparency in carbon reporting
Tue 17 Sept 2013 - TUI Travel, which owns six European leisure airlines including Thomson Airways and TUIfly, has called for an industry standard on reporting fuel and carbon efficiency for UK airlines. A set of common metrics to report carbon emissions would ensure greater transparency so customers can make informed decisions about which airlines to choose, it argues. TUI Travel currently reports its airlines' carbon emissions on a per revenue passenger kilometre basis, a common standard but, it points out, not yet the standard unit of measurement used by all airlines to communicate their efficiency, and it accuses some airlines of failing to measure or report their carbon emissions. New carbon reporting legislation has been announced by the UK government for the largest companies and the UK Civil Aviation Authority has been tasked with communicating the environmental impact of aviation. Read more ...
|
'Green Skies of Brazil' programme rolled out in drive to improve airspace efficiency and reduce environmental impact
Mon 16 Sept 2013 - Following a two-year research initiative, a multi-year airspace efficiency programme is to be rolled out in southeast Brazil that is expected to result in substantial savings in fuel and emissions. Dubbed 'Green Skies of Brazil', the programme will involve the deployment of Required Navigation Performance (RNP) operational procedures at 10 Brazilian airports. GOL is the first airline committed to the programme and all qualified operators will be able to participate. GE Aviation's flight data analytics will be used to measure and quantify the opportunities and benefits for airlines. Air travel in Brazil is forecast to grow 6.5 per cent annually over the next 10 years and with commitments to hosting both the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016, there is a realisation that airspace efficiency in the country must be improved as quickly as possible. Read more ...
|
Policymakers and industry stakeholders meet to discuss setting up sustainable aviation fuel industry in Southeast Asia
Fri 13 Sept 2013 - Representatives from the aviation and biofuel sectors, together with policymakers, regulators, NGOs and other stakeholders, met in Bangkok today to address the opportunities and challenges of developing a successful sustainable aviation biofuels industry in Southeast Asia. With air travel in the region set to grow at 6.8 per cent per annum over the next 20 years, there is likely to be a huge demand for such fuels. Hosted by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), in partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG), the aim of the South-East Asia Sustainable Aviation Fuel Initiative (SEASAFI) Workshop on Aviation Biofuel and Sustainable Agriculture was to raise awareness in the region. In Indonesia, meanwhile, the government has instructed all airlines to achieve a target of 2 per cent biofuel use by 2015 and 3 per cent use by 2018-2020. Read more ...
|
Multifunctional fuel cell technology research wins Airbus important European environmental award
Fri 13 Sept 2013 - Airbus has been presented with the prestigious GreenTec Award in the aviation category for its research into integrating fuel cell technology as an alternative energy source in commercial aircraft. The research analyses the replacement of an aircraft's auxiliary power unit (APU) and the ram air turbine by a multifunctional fuel cell. A fuel cell produces electricity by combining hydrogen with oxygen and the electrical energy can be used both for conventional aircraft systems and also for main engine starting and emissions-free autonomous ground operations at airports. The Airbus research is also focusing on the by-products of the electrochemical process - pure water, heat and inert gas (mainly nitrogen) - which can be efficiently used in other systems of the aircraft. Read more ...
|
United States' aviation carbon footprint in 2012 dwarfs that of other countries, finds new global analysis
Thu 12 Sept 2013 - The carbon footprint from global scheduled domestic flights was around 39 per cent of emissions from all scheduled operations in 2012. Combined with international emissions, the United States' aviation carbon footprint dwarfs that of other countries, being almost three times the size of the country - China - with the second largest footprint. Although 39/61 is the average global split between domestic and international emissions from scheduled flights, US domestic emissions are around double those from international operations, whereas in China they are three times higher. These stats can be found in a comprehensive new study by aviation carbon footprint expert Dave Southgate, the latest in a trilogy of national and global analysis he has undertaken. Although data and calculation tools are readily available, Southgate says he has found a surprising lack of consolidated aviation carbon emissions reporting at the country level. Read more ...
|
SkyNRG diversifies with Schiphol agreement to supply sustainable diesel for ground vehicles
Wed 11 Sept 2013 - Amsterdam-based sustainable jet fuel company SkyNRG is to supply Schiphol Airport with a 30 per cent sustainable waste based diesel for its ground transport vehicles. The agreement follows a successful pilot in 2011-12 in which 45 vehicles were tested on a 100 per cent sustainable diesel derived from waste products. The sustainable diesel - not to be confused with biodiesel, stresses SkyNRG - is a co-product stream from a large sustainable jet fuel batch it 'fractionated' in Europe. By opting for a 30 per cent blend, the fuel meets the EN590 quality standard applying to diesel, which is required by engine manufacturers. SkyNRG says finding customers for its sustainable diesel will help to keep its biojet product affordable to airlines and is looking to other transport segments, such as marine and heavy trucking, where alternative sources of renewable power will be limited for the foreseeable future. Read more ...
|
United, airberlin, Qantas and Air Canada pick up eco awards for sustainability and environmental endeavours
Tue 10 Sept 2013 - United Airlines, airberlin, Qantas, Air Canada, Airbus and WheelTug will this week receive awards at the annual Eco-Aviation conference. The main award, Gold Eco-Airline of the Year, will be presented to United Airlines in recognition of the carrier's "realistic and practical approach to environmental action, with goals that are achievable, measurable and which take the entire industry forward." Runner up, with the Silver award, is airberlin for becoming the first European network carrier to decrease fuel burn per 100 revenue passenger kilometres to 3.4 litres. For its decade-long eco-efforts, particularly in the field of sustainable biofuels, Qantas has been awarded Eco-Pioneer of the Year, while the Eco-Partnership of the Year goes to Air Canada and Airbus for their Perfect Flight initiative and other collaborative efforts. WheelTug will receive the Eco-Technology of the Year award for its nose gear electric drive system for aircraft taxi operations. Read more ...
|
ICAO moves closer to agreement on limiting growth of aviation emissions as EU officials justify climb-down
Mon 9 Sept 2013 - The special meeting of the ICAO Council held last Wednesday to consider the draft climate change resolution to be put before the ICAO Assembly later this month resulted in broad acceptance but negotiations will continue on controversial aspects relating to market-based measures (MBMs). Major developing countries such as China, India and Brazil remain unhappy with the text relating to the implementation of interim national or regional MBMs pending a single global scheme. EU countries, on the other hand, expressed general support for the draft despite it falling well short of the EU's starting position. Top EU policymakers at a Brussels seminar on Wednesday expressed the view that although the negotiations were likely to result in a far from perfect outcome, it was the best that could be achieved in the circumstances. Environmental NGOs expressed their anger at ICAO and the perceived climb-down by the EU, while an aviation industry representative said the sector would continue to push for a stronger commitment by the Assembly for a global MBM. (Article updated 18 Sept 2013) Read more ...
|
ICAO Council meets to hammer out a compromise on implementing a global MBM to limit growth of aviation emissions
Tue 3 Sept 2013 - As negotiations continue at ICAO on an agreement to implement a global market-based mechanism (MBM) to reduce the net growth of international aviation emissions, there are signs that progress is being made towards a compromise that has the backing of a number of important States, including the United States, those from the EU and possibly China. However, it is believed the wording of the resolution being prepared for the upcoming ICAO Assembly later this month stops short of agreement to adopt a global MBM but merely that a scheme be developed for a decision in 2016. The draft resolution, to be discussed at a special meeting of the ICAO Council tomorrow (Sept 4), is said to carry a US-led proposal that would allow the EU to re-include intercontinental flights into the EU ETS on an airspace limitation basis pending a global scheme. Trade body Airlines for America said it was opposed to such a move. Read more ...
|
Market measures are the quickest and most effective way to reduce aviation CO2 emissions, find climate researchers
Fri 30 Aug 2013 - Although a mix of strategies is required to deal with the climate impact from the rapid growth of carbon emissions from aviation, the fastest and most effective method is through market-based measures (MBMs), concludes a report by climate researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University's (MMU) Centre for Aviation, Transport and the Environment (CATE). Delaying the implementation of MBMs and setting carbon reduction targets for future dates fail to factor in the physics of CO2, they say, namely the accumulative nature of CO2, its long lifetime in the atmosphere and its consequent effect on climate. The report - 'Mitigating future aviation CO2 emissions – timing is everything' - has been released ahead of an important meeting of the ICAO Council next week (September 4) that will deliberate the contents of the climate change resolution to be put to the ICAO Assembly later in the month. Read more ...
|
TUI Travel commits to operating Europe's most fuel-efficient airlines as it raises its carbon target ambitions
Thu 29 Aug 2013 - International leisure operator TUI Travel says its six airlines have achieved their overall 6 per cent carbon reduction target two years earlier than planned and has therefore increased the target by half to 9 per cent by 2014 relative to a 2008 baseline. In its 2012 financial year, the group's airlines achieved overall efficiencies of 73g of CO2 emissions per revenue passenger kilometre. TUIfly was rated the most climate-efficient charter airline worldwide and Thomson Airways second most efficient airline for short-haul flights in the 2012 Airline Index published by German NGO atmosfair. Last year, the group launched a three-year plan to drive sustainability best practice across its global brands through challenging and measurable commitments, and a goal as the operator of Europe's most fuel-efficient airlines. Read more ...
|
Automated taxiway guidance simulation trials demonstrate reductions in aircraft taxi times, fuel and emissions
Wed 28 Aug 2013 - Preliminary evaluation of data following simulation trials at Frankfurt Airport in late June shows that aircraft taxiing procedures could be speeded up - saving time, fuel and emissions - by using automated taxiway guidance. At busy airports, cockpit crews are currently directed by radio to the assigned taxi route by apron controllers but the aircraft can be put on hold at traffic crossings before accelerating onwards, so increasing fuel consumption and time spent taxiing. In the simulation testing, performed by 20 pilots from different airlines, an intelligent taxiway lighting system procedure, dubbed 'Follow the Greens', was instead used to direct the crew in an uninterrupted traffic flow. The trials were carried out as part of the Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research (SESAR) programme aimed at modernising and harmonising European airspace. Read more ...
|
Airbus signs cooperation agreement to analyse potential of sustainable aviation fuel production in Russia
Wed 28 Aug 2013 - Airbus and RT-Biotekhprom, part of the state-owned Rostec Corporation, have entered into a cooperation agreement to carry out a large-scale analysis of feedstocks in Russia and to evaluate how to accelerate the development and commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuels. The study will select a number of local sources of suitable raw materials that comply with ecological, economic and social sustainability criteria, and the aim is to complete a full sustainability analysis by the end of 2014. In collaboration with RT-Biotekhprom, Airbus will manage the analysis and ensure the fuel produced meets international aviation standards, alongside completing relevant flight test campaigns. Read more ...
|
Delta reduces its emissions by over 18 per cent since 2005 and exceeds industry annual fuel efficiency goal
Wed 28 Aug 2013 - Delta Air Lines has reported a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 18.4 per cent between 2005 and 2012, representing some 8.5 million tonnes, following verification of its GHG inventories under its membership of The Climate Registry. The airline says it managed to improve annual aircraft fuel efficiency by an average of 1.7 per cent from 2009 to 2012, exceeding the industry goal of 1.5 per cent. The lower emissions, claims Delta, are due to fleet replacements with more fuel efficient aircraft, the implementation of numerous initiatives to reduce fuel consumption on existing aircraft and the conversion of ground support equipment from diesel to electric at Atlanta. The Climate Registry is a non-profit organisation with established standards for calculating, verifying and publicly reporting carbon footprints. Read more ...
|
Net cost to the aviation sector of achieving carbon-neutral growth from 2020 will be trivial, finds report
Fri 2 Aug 2013 - Meeting the aviation industry's carbon-neutral growth target from 2020 could add as little as $1.50 to $2 to the price of a transatlantic one-way ticket in 2030, estimates a report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance and Environmental Defense Fund. Their analysis shows that surplus offset credits already available in the world's carbon trading systems could, in principle, meet just under 50 per cent of the industry's potential need for the 2020 to 2050 period. As long as governments adopt tough criteria to ensure their environmental integrity, the cost of credits to the aviation industry would represent less than 0.5 per cent of international aviation revenue, or roughly a quarter to a third of what airlines bring in from ancillary revenues such as checked bags. Read more ...
|
Alaska Airlines signs agreement to purchase sustainable jet biofuel sourced from locally grown Hawaiian feedstocks
Thu 25 July 2013 - Alaska Airlines has entered into an agreement to purchase sustainable jet fuel from Hawai'i BioEnergy, a consortium of three of Hawaii's largest landowners and three venture capital companies. Details of how much biofuel the airline is purchasing have not been revealed but it is hoping to begin using regular supplies in five years time. Alaska Airlines becomes the consortium's second customer, following a provisional agreement by Hawaiian Electric Co. to purchase 10 million gallons of fuel a year for power generation to the state. The locally grown feedstock for the jet biofuel is anticipated to be woody biomass-based and, assures the airline, will be consistent with sustainability criteria established by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels. Read more ...
|
CAAFI releases guidance document to help alternative aviation fuel producers meet airline requirements
Tue 23 July 2013 - Matching potential alternative aviation fuel producers and suppliers together with willing airline industry buyers was discussed at length during a conference ran in conjunction with the Alternative Aviation Fuels Pavilion at last month's Paris Air Show. To help producers understand the needs of prospective airline clients, the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) released a guidance document at the event. Its aim is to communicate basic information and technical requirements, including a generalised process and key steps when entering into purchase agreements. It also advises producers on how to become involved with the aviation community, the testing and environmental evaluations required to show the fuel's suitability for aviation use, and how best to facilitate certification for a new fuel. Coordinating and facilitating cooperation between stakeholders has also become a key activity in the environmental efforts of ICAO, which participated in Paris. Read more ...
|
New scimitar-shaped winglets expected to improve United Airline’s 737NG fuel efficiency by two per cent
Fri 19 July 2013 - A new advanced winglet design for Boeing 737 Next-Generation aircraft has been flight tested for the first time on a United Airlines 737-800. The Split Scimitar Winglet is expected to demonstrate significant further fuel and emissions savings on current technology blended winglets through improved drag reduction. The new winglet was launched in January 2013 by Aviation Partners Boeing (APB), with United announced as the launch customer for the 737-800 version. Last month, United placed a further order as the programme was extended to include the 737-900ER. APB expects a 737-800 retrofitted with the Split Scimitar Winglet to save a typical airline more than 45,000 gallons of jet fuel per aircraft per year, representing a reduction of over 476 tons of CO2, and a similarly-equipped 737-900ER to achieve savings of 57,000 gallons and over 600 tons of CO2. Read more ...
|
Measure to manage – saving fuel a priority as European airlines implement fuel efficiency software
Wed 17 July 2013 - Aer Lingus, SkyWork Airlines and four carriers within the TUI Travel Group are the latest airlines to employ specialist software to improve their fuel efficiency. Swiss company Aviaso reports it has successfully implemented its system at Aer Lingus to identify potential savings in fuel consumption and also achieve these savings by monitoring various fuel saving initiatives for each and every flight within the Irish carrier's 56-strong fleet. SkyWork Airlines, which claims to be Switzerland's fastest growing regional airline, has become the first turboprop-only operator to sign up for ETS Aviation's Aviation FuelSaver fuel efficiency software system, which is to be coupled with specialist consultancy. ETS Aviation has also been selected by TUI Travel Group to power its fuel efficiency programme for Thomson Airways, Corsair, TUIfly Nordic and Arkefly. Read more ...
|
US Midwest report recommends route to developing a successful aviation biofuels industry in the region
Mon 15 July 2013 - With its significant airline presence and agricultural resources, the American Midwest holds the promise of potentially contributing to advancements in the aviation biofuels industry, says the Midwest Aviation Sustainable Biofuels Initiative (MASBI) in its final report. Formed in May 2012, MASBI was led by Chicago-headquartered United Airlines and Boeing, along with Honeywell's UOP, the Clean Energy Trust and the Chicago Department of Aviation, and involved 40 or so organisations across the aviation biofuels supply chain. The Midwest region consumes nearly three billion gallons of jet fuel per year and MASBI estimates that for every five per cent of petroleum jet fuel that can be replaced by biofuels, around 3,600 jobs can be created and 700,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions saved. Read more ...
|
Middle East airports target carbon neutrality with environmental and emissions reduction initiatives
Thu 11 July 2013 - Dubai International Airport is undertaking a number of green initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of its new Concourse D, which will be the home for more than 100 airlines when it opens in 2015. These include adopting recycling programmes during construction, utilising locally sourced and recycled building materials and the use of renewable energy sources to reduce the carbon footprint of the facility. In addition, the overall volume of the building has been significantly reduced to lessen cooling requirements and a glass facade will allow for more effective use of daylight. The intention is to promote healthy, durable, affordable and environmentally sound practices in design, construction and building materials, say the airport operator and Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects. Meanwhile, Amman's Queen Alia International Airport has become the second airport in the Middle East to become Airport Carbon Accredited, following Abu Dhabi International Airport. Read more ...
|
European Commission opens consultation on international aviation MBM policy options ahead of ICAO Assembly
Fri 28 June 2013 - The European Commission has opened a consultation seeking opinions and suggestions on various policy options concerning international aviation market-based measures ahead of the ICAO Assembly that starts late September. The Commission is requesting input from relevant aviation and climate change stakeholders and experts on the two workstreams taking place at ICAO on developing a framework for the application of national or regional MBMs and a single global MBM. Specifically, the Commission is looking for views on the various geographical scope options under the framework, the roadmap it has proposed towards implementing a global MBM, and requirements for the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of international aviation emissions. The consultation is also asking for views on how the EU ETS compliance and administrative burden on non-commercial small aircraft operators could be reduced. Read more ...
|
Obama: US working at ICAO towards comprehensive global approach on limiting international aviation emissions
Wed 26 June 2013 - In a wide-ranging major speech on climate change yesterday, President Obama launched an action plan that references the role the United States is playing at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in reaching a comprehensive global approach on international aviation emissions. With important UNFCCC negotiations on agreeing a global climate treaty by 2015 to be enforced from 2020 to replace the Kyoto Protocol, the outcome at ICAO is being viewed by many as a barometer of how close nations are to finding common ground, with US leadership playing a vital role. Although many states and industry remain optimistic a broad agreement on measures to limit the growth of aviation emissions can be reached at the triennial ICAO Assembly, countries representing the major emerging economies remain opposed to applying market-based instruments. With just three months left before the start of the Assembly, ICAO's leadership will be engaged in bilateral discussions with member states over the summer to reconcile differences. Read more ...
|
Air France joins Lufthansa and China Airlines in supporting high-altitude IAGOS climate monitoring project
Tue 25 June 2013 - Air France has installed atmospheric measuring equipment on an Airbus A340 to aid international climate research. The European IAGOS (In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System) project uses commercial aircraft to obtain atmospheric data at cruising altitudes in order to monitor climate and atmospheric pollution on a global scale. EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) certified, onboard instruments measure the levels of several types of greenhouse gases and aerosol and cloud particles. The resulting data is made available to weather centres and scientists around the world, and is used in the study of carbon cycles and to check CO2 emissions in accordance with the Kyoto Protocol. Lufthansa and China Airlines have already installed the equipment and will shortly be joined by Cathay Pacific and Iberia. Read more ...
|
British Airways and NATS to conduct summer trial of environmentally optimised transatlantic flights
Mon 24 June 2013 - The UK's air navigation service provider NATS and British Airways have started a trial of 60 optimised transatlantic flights over the course of the summer, with each flight planned to save up to half a tonne of fuel, equivalent to 1.6 tonnes of CO2. The flights are part of TOPFLIGHT, a project led by NATS under the SESAR programme, the technical and operational component of the EU's Single European Sky initiative, and co-funded by SESAR Joint Undertaking. Every element of each flight, from push-back to climb and descent profile and routing, has been designed to test the SESAR concept, minimise fuel burn and maximise efficiency. The first flight took place at the end of May between London Heathrow and Canada following six weeks of cockpit simulation work. Read more ...
|
Airbus partners French aerospace, airline and fuel sectors with a view to creating a national jet biofuel industry
Fri 21 June 2013 - Airbus, Air France, Safran and oil giant Total are to collaborate on an initiative to exploit French technical capability and research into developing a viable national sustainable aviation biofuels industry. The launch of the 'Joining our Energies - Biofuel Initiative France' was marked by a demonstration biofuel flight of an Airbus A321 powered by CFM56 engines from Toulouse to the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport yesterday. The biofuel element of the Total/Amyris blend was renewable jet fuel sourced in Brazil and produced from innovative sugar-processing technology, one of the fuel pathways awaiting certification for commercial aviation operations. The demo flight also marked the first A321 aircraft to be equipped with Airbus Sharklets wing-tip fuel saving devices. Read more ...
|
Green aircraft taxiing gathers momentum as Safran and Honeywell roll out first public demo of EGTS
Thu 20 June 2013 - The Safran/Honeywell electric green taxiing system (EGTS) made its first public demonstration at the Paris Air Show this week following completion of the first major phase of testing. The EGTS International joint venture was first announced at the same show two years and the component system and aircraft testing programme has now accumulated over 3,000 hours and logged close to 160 kilometres (100 miles) of rolling tests, including complex on-ground manoeuvres such as pushback, tight turns and U-turns on a modified Airbus A320. On Monday, Air France joined the programme to provide assistance in refining estimated fuel and emissions savings of the system and quantifying other operational benefits. The French and US partners estimate an equipped single-aisle aircraft could reduce carbon emissions by around 75 per cent and NOx emissions by 50 per cent during taxiing. Meanwhile, EGTS rival WheelTug says it has now racked up 573 delivery slots reserved by 11 airlines for its competing aircraft drive system. Read more ...
|
Europe's airport carbon efficiency programme now extends to three continents as it ends its fourth year
Wed 19 June 2013 - Four years on from the launch of the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme by European airport trade association ACI Europe, the scheme has now been extended to three continents following the certification of the first African airport, Enfidha-Hammamet International in Tunisia. In the past 12 months Airport Carbon Accreditation status has been earned by a total of 75 airports in 22 countries in Europe and 10 airports in seven countries in the Asia-Pacific region. All the airports now certified under the programme collectively represent 22 per cent of global air passenger traffic. At the recent ACI Europe/World annual conference held in Istanbul, meanwhile, Athens International Airport received ACI Europe's Eco-Innovation Award for 2013. Read more ...
|
CAAFI reports dramatic increase in international cooperation to develop aviation biofuels as industry meets in Paris
Tue 18 June 2013 - This week's Paris Air Show will bring together sustainable aviation biofuel interests at both a global and domestic level to help drive the aviation industry towards its carbon-neutral growth target from 2020. The Alternative Aviation Fuels Pavilion at the Show will host a full programme of presentations from industry, state and local interests, as well as a showcase of exhibiting aviation biofuel producers. Rich Altman, Executive Director Emeritus of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI), who has coordinated the Paris programme, says since the last Show two years ago, the level of international dialogue and cooperation has increased dramatically in the quest to develop sufficient quantities of sustainable alternative fuels to meet the industry goal. Altman estimates there is a requirement for four billion gallons of such fuels to meet a five per cent share of overall global jet fuel consumption by 2020. Read more ...
|
FAA calls on producers to come up with solutions to replace the use of harmful leaded general aviation fuel
Thu 13 June 2013 - General Aviation (GA) is one of the last forms of transportation to use leaded fuels and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is now asking the world's fuel producers to submit proposals for developing a new unleaded fuel by 2018. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), fuel used by piston-engined aircraft, known as avgas or 100LL (100 octane low-lead), is the largest source of airborne lead emissions in the country and exposure to the lead can result in a broad range of adverse health effects. The EPA has come under concerted pressure from environmentalists to act on the issue. However, finding a suitable drop-in replacement for 100LL avgas has so far proved elusive. The FAA has put out a request for fuel producers to submit by 1 July 2014 options for evaluation by the FAA, which will then select suppliers for laboratory and engine testing. Read more ...
|
Lufthansa Group’s fuel efficiency reaches new heights as overall fuel consumption improves by nearly three per cent
Wed 12 June 2013 - The passenger airlines of the Lufthansa Group have recorded their best ever fuel consumption figures with a fall from 4.18 litres of kerosene per 100 passenger/km (l/100pkm) in 2011 to 4.06 l/100pkm in 2012, an improvement of 2.8 per cent. The Group's absolute fuel consumption declined from 9.02 million to 8.88 million tonnes of kerosene over the same period, despite transporting more payload and passengers, emitting in the process 455,000 tonnes less CO2. Lufthansa attributes the continuing annual fuel efficiency improvement to its current fleet renewal programme, which will see over 200 new aircraft added to the fleet by the end of 2025. A new Fuel Efficiency department has been set up to find further fuel savings. The Group reports that even with the partial suspension of the EU ETS in 2012, the cost of the scheme for the year reached 50 million euros ($66m). Read more ...
|
US elite frequent flyers call on United Airlines to lead rather than obstruct on climate change action
Tue 11 June 2013 - A group of US and European NGOs has enlisted the support of over 500 United Airlines' elite frequent flyers to pressure the airline into doing more to curb aviation emissions. The frequent flyers, who include 20 members of the invitation-only Global Services programme, have signed an open letter to United's CEO Jeff Smisek urging the carrier to "stop obstructing efforts to reduce aviation climate pollution and start actively supporting strong climate action." The letter is part of a new campaign by the NGOs, called Flying Clean. It claims around 85,000 regular flyers, including 2,700 elite frequent flyers, have signed a similar petition on its website. The group says United has led the US aviation industry in opposing multiple climate change efforts at home and abroad, including California's clean fuel standard and Europe's emissions trading scheme (EU ETS). Read more ...
|
Six airlines achieve first stage assessment in IATA's new airline environmental management programme
Tue 11 June 2013 - Six airlines are the first to be certified under IATA's Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme, a new voluntary evaluation system designed to independently assess and improve the environmental management of an airline. All six - Finnair, South African Airways, LAN, LAN Cargo, Malaysia and Kenya Airways - achieved Stage 1 status. The aim of the programme is to set common environmental standards based on recognised environmental management system (EMS) principles, such as ISO 14001, and have been developed by a joint team of environmental consultants and airlines. Airline assessments are undertaken by independently accredited Environmental Assessment Organisations that have demonstrated competencies in EMS auditing. Read more ...
|
ADP adds another energy-saving project as major solar farm installation at Paris-CDG starts operation
Fri 7 June 2013 - Airport operator Aeroports de Paris (ADP) has commissioned a photovoltaic plant, or 'solar farm', at Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) that will produce 157 MWh of electricity for the ADP network. Covering a total surface area of 4,000 square metres, the plant consists of 792 panels and is expected to save around seven tonnes of CO2 annually. ADP has a strategic plan in place for the period 2011-2015 to reduce its carbon emissions by 25 per cent compared to 2009 and reach a goal of using 15 per cent renewable energy in its overall internal energy consumption. As part of the energy-saving programme, the plan calls for a 12.5 per cent reduction in primary energy consumption per square metre of building surface between 2009 and 2015. Read more ...
|
United agrees to purchase 15 million gallons of cost-competitive jet biofuel for LAX delivery starting in 2014
Thu 6 June 2013 - United Airlines and AltAir Fuels have signed an agreement that will see flights operating out of the carrier's Los Angeles hub using sustainable jet biofuel from as early as next year. Under the deal, the airline has committed to purchasing 15 million gallons of jet biofuel over a three-year period at a price competitive, it says, with conventional jet kerosene. AltAir expects to begin delivering 5 million gallons starting 2014. AltAir will retrofit part of an existing petroleum refinery near Los Angeles to produce around 30 million gallons of renewable jet biofuel, biodiesel and other associated products. The commercial-scale biorefinery will use process technology licensed from Honeywell's UOP. The AltAir fuel is expected to achieve at least a 50 per cent reduction in GHG emissions on a lifecycle basis. Read more ...
|
IATA airlines agree on a set of guiding principles to ensure equitable distribution of global MBM financial burden
Tue 4 June 2013 - IATA airline members have overwhelmingly supported an AGM resolution recommending a set of principles that could be applied to individual carriers as part of a single global market-based measure (MBM) in a post-2020 carbon-neutral growth (CNG) agreement. Along with a broader package of measures to address aviation CO2 emissions, the industry acknowledges that a global MBM will be required to achieve CNG, at least as until technology can fill the emissions growth gap. The resolution seeks to define principles on how an MBM scheme should be equitably applied to airlines and also proposes a collective industry baseline as well as individual operator baselines based on 2018-2020 average annual emissions. The resolution also urges IATA's 241 airline members to strongly encourage ICAO states to adopt a single global MBM at their Assembly in September. Read more ...
|
Heathrow says it will name, shame and significantly increase fines for airlines that break noise limits
Fri 31 May 2013 - London's Heathrow Airport has unveiled a range of actions it believes will make life quieter for people living nearby. It already incentivises airlines using the airport through higher charges for the noisiest aircraft and reduced charges for the quietest. Now it is proposing significant increases in fines for airlines that break noise limits and later this year will launch a 'Fly Quiet' programme that will publicly rank airlines according to their noise performance at Heathrow. The airport operator is also planning a number of other initiatives to reduce noise impact such as trialling new approach and departure operations, a 'Quieter Homes' programme from 2014 and more communication with local communities. It is insists the commitments are not about adding new runways at the airport but says if the airport is to grow then there should not have to be a choice between more flights or less noise. Read more ...
|
State Action Plans to address international aviation emissions reductions prove a success story for ICAO
Wed 29 May 2013 - If market-based measures have proved a contentious issue at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), State Action Plans have become something of a success story for the UN agency's climate change activities. Action plans are largely a product of ICAO Assembly Resolution A37-19 passed by the last Assembly in 2010 in which member states were encouraged to submit voluntary plans outlining their respective policies and actions to address CO2 emissions from international aviation. Since then, the ICAO Secretariat has conducted numerous workshops worldwide to guide and assist states in compiling their plans. The effort has paid off and as of last month 59 states have submitted action plans, representing over 77 per cent of international revenue tonne-kilometres (RTKs), with a further 23 states planning to submit plans before the end of the year. Read more ...
|
EU ETS compliance level reaches over 98 per cent of 2012 aviation carbon emissions, reports Commission
Wed 29 May 2013 - The European Commission reports that aircraft operators responsible for over 98 per cent of the 2012 aviation emissions covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) have complied with the scheme's requirements and surrendered the necessary allowances by the April 30 deadline. Following the 'stop the clock' decision that came into force on April 25, operators that chose to limit their responsibility for 2012 to flights within Europe had until last Monday, May 27, to return free allocations of allowances for flights outside Europe. According to Commission data, Ryanair reported the most carbon under the revised scheme in 2012 at just under 7.5 million tonnes, followed by Deutsche Lufthansa (4.9 million), easyJet (4.6 million) and Air France (3.8 million). A stand-off remains with airlines from China and India that are refusing to comply with the EU ETS, even on their intra-EU flights. Read more ...
|
NATS reports 800,000 tonnes of carbon savings over five years since launching its environmental programme
Tue 28 May 2013 - Since NATS became the first air traffic control service in the world to set fuel efficiency and emissions reduction targets in 2008, the UK's air navigation service provider (ANSP) has reported 800,000 tonnes of CO2 have been saved over the five-year period. This represents a reduction in the order of 250,000 tonnes in fuel burnt by aircraft under its management and saving airlines around £160 million ($242m) in fuel costs. NATS has pledged to reduce CO2 emissions by 10 per cent per flight by 2020 and has accelerated plans to deliver a 4 per cent CO2 target per flight by 2014. Since 2008, the company has pioneered a number of practical and technological changes designed to optimise airspace and aircraft performance. Last year NATS introduced the 3Di airspace efficiency metric that allows it to measure the environmental efficiency of every aircraft under its control. Read more ...
|
Divergent views among ICAO member states leaves substantive MBM agreement by 2013 hanging in the balance
Fri 24 May 2013 - Two conferences in Montreal last week provided an opportunity for ICAO Council members to publicly explain their respective country's position on current attempts to form an agreement on the application of market-based measures (MBMs) to limit the growth of international aviation carbon emissions. With the high-level group process now formally ended, Australia's representative on the Council and Chair of the Council's Air Transport Committee, Kerryn Macaulay, told delegates at the industry's Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) Workshop that very little progress had been made and there were significant diverging views. At the subsequent ICAO Aviation and Climate Change Symposium, Russia's representative firmly rejected MBMs and even called for a reassessment of ICAO's 2 per cent annual fuel efficiency goal. Other speakers, however, stated their optimism that some form of an agreement could be reached by the ICAO Assembly this coming autumn with further progress towards a global scheme being achieved by 2016. Read more ...
|
China Eastern extends its environmental responsibilities with biofuel test flight and fuel-saving Sharklet wing-tips
Thu 23 May 2013 - China Eastern Airlines has conducted a first test flight of a biofuel blend sourced and produced in China. The airline carried out the 85-minute flight from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport using an Airbus A320 aircraft following a series of ground-based engine performance tests of the CAAC-certified fuel. The hybrid China Jet Biofuel-1 product, made up of used cooking oil and palm oil, was developed jointly by China Eastern, China Petroleum Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) and China Aviation Oil Holding Company, with Sinopec producing and supplying the blended fuel. The airline has also just taken delivery of its first A320 aircraft equipped with Sharklet fuel-saving wing-tip devices, becoming China's first carrier to do so. It says it is committed to being a domestic industry leader in environmental protection. Read more ...
|
Airbus and Air Canada sign research agreement to develop advanced aviation biofuels solutions in Canada
Mon 20 May 2013 - Airbus and Air Canada have signed an agreement with BioFuelNet, a not-for-profit biofuels research organisation hosted by Montreal's McGill University. BioFuelNet will assess the viability of various Canadian advanced biofuels solutions for aviation with the long-term goal to supply Air Canada with sustainable alternative jet fuel. The research will focus on diverse raw materials such as municipal solid waste and agriculture and forestry waste, as well as a range of conversion processes available for biofuel production, to determine which advanced biofuels are the most sustainable for aviation. BioFuelNet, which brings together 74 leading researchers, was launched in 2012 as part of the Canadian Federal Networks of Centres of Excellence programme and is funded through a C$25 million grant over five years. Read more ...
|
UK parliament transport committee rejects new airport hub proposals and calls for expansion of Heathrow
Mon 20 May 2013 - The expansion of Heathrow, with the addition of at least a third runway, is the best way of meeting the demand for increased airport capacity in the UK, according to the House of Commons' Transport Select Committee. In its Aviation Strategy report, the Committee rejects the idea of constructing a new hub airport, partly on environmental grounds but largely because of commercial considerations. However, it sees the presence of a strong hub airport as vital for the UK's economic growth and believes the development of Heathrow is long overdue. On the other side of the debate, the environmental group WWF and the London Assembly have cast doubt on the need for airport expansion. The operator of Heathrow, meanwhile, has put forward its own proposals for short and medium term measures to improve reliability and reduce noise. Read more ...
|
The aviation sector must act now to adapt and build resilience to climate change risks, advises Eurocontrol study
Sun 12 May 2013 - The European aviation sector will need to build climate resilience while dealing with growth in demand, with some regions where the highest rates of growth are expected are also areas which may experience the most severe impacts of climate change. Although a growing number of actors within the sector are already taking comprehensive adaptation steps, many organisations have yet to consider this issue, finds a study by Eurocontrol. Changes to temperature, precipitation and storm patterns are all expected in the near-term, certainly by 2030, warns the body responsible for European air navigation safety. The sector must prepare for the effects of heavy precipitation events, larger and more powerful storms, and changes in prevailing wind direction. Hurricane Sandy, which hit the East Coast of the USA in 2012, grounded nearly 17,000 flights, representing eight to nine per cent of global capacity, and losing the industry around half a billion dollars. Read more ...
|
Global carbon footprinting data on international aviation emissions aims to support ICAO climate change options
Thu 9 May 2013 - A report examining the global carbon footprint of scheduled international airline passenger operations in 2012 has been published as a data resource to assist deliberations at ICAO on options for addressing the issue of market-based measures (MBMs). Compiled by former Australian government transport official and aviation carbon footprinting expert Dave Southgate, the detailed analysis presents carbon computations by ICAO regions, as well as the highest emitting airlines, airports and countries. The application of MBMs to manage the growth of international aviation emissions has proved a highly complex process. If this debate is to be informed it will be necessary for the participants to have access to carbon footprinting information that allows them to understand the potential impacts of the options under consideration, says Southgate. Read more ...
|
Norwegian aviation industry sees potential in local production of sustainable jet fuels from forest biomass
Tue 7 May 2013 – A report commissioned by Norwegian airport operator Avinor, along with airlines SAS and Norwegian, and the Federation of Norwegian Aviation Industries, concludes that cost-competitive, large-scale production of sustainable aviation biofuels could be viable in the country between 2020 and 2025. The assessment of land-based and marine feedstock in Norway shows that forest biomass is the most important feedstock on a near-term basis, with micro and macroalgae resources most probably not available in large volumes before 2025. The report, conducted by Ramboll, considers two processes most suitable within the timeframe for a Norwegian value chain: Fischer-Tropsch (FT) thermochemical processing and gasification of forest biomass, and the refining of bio-alcohols to Jet A-1 fuel (ATJ). Read more ...
|
Lufthansa Cargo focuses on improving environmental performance and calls for greater emissions transparency in logistics
Fri 3 May 2013 - Lufthansa Cargo used its recent Cargo Climate Care Conference to highlight progress towards its emissions reduction target and to call for greater transparency in environmental performance across the logistics sector. The carrier believes it is on course to meet its commitment to cut CO2 emissions per tonne-kilometre of freight by 25 per cent by 2020, based on 2005 levels. At the same time, it urged other cargo operators and the logistics industry in general to be more transparent about emissions data so that environmental performance could play a greater role in transport decisions in the future. It also used the conference to present awards to staff and customers who had made notable contributions to environmental protection. Read more ...
|
UK aviation industry launches noise roadmap and pledges noise will not increase despite doubling of flights
Wed 1 May 2013 - Government forecasts estimate air traffic movements will nearly double over the next 40 years at UK airports yet an aviation industry report suggests during this period aircraft noise can be reduced by an average of up to 20 per cent. This can be achieved through aircraft innovations and engine technology, operational advancements and better land-use planning, says Sustainable Aviation (SA), a group that brings together the main players from UK airlines, airports and manufacturers to find solutions to the sustainability challenge. Noise output could decrease by over 40 per cent, it says, if aircraft and engine design was driven by noise alone rather than a requirement for fuel efficiency improvements and emissions reductions. SA has launched a Noise Road-Map to assist industry in further developing noise reduction measures and strategies, and help spread best practice. Read more ...
|
Virgin Australia and SkyNRG announce feasibility study to develop Australia's first sustainable jet fuel bioport
Wed 1 May 2013 - Sustainable jet fuel supplier SkyNRG and Virgin Australia have joined forces with Brisbane Airport Corporation to investigate the potential of setting up Australia's first bioport. The three parties have agreed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that will see them working together towards the ultimate goal of enabling aircraft to be fuelled with sustainable jet biofuel at Brisbane, Australia's third largest airport. The feasibility study, which is expected to take 12 months to complete, will research locally available feedstocks in Queensland, sustainable and cost-effective methods for transporting them, and the most appropriate technology for converting them into biofuel. Read more ...
|
As ‘stop the clock’ passes into law, EU piles on the pressure for a meaningful ICAO agreement on MBMs
Tue 30 Apr 2013 - An agreement in principle on a framework to allow states and regions to immediately implement market-based measures (MBMs), together with a roadmap and timetable towards a global mechanism, are essential EU requirements from the ICAO Assembly in September, according to Jos Delbeke, Director General of the European Commission's climate directorate and the EU's chief representative in the ICAO negotiating process. He added the EU would also like to see more ambitious ICAO goals on technology and operational measures. Delbeke was speaking at a Brussels seminar organised by Peter Liese, the European Parliament's rapporteur on the inclusion of aviation into the EU ETS. Aviation industry representative Paul Steele told the seminar the sector wanted a single global MBM and not a "free for all" framework that allowed every state to implement its own measure. Read more ...
1 opinion posted |
Corporate clothing company targets air travel industry with new eco-friendly collection
Thu 18 Apr 2013 - UK corporate clothing company Lyn Oakes has launched an environmentally-friendly clothing collection designed for the air travel industry. The garments in the ‘Eco Collection’ are made using 100 per cent wool or poly-wool that is derived from natural, sustainable and renewable sources. All interlinings are either viscose – a biodegradable silk-like material made with pine wood pulp from re-cultivated forests – or made from recycled plastic bottles. The buttons are made from the Corozo nut, which is found inside a large fruit that grows on the Tagua Palms of Ecuador. In line with the company’s other clothing, the collection is tailored, allowing airline brands the opportunity to have the garments developed to suit their particular requirements of style and colour. Read more ...
|
Hedegaard sets out conditions on ICAO agreement as EU legislators approve EU ETS 'stop the clock' measure
Wed 17 Apr 2013 - The European Parliament (EP) yesterday voted by a large majority in favour of the 'stop the clock' proposal that will temporarily halt the inclusion of intercontinental flights in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for a period of one year to allow ICAO member states agree a market-based mechanism to limit the growth of international aviation emissions. The EP's rapporteur on the Commission proposal, Peter Liese, said there had been progress in ICAO and the EU wanted to support the negotiations but warned that a substantive agreement, "not just hot air or empty promises", would be expected from the ICAO Assembly in September or the clock would be restarted in full. By contrast, the 'backloading' proposal by the European Commission aimed at propping up the ailing price of carbon was narrowly rejected by MEPs, which could have far-reaching consequences for the EU ETS. Read more ...
|
US government pledges further support for aviation biofuels development with new five-year agreement
Tue 16 Apr 2013 - Following what it describes as the initial success of the 2010-2012 'Farm to Fly' initiative, the United States Department of Agriculture has announced it is extending its agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration and commercial aviation interests for a further five years. The partners are aiming to support the production of one billion gallons of drop-in aviation biofuel by 2018. The renewed focus will be on future goals such as designating personnel, evaluating current and potential feedstock types and systems, developing multiple feedstock supply chains, developing state and local public-private teams, communicating results and issuing periodic reports. The agreement was signed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Read more ...
|
Blended wing body design shows environmental promise as NASA completes flight testing of Boeing prototype
Tue 16 Apr 2013 - NASA has concluded an eight-month programme of 30 test flights using Boeing's X-48C subscale prototype. The 'C' version of the aircraft was specifically intended to assess the low-speed performance and stability of a noise-reducing configuration of the Blended Wing Body (BWB) design. The BWB concept has been developed by Boeing in support of NASA's Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) programme, which aims to progress technologies that will contribute to cleaner and quieter commercial aircraft in the future. During the test flights, the remote controlled X-48C, which weighs 500 pounds (227kg) and has a wingspan of about 20ft (6m), flew at speeds of up to 140mph (225kph) and altitudes reaching 10,000 feet (3048m). Read more ...
|
HungaroControl develops new software to assist management of cleaner and quieter arrival procedures
Mon 15 Apr 2013 - HungaroControl, the provider of air navigation services in Hungary, has developed software it believes will help facilitate the implementation of CO2-reducing continuous descent approach (CDA) procedures across Europe. It says its MergeStrip program automatically performs calculations that will allow air traffic controllers to manage multiple, simultaneous CDAs into an airport with minimal interventions. The result is that arriving aircraft are able to fly along a constantly descending path into an airport rather than being required to level off at intervals by ATC. In its 2009 CDA action plan, Eurocontrol hoped that successful Europe-wide introduction of such procedures would save 500,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. Read more ...
|
ICAO to work with Indonesian government to manage and reduce emissions from fast-growing air transport sector
Thu 11 Apr 2013 - The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is to partner with the Indonesian government on a large-scale project that aims to manage and reduce emissions from the country's air transport sector. The Environmental Measures Project, jointly overseen by the Indonesian Ministry of Transport and ICAO's Technical Co-Operation Bureau (TCB), sets a broad range of objectives, including improved legislation on emissions, more efficient airspace design and the promotion of alternative fuels initiatives. Commercial aviation in Indonesia, a country of more than 240 million people, is currently experiencing rapid growth. Airports Council International reports the country's main airport in Jakarta experienced a 12 per cent increase in passenger numbers from 2011 to 2012 to over 57 million. Read more ...
|
Emirates pledges $150,000 funding from recycling programme to support environmental or conservation projects
Mon 8 Apr 2013 - Emirates has announced its 'A Greener Tomorrow' initiative that aims to support environmental or conservation projects by established not-for-profit organisations. Funding of up to $150,000 has been raised through internal recycling programmes across the Emirates Group, which recycles more than 5 million kg of materials across various programmes in Dubai, including an innovative initiative to recycle tonnes of obsolete aircraft chinaware into an oyster bed. The airline group is already involved in conservation and eco-tourism projects in Dubai and Australia. Under the new initiative, organisations are invited to submit proposals describing their project, the deliverables and the impact to the local environment, and will be considered by a cross-company committee within Emirates. Applications must be submitted by April 25. Read more ...
|
UK government's aviation strategy supports action on emissions and noise but stays silent on airport capacity expansion
Fri 5 Apr 2013 - The maintenance of the UK's standing as a leading international air transport hub and the mitigation of the aviation sector's environmental impacts are among the key goals set out by the British government in its Aviation Policy Framework. Released by the Department for Transport, the document consolidates existing policies and outlines new objectives as it seeks to ensure the growth of an industry that provides £10 billion ($15bn) in UK economic output whilst simultaneously reducing the effects of its emissions and noise pollution. However, despite a strong focus on both economic and environmental issues, the Framework avoids the contentious issue of airport capacity expansion in the UK, which has led to criticism from both industry and environmentalists. Read more ...
|
Airlines must commit to using biofuels that have been certified to internationally recognised standards, says NRDC report
Thu 21 March 2013 - Although the entry of airlines into the biofuel marketplace is a significant step in the right direction, the sustainability of this development is of critical importance, says the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The US environmental group argues that the aviation industry has a responsibility to use biofuels that are certified as sustainable because the sector's buying power has the potential to reshape the supply chain and avoid the use of poorly sourced biofuels that drive deforestation and food insecurity. To assess airlines' commitment to sustainability, the NRDC has just released its inaugural survey that provides analysis focused on airlines that have used, or say they are planning to use, biofuels in their operations. Despite the sector's pledge of support and recognition of the internationally recognised Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) standard, NRDC concludes that airlines must now commit to applying RSB certification, or another equivalent standard, in their aviation biofuel sourcing. Read more ...
|
UK government and aerospace industry commit $3 billion towards research into cleaner, quieter aircraft
Tue 19 March 2013 - In an effort to secure the UK's fragile position as the world’s second-largest aerospace sector after the United States, the UK government has announced an Aerospace Industrial Strategy that will see £2 billion ($3bn) invested over the next seven years equally between government and industry. The funding will go into research and development in four key areas of modern aircraft in which the UK is already particularly strong: wings, engines, aerostructures and advanced systems. Underpinning the strategy will be the setting up of a UK Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) that will allow industry and academic researchers to develop technology for the next generation of quieter, more energy efficient aircraft and secure in the UK the R&D activity necessary to win work on future aircraft programmes. Read more ...
|
Anger and confusion as many aircraft operators fail to understand 'stop the clock' or open vital registry accounts
Mon 18 March 2013 - The European Commission's EU ETS 'stop the clock' proposal may have been welcome news for airlines flying intercontinental journeys to and from Europe but it has created confusion and anger amongst many smaller operators over their compliance obligations. The competent authorities of the EU member states are also experiencing headaches as a large number of operators they administer have yet to inform them whether they intend to derogate their extra-EU/EEA flights and return their allowances. Of greater importance, with the April 30 deadline a little over a month away for surrendering allowances on their 2012 intra-EU flights, many operators have still not opened registry accounts, a complex and lengthy process that is the only means of doing so. There is a mandatory fine of 100 euros ($130) per tonne of CO2 for non-compliance. Meanwhile, the UK government has started a two-week consultation on the 'stop the clock' proposal, which is currently in the final stages of the EU co-decision process and expected to be agreed by mid-April. Read more ...
1 opinion posted |
KLM plans drive-down of jet biofuel price premium as it starts regular series of biofuel transatlantic flights
Mon 18 March 2013 - The Boeing 777-200 flight between New York JFK and Amsterdam Schiphol on March 8 not only marked the start of the first-ever series of regular biofuel-powered intercontinental flights but also an important milestone in KLM's aim of regular use of sustainable jet fuel blends at costs becoming increasingly comparable to the fossil fuel equivalent. The airline will run weekly flights every Thursday until August using a blend made up of 20 per cent used cooking oil derived fuel from Dynamics Fuel and supplied by SkyNRG, a company it set up in 2009. Other partners in the flight series include Schiphol Group, Delta Air Lines and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The flights make up a programme called 'Optimal Flight' that will continue through 2013 and includes research and testing in cooperation with Boeing of air traffic management procedures. Read more ...
|
Nobel prize-winning US economists urge Obama to support carbon pricing in global negotiations on aviation emissions
Fri 15 March 2013 - A group of 32 leading US economists, including eight Nobel Prize winners, have written an open letter to President Obama urging him to advance proposals at ICAO for a global market-based measure that would effectively and efficiently reduce greenhouse gas aviation emissions. They say that good economic policy forces those who pollute to pay for the damage they do and pricing carbon in the aviation sector would incentivise investment and operational changes. In the long run it will be in aviation's interest as well as that of all society, they conclude, to use the price mechanism to efficiently allocate over time at least cost to the industry the uncertain remaining capacity of the atmosphere to safely absorb emissions. The next meeting of the high-level group (HGCC) negotiating the issue at ICAO will start in just over a week's time (March 25-27) and strong progress will be required if an ambitious agreement is to be reached by the ICAO Assembly in October. Read more ...
|
SkyNRG becomes the first sustainable jet biofuel supplier to achieve industry-approved RSB certification
Thu 7 March 2013 - Sustainable jet fuel company SkyNRG has become the first to offer airlines biofuels that have been certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels, an international multi-stakeholder standards initiative backed by the aviation industry. A guiding principle laid down by the sector is that jet biofuels must not compete with food and water resources and the RSB certification process is intended to ensure the entire length of the supply chain, from 'feedstock to flight', is audited to ensure strict sustainability criteria are met. Dutch-based SkyNRG says it is now the only fuel operator in the world that can deliver RSB certified renewable jet fuel at any airport in the world. As market leader, the company has supplied more than 20 aviation customers on five continents with fuels blended from used cooking oil. Read more ...
|
NASA project seeks to assess biofuel environmental performance at altitude and impact on contrails formation
Thu 7 March 2013 - A team of NASA researchers has begun a programme of flight tests that will compare the environmental impacts from emissions and contrails of a blended fuel containing 50 per cent biofuel against those from conventional jet fuel. The project, titled the Alternative Fuel Effects on Contrails and Cruise Emissions - or ACCESS for short, also aims to provide a greater understanding about contrails formation in general, to allow for a better assessment of the potential environmental benefits of aviation biofuels. It builds on NASA's past research into alternative aviation fuels that focused on ground-based emissions tests on fuels from a variety of sources. The flight testing is being carried out at the administration's Dryden facility in California using a DC-8 aircraft. Read more ...
|
Study finds technology and biofuels will not be enough to meet aviation carbon targets without emissions trading
Wed 6 March 2013 - The aviation industry regards market-based measures (MBMs) as a temporary fix in achieving the carbon-neutral growth (CNG) goal from 2020 onwards until the benefits of new technology and operational advances, together with the uptake of sustainable biofuels, are realised. However, a new study by Prof David Lee of Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) concludes that CNG through to 2050 cannot be achieved without MBMs such as emissions trading playing a permanent role. The study attempts to quantify the likely mitigation effects of future technology, operational gains and the impact of biofuels against a backdrop of a fast-growing aviation sector. Lee says the study can help inform the current ICAO negotiations, which are moving into an important phase with the next meeting of government officials making up the High-level Group on International Aviation and Climate Change (HGCC) taking place March 25-27. Read more ...
|
IATA says compromises will be required by the airline industry in sharing the burden of carbon-neutral growth
Thu 28 Feb 2013 - IATA has called on governments to agree to a global approach on market-based measures (MBMs) and to align with the industry in helping achieve its environmental targets. As MBMs would be only a temporary measure, attention was also needed on the other pillars of the industry's strategy, particularly on sustainable biofuels development and air traffic management efficiency, IATA Director General Tony Tyler told delegates to the Greener Skies conference in Hong Kong this week. He said compromises would be required within the industry on sharing the billion-dollar MBM costs required to meet carbon-neutral growth from 2020. Speaking at the same conference, Wei Zhenzhong, Secretary General of the China Air Transport Association (CATA), said he welcomed the EU’s ‘stop the clock’ decision on the EU ETS but reiterated that Chinese carriers will continue to observe government instructions on not complying in any way with the directive. Read more ...
|
EU ETS ‘stop the clock’ proposal passes crucial test in the European Parliament but faces legal challenges from European airlines
Wed 27 Feb 2013 - The European Commission's 'stop the clock' proposal to temporarily suspend the inclusion of intercontinental flights from the EU ETS has moved an important step forward as MEPs on the all-important Environment Committee of the European Parliament unanimously voted in support of the measure. The proposal was announced last November to allow ICAO states to reach a global agreement on market-based measures. However, the MEPs said the derogation should apply for a maximum of one year and only prolonged if "clear and sufficient" progress was made. Although the move has been largely welcomed by the airline industry, the trade association representing low-fare European airlines, ELFAA, revealed last week at the Aviation Carbon 2013 conference that it was preparing to take legal action if the proposal was formally adopted on the grounds that a partial suspension was discriminatory against the intra-EU carriers that remain in the scheme. Willie Walsh, one of Europe's leading airline chiefs, said the EU's Climate Commissioner had lost all credibility over the international dispute. Read more ...
|
ICAO committee agrees a new global noise standard and certification procedures to support a new aircraft CO2 standard
Tue 26 Feb 2013 - Progress towards the adoption of a CO2 standard for new aircraft has taken a step further with an agreement on certification procedures by ICAO's Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP). Last July, CAEP reached the first milestone on the standard by agreeing a metric system that can be used to characterise the CO2 emissions from aircraft of varying types and technologies. The committee has also reached consensus on adopting a new noise standard that is 7EPNdB below ICAO's current standard and will come into force for new-design aircraft from the end of 2017 and after 2020 for lower weight aircraft below 55 tonnes. The EPNdB is a measure of human annoyance due to aircraft noise, taking into account the perceived noise level and duration, explains ICAO. Both agreements have been welcomed by the aviation industry. Read more ...
|
British Airways joins industry leaders in initiative to accelerate development of advanced biofuels in Europe
Fri 8 Feb 2013 - British Airways has joined a European industry project to speed up the deployment of advanced sustainable biofuels in Europe. The 'Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels' initiative was launched in Brussels this week and BA will join with biofuel technology companies Chemtex, BTG Biomass Technology, Chemrec, Clariant, DONG Energy and UPM to support and ensure the market uptake of advanced sustainable fuels in all EU transport sectors. With the EU requiring 10 per cent of all fuels to come from alternative sources by 2020, the group believes second-generation biofuels are a key part of the solution and can reduce GHG emissions by at least 65 per cent. First generation fuels, made from corn, wheat, soy or palm provide by contrast only modest reductions in GHGs and can push up food prices, they say. Read more ...
|
The underwater shark provides inspiration for green innovation in the sky as Lufthansa conducts surface tests
Thu 7 Feb 2013 - The first deliveries of new Airbus A320 aircraft fitted with Sharklet wingtip devices have started arriving at airlines. Airbus promises fuel burn and emissions reductions of up to four per cent and the manufacturer reports strong demand from customers for the Sharklet, an option on new A320 family aircraft and a standard fitting on the A320neo family, due to enter service in late 2015, which will contribute along with new-generation engines to an overall 15 per cent saving in fuel and reduction in CO2 emissions. Sharklets derive their name from the shape of a shark's fin and the aerodynamics of the predatory animal have provided aerospace engineers with a further innovation to reduce aircraft drag. Airbus has joined forces with Lufthansa Technik and Fraunhofer IFAM to carry out a research project to harness the riblet effect in sharks on aircraft surfaces, and results so far indicate this technology could reduce fuel consumption by over one per cent. Read more ...
|
Brazilian sustainable jet biofuel plans boosted by promise of a new generation of jatropha hybrid crops
Tue 5 Feb 2013 - Once touted as a wonder-crop that would become a staple feedstock for jet biofuels, jatropha suffered a fall from grace as yields failed to live up to overblown claims. However, California-based alternative energy crop company SG Biofuels (SGB) says it is developing advanced new hybrid versions that will enable the production of large volumes of sustainable plant oil and biomass at significantly lower costs. SGB has now signed agreements with two large Brazilian concerns that will see further development of the new-generation jatropha hybrids and lead to future production of sustainable biojet and biodiesel fuels in the country. The company has already deployed three research centres in Brazil, known as JMax Knowledge Centers, one of which is a multi-stakeholder initiative involving Airbus, JETBIO, Air BP, TAM Airlines, Bioventures Brasil and the Inter-American Development Bank. Read more ...
|
Sharjah ground handling company seeks to cut emissions through new energy efficiency initiative
Wed 30 Jan 2013 - Sharjah Aviation Services, a ground handling company in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has announced a 'Go Green' initiative that aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions from its activities. One of the goals is to completely replace the company's fleet of 200 diesel and petrol powered ground vehicles at Sharjah with low emission equivalents by 2020, with more than 50 electric vehicles scheduled to be introduced in the next five years. The initiative has been launched in partnership with the company's co-owners, Air Arabia, the Middle East's first low-cost carrier, and the Sharjah Airport Authority. The project is expected to contribute to the airport's wider efforts to minimise its environmental footprint. Read more ...
|
Study finds airlines stand to make up to $1.7 billion in windfall gains from EU emissions scheme in 2012
Tue 22 Jan 2013 - A study by Dutch consultancy CE Delft estimates airlines stand to make up to 1.3 billion euros ($1.7bn) in windfall profits from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) in 2012. This is based on an assumption that airlines have passed on all the costs of the scheme in increased charges to passengers including the value of the free allowances they have been allocated. This sum also includes a windfall gained as a result of the European Commission's 'stop the clock' proposal. Airlines have always consistently denied they would profit from the scheme but most have been less than transparent on pass-through costs to customers, choosing to hide some or all of the cost within fuel surcharges. The CE Delft study was commissioned by Brussels-based NGO Transport & Environment (T&E), which suggests the carriers contribute their windfall to the UN's Green Climate Fund. Read more ...
|
Kerry nomination as State Secretary gives rise to optimism that the US will be bolder on ICAO MBM action
Fri 18 Jan 2012 - The nomination by President Obama of US Senator John Kerry as Secretary of State has boosted confidence that the United States will play an important role in negotiations taking place at ICAO on a global agreement to reduce the growth of international aviation emissions. A former presidential candidate, Kerry has a long track record in campaigning on climate action and together with Senator Joe Lieberman attempted climate legislation in 2010 that would have included a carbon charge on both international and domestic aviation fuel. As well as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kerry is also a member of the Senate committee responsible for transportation that considered and passed the EU ETS prohibition bill last year. Kerry was a reluctant supporter but was influential in adding wording to the bill that called on the US government to conduct international negotiations on a worldwide approach to address aircraft emissions. Read more ...
|
Chicago airport authority outlines comprehensive plan to meet ambitious environmental targets
Fri 18 Jan 2013 - The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) has issued a report - entitled 'A Sustainable Path' - that details how it intends to meet a number of environmental targets by 2015 at the city's two major commercial airports, O'Hare and Midway. The targets include significant savings in energy consumption, a far better recycling record on waste and the introduction of low-emission vehicles. The initiative is part of the citywide 'Sustainable Chicago 2015' announced by Chicago Mayor and former White House Chief-of-Staff, Rahm Emanuel. Through its contribution to the agenda's wide-ranging goals, the CDA aims to establish the two airports as industry leaders in sustainability. It has already introduced a number of innovative environmental initiatives, such as the implementation of eight acres (3.2ha) of green roof space at O'Hare, the most of any US airport. Read more ...
|
European Parliament rapporteur backs 'stop the clock' EU ETS proposal but calls for clarity on EU stance
Mon 14 Jan 2013 - The rapporteur of the European Parliament's environment committee (ENVI) for the European Commission's EU ETS 'stop the clock' proposal has broadly supported the move to temporarily amend the scope of the scheme to facilitate ICAO's work on global emissions. German MEP Dr Peter Liese was the Parliament's rapporteur and an influential political figure in aviation's original inclusion into the EU ETS. In a draft report published last week, he also urged the EU to adopt an unambiguous stance on the length of the suspension and on its expectations of ICAO's progress towards an agreement on a global market-based measure (MBM) that addresses CO2 emissions from aviation. He also proposed a tightening up of wording on allowances in the legislative proposal to avoid possible administrative confusion by member states and aircraft operators. Read more ...
|
Qatar Airways first to benefit from commercial introduction of synthetic GTL jet fuel at Doha
Fri 11 Jan 2013 - A Qatar Airways Airbus A340-600 flight from Doha to London on Wednesday marked the introduction of commercial-scale synthetic blended jet fuel produced in Qatar. Supplies of the natural gas-to-liquid (GTL) jet fuel, which is blended 50/50 with conventional Jet-A1, are being produced by the Pearl GTL plant, a venture involving Qatar Petroleum and Shell. The GTL fuel will initially be restricted for use by Qatar Airways but it is likely to be supplied to other airlines serving Doha International Airport at some stage in the future. The Fischer-Tropsch Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (FT-SPK) blend was approved for commercial use in 2009 and there are expectations that up to one million tonnes of the fuel can be produced annually by Pearl GTL. GTL fuel does not provide reductions in lifecycle CO2 emissions but is cleaner burning with almost zero sulphur and lower particulate emissions compared with its petroleum-based equivalent. Read more ...
|
NASA's green aviation project moves towards real world testing of selected technologies
Wed 9 Jan 2013 - NASA has unveiled details of the next step in its on-going research into greener technologies for aviation by revealing eight concepts that will be developed into large-scale demonstrations in Phase II of its Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) project. The concepts selected were those that displayed the greatest potential to reduce negative environmental impacts from aviation in the next 30 years. Together they will address the project's five research areas: aircraft drag reduction through innovative flow control concepts, weight reduction from advanced composite materials, fuel and noise reduction from advanced engines, emissions reductions from improved engine combustors, and fuel consumption and community noise reduction through innovative airframe and engine integration designs. Read more ...
|
Canadian unblended biofuel commercial aircraft flight test shows significant reductions in emissions and fuel consumption
Tue 8 Jan 2013 - Analysis of the industry-first 100 per cent biofuel-powered flight carried out on a civil jet aircraft last October has produced some interesting findings. The flight was conducted by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) using its Falcon 20 test aircraft with both engines using unblended ReadiJet aviation fuel produced from the sustainable oilseed crop Brassica carinata. The Falcon was trailed in flight by a second aircraft, a T-33, to capture and measure engine emissions produced from the fuel. NRC experts have revealed that compared with conventional kerosene fuel, there was a reduction of 50 per cent in aerosol emissions and an improvement of 1.5 per cent in specific fuel consumption during steady state operations. Additional static engine ground tests also showed a significant reduction of up to 25 per cent in particles and up to 49 per cent in black carbon emissions compared to the fossil fuel equivalent. Read more ...
|
|
|
