Finnair aims to become a launch customer for commercial airline jet biofuel flights in 2011
Tue 21 Dec 2010 - Following the recent announcement that Lufthansa is set to become the world’s first airline to use biofuels on commercial flights, it has emerged that Finnair is also in discussions with the same biofuel supplier, Finland's Neste Oil, to become a launch user of sustainable jet fuels derived from logging waste. According to Finnair and Neste, the two parties have been looking at areas of cooperation for over two years and are still ongoing. Finnair said a decision has still to be made on when the first commercial biofuel flights will take place and will depend on factors such as the availability of biomass and when biofuel blends will be certified for commercial use. Read more ...
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Beverage industry initiative rolls out new recycling bins at airport terminals across Australia
Fri 17 Dec 2010 - An Australian public place initiative over the past year has seen beverage container recycling systems installed in the country's 11 largest airports in time for the busy Christmas season, and will cover more than 90 percent of Australian airport visits. The initiative has been carried out by the Packaging Stewardship Forum of the Australian Food and Grocery Council, which partners with government, industry and business to deliver industry recycling, litter reduction and education programmes across the country. This week marks the completion of installations in the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane Qantas domestic terminals, with Perth to follow next week. Read more ...
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US NGOs call for aviation fuel or passenger fees to help contribute funding towards international climate finance
Thu 16 Dec 2010 - A US report presented during the COP 16 climate summit just ended in Cancun has added support to the UN-appointed High-level Advisory Group on Climate Change Finance (AGF) findings, which suggests that levies or taxes on international aviation and shipping could provide valuable sources of climate finance. The report by former US Vice President Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection and the Center for American Progress suggests taxes applied to US aviation emissions could generate $2.6 billion per year that could be directed towards both near-term international climate financing and updating ageing US air traffic control infrastructure. The report also calls for the US to take a proactive approach to the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme and adopt 'equivalent action' to address the concerns of US airlines caught up in the scheme. Read more ...
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Sectoral approach for international aviation emissions hits headwind in Cancun as spectre of climate financing looms
Mon 13 Dec 2010 - Despite the cheering news of late compromise and modest achievement at the COP 16 climate change summit in Cancun, no progress was forthcoming over bunker fuel negotiations on limiting international aviation and shipping emissions. The issue of 'common but differentiated responsibilities' (CBDR), which underpins the current Kyoto climate agreement, again reared its head as a major obstacle in ambitions to have the aviation and maritime industries treated as separate sectors under the UNFCCC framework. The wider Cancun agreement reached on Saturday includes the setting up of a Green Climate Fund that will aim to raise $100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing countries mitigate climate change impacts. With most of the funding expected to come from private rather than public finance, ICAO and the aviation industry may well have to marshal forces as attention turns in 2011 to identifying possible sources, with aviation already suggested as a potential easy earner. Read more ...
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Boeing joins NASA list of contractors for project to identify airliner of the future with half the emissions of today's aircraft
Mon 13 Dec 2010 - NASA has awarded a third contract for studies designed to identify advanced concepts for airliners that could enter service in 2025, fly with less noise, cleaner exhaust and lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions. The contract, worth $5.29 million, will be undertaken by a Boeing team based at Huntington Beach, California, and will run for one year, starting this month. In November, NASA awarded contracts to two other California-based aerospace companies, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, to carry out similar work. The research contracts will identify innovations that will provide the necessary technologies to industry for development and flight demonstrations to support technology that is two generations more advanced than what is on aircraft in service today, which NASA terms as N+2. Read more ...
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Airbus and TAM Airlines to support jatropha-based bio-kerosene jet fuel processing plant project in Brazil
Fri 10 Dec 2010 - Airbus and Brazilian carrier TAM Airlines have joined with a group of specialist companies to establish a bio-kerosene jet fuel processing plant in Brazil. The group is led by Curcas, which specializes in renewable energy project development, and biofuel producer Brasil Ecodiesel. In parallel, Airbus and AirBP - the jet fuel distribution unit of BP - are providing support to the project, with Airbus also sponsoring sustainability studies. The plant is expected to start operations in 2013 with an initial processing capacity of 80,000 tonnes (around 26.4 million US gallons) of jet biofuel per year. Last month, TAM performed a jatropha-based Airbus A320 biofuel flight. Read more ...
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CDG and Orly airports move swiftly up the levels in ACI Europe’s Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme
Fri 10 Dec 2010 - The two major Paris airports, Charles de Gaulle and Orly, have received Level 2 certification under ACI Europe's Airport Carbon Accreditation programme, less than six months after achieving Level 1 status. The certificates were presented by Siim Kallas, European Commission Vice-President in charge of transport, to Aéroports de Paris (ADP) CEO Pierre Graff. Under the second 'reduction' level, the airport operator provides evidence of effective carbon management procedures, including policy, goals, organization, monitoring and personnel training in the field. It must also show that footprint reduction targets have been achieved. ADP says it is has already initiated actions to move to Level 3 'optimization' certification by extending the process to third party emissions at the airport. Read more ...
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Environment group steps up demand for action by EPA on leaded aviation fuel used by general aviation aircraft
Thu 9 Dec 2010 - The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is facing mounting pressure from environment group Friends of the Earth (FOE) to take immediate action to control lead emissions from aviation fuel used in piston-powered light aircraft. The call follows recent findings by the EPA that 16 areas in the United States were in violation of airborne lead standards and that the fuel, known as avgas or 100LL (100 octane low lead), was now the largest source of airborne lead emissions in the country. Following a petition submitted by FOE in 2006, the EPA issued a public consultation process in April this year but admits it has no authority to control aviation fuels. The General Aviation (GA) industry, meanwhile, says the technical challenges of removing lead from avgas are formidable and the transition to unleaded fuel would be long term. Read more ...
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New engine options for Airbus narrowbody promise double-digit CO2 and NOx emissions reductions
Wed 8 Dec 2010 - After months of speculation, Airbus announced last week that it would offer two new fuel-saving engine options to its A320 Family narrowbody aircraft. Airlines will have the choice between CFM International's LEAP-X engine and Pratt & Whitney's PurePower PW1100G geared turbofan. The aircraft, to be called the A320neo, will remain similar in appearance and design to the current model but its wings will be modified and fitted with large Sharklet wingtip fuel-saving devices. The manufacturer claims potential fuel burn and carbon emissions savings of 15 percent, double-digit reduction in NOx emissions and reduced engine noise. Meanwhile, Airbus has obtained renewal of its ISO 14001 environment certification across its worldwide manufacturing sites. Read more ...
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Amsterdam Schiphol seeks 20 new electric cars in drive for all-electric transportation throughout airport
Wed 8 Dec 2010 - Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has signed an agreement for the purchase of 20 electric small and mid-size passenger and company cars. The airport authority will issue functional specifications for the various vehicle categories this month in a Request for Proposal. Delivery is expected to begin in mid 2011 and continue into 2012 and 2013. The airport says that investment in sustainable mobility will help to achieve its aim to be carbon neutral by 2012 and to generate 20 percent of its own energy using sustainable methods by 2020. Read more ...
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Qantas appoints new carbon offset provider as its passenger voluntary offset programme passes 770,000 tonne mark
Tue 7 Dec 2010 - As Qantas aligns its 'Fly Carbon Neutral' passenger voluntary carbon offset programme with the Australian government's new National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS), the airline group has appointed Climate Friendly as its offset provider. The group, which also includes Jetstar, launched the programme in 2007 and has offset over 770,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions to date, according to Qantas Chief Risk Officer, Rob Kella. As of 1 July 2010, the NCOS replaces the government's previous Greenhouse Friendly programme. Offsets will come from a number of projects in developing countries, including a wind farm development in China (above right), 'run of river' hydro-power projects in Taiwan and Indonesia, and a fuel switching project in Brazil that will help protect the Amazon rainforest. Read more ...
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Low expectations of progress on international aviation emissions agreement in Cancun despite industry push
Tue 30 Nov 2010 - In keeping with the general mood of pessimism surrounding the UNFCCC's COP 16 session in Cancun, Mexico, which got underway yesterday, little progress is expected in negotiations on international aviation and shipping emissions ('bunker fuels'). Negotiating text under consideration remains heavily 'square-bracketed'. However, representatives from both the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and a large team from the aviation industry will be in attendance to encourage the process forward. Today, ICAO and the industry are expected to hold separate side events, with ICAO Council President Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez and Jane Hupe, Chief of ICAO's Environment Branch, due to make session addresses. In a submission presented to the UNFCCC SBSTA body, ICAO has expressed concern over proposals by a UN-appointed advisory group that aviation could provide a substantial contribution towards climate change financing. Read more ...
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Lufthansa to start industry-first scheduled passenger jet biofuel flights in 2011 in partnership with Airbus
Mon 29 Nov 2010 - Lufthansa is to commence the world's first scheduled daily flights from April 2011 using a biofuel blended jet fuel. The 50 percent blend made from Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil will be used on one engine of an IAE-powered Airbus A321 aircraft on flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt. The flights will initially continue for a period of six months as part of a project to study the long-term impact of sustainable biofuels on aircraft performance, with Airbus providing technical assistance and fuel properties monitoring. The fuel will come from sustainable feedstock sources and is being provided under a long-term agreement with Finland-based Neste Oil. Last week, Airbus conducted its first Latin American biofuel test flight with TAM Airlines. Read more ...
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ETS Aviation partners with United Aviation Services to offer Aviation EU ETS carbon accountancy solution
Mon 29 Nov 2010 - Software and carbon accountancy firm ETS Aviation is to partner with United Aviation Services, a multi-national provider of trip planning and flight support services, to offer clients a new EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) service called ETS LINKED. Designed specifically for the aviation industry, the service aims to streamline the recording, reporting and verification of flight data as well as help maximize carbon credit allocation for flight operators of all sizes. The two partners say errors and inconsistencies in data reporting can lead not only to substantial fines but more importantly the loss of free carbon certificates allocated under the EU ETS, and their system can help lighten the compliance burden, particularly for smaller operators. Read more ...
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Aviation EU ETS deadline concentrates minds as aircraft operators and verifiers gear up for critical first reports
Fri 26 Nov 2010 - With just four months left before the 31 March 2011 deadline for aircraft operators entering Europe's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) to submit verified reports, the signs are that although most of the larger airlines are well-placed many smaller carriers remain unprepared and unsure of the requirements. Lack of clarity and commonality on certain compliance issues across the 27 EU Member States are also proving a headache for many. Operators are required to have their 2010 emissions and tonne-kilometre data audited by accredited verifiers before submission to their relevant Competent Authority and verifiers are gearing up for a busy period from the start of the New Year. A failure to comply with the deadline could see operators losing entitlement to valuable free emissions allowances. Read more ...
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European Commission takes seven EU Member States to task for not passing Aviation EU ETS legislation
Fri 26 Nov 2010 - The European Commission has asked seven EU Member States - Cyprus, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia - to speed up the adoption of legislative and administrative measures to transpose the Aviation EU ETS directive into national law. Under the directive (2008/101/EC), Member States were required to transpose the directive before 2 February 2010. Following the recommendation of Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard, the Commission has sent 'reasoned opinion', the last step of an infringement procedure, to the seven States concerned, with the implied threat that continued non-compliance could be referred to the European Court of Justice. Read more ...
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Last call for students to participate in the Airbus search for solutions to a greener future for aviation
Wed 24 Nov 2010 - Student teams wishing to take part in the global Airbus Fly Your Ideas (FYI) 2011 competition have just a week, until 30 November, to register their interest. Students of any nationality, gender or discipline - from engineering to marketing, business to science, philosophy to design - can take part in teams of three to five members. Project proposals must be submitted by 10 December, which can be on any stage of the 'Environmental Life Cycle' - an approach that Airbus uses to improve the environmental performance of an aircraft and its production process in five areas: design, supply chain, manufacturing, aircraft operations and aircraft end-of-life. Meanwhile, Airbus has announced its line-up of four outside judges, who will join senior Airbus representatives on the panel. Read more ...
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Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman awarded NASA research contracts to improve airliner environmental performance
Wed 24 Nov 2010 – NASA has awarded two contracts for studies designed to identify advanced concepts for airliners that could enter service in 2025 and fly with less noise, cleaner exhaust and lower fuel consumption. The contracts have gone to two California-based aerospace companies, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, worth $2.99 million and $2.65 million respectively, and each have performance periods of one year, starting this month. The study is part of NASA's Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project that was created to explore and document the feasibility, benefits and technical risk of vehicle - NASA-speak for aircraft - concepts and enabling technologies that will reduce the impact of aviation on the environment. Read more ...
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TAM Airlines conducts first-ever Airbus biofuel flight using Brazilian-sourced jatropha-based kerosene blend
Tue 23 Nov 2010 - More aviation biofuel milestones were passed yesterday as TAM Airlines together with Airbus conducted Latin America's first jatropha-based fuel flight, which also represented the first Airbus airliner to fly with a crop-based biofuel blend. Previous Airbus alternative fuel flights have been powered by gas-to-liquid (GTL) blends. Fuel for the TAM A320 flight was a 50 percent blend of locally-sourced Brazilian jatropha-based bio-kerosene and conventional aviation kerosene that had been processed by Honeywell's UOP. Just one of the two CFM56 engines was powered using the biofuel. Airbus estimates that sustainable biofuels could supply some 30 percent of commercial aviation as early as 2030. In May, 10 Brazilian organizations, including TAM and three other airlines, formed the Brazilian Alliance for Aviation Biofuels to promote biofuel initiatives in the country. Read more ...
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Further collaboration announced by Sweden’s air transport industry to improve punctuality and lower emissions
Mon 22 Nov 2010 - From January 2015 it will be possible to predict to the minute the landing times of an aircraft at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport, when it will arrive and leave the gate and when it will take off again. Better punctuality will also lead to reduced fuel consumption and lower emissions, say the airport's operator Swedavia, Sweden's air navigation services provider LFV and SAS Scandinavian Airlines. The three parties will be linking various projects to accelerate the development of 'green approaches' at the airport. Meanwhile, Stockholm-Arlanda has jointly received the annual ALN Ecological Award for its work to reduce carbon emissions produced by taxi travel to and from the airport. In conjunction with EuroPark, a new dispatch system has been introduced that gives 'ecotaxis' priority on a "lowest emissions, first in queue" basis. Read more ...
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Active engagement with communities required to realize environmental benefits of advanced navigation technology
Fri 19 Nov 2010 - GE has extended its Performance-based Navigation (PBN) services in South America and China that will enable airlines to use optimized flight paths to operate in difficult weather conditions and terrains as well as shorten flight distances to reduce fuel burn and emissions. The company has been selected by LAN Airlines to design and deploy a Required Navigation Performance (RNP) network at Lima Jorge Chavez International Airport and four other airports in Peru, Chile and Ecuador. GE has also installed RNP flight paths at Lijiang Airport in China. PBN technology can achieve significant environmental and economic benefits but community noise reduction, fuel savings and reductions in CO2 emissions will not materialize if aviation stakeholders fail to successfully engage communities around airports in the process, delegates to the Global PBN Summit held last month were told. Read more ...
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Solena and Rentech to partner on synthetic fuel technology for Europe's proposed first sustainable jet fuel facility
Thu 18 Nov 2010 - Solena Group, which is seeking to build a facility in London to convert waste biomass feedstock into sustainable jet fuel, has signed a letter of intent with fellow US company Rentech to negotiate a licensing deal to the use the latter's proprietary Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthetic fuel technology. The GreenSky facility is due to open in 2014 and will produce around 16 million gallons of jet fuel and nine million gallons of bionaphtha a year when fully operational. Solena has identified potential sites and is currently in discussions with various funding sources to secure the finance for the project. British Airways has committed to a minimum 10-year offtake agreement to purchase all the jet fuel produced. Meanwhile, the airline said it has attracted interest from 18 potential suppliers of alternative jet fuel for an engine test programme it is planning with Rolls-Royce. Read more ...
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Sky Airline signs offtake agreement with PetroAlgae to bring renewable jet fuel to Chile
Wed 17 Nov 2010 - Florida-based PetroAlgae and Chilean carrier Sky Airline have signed a non-binding offtake collaborative agreement to enable the purchase of feedstock produced by licensees of PetroAlgae's commercial micro-crop technology for conversion into renewable jet fuel. The technology, consisting of light and environmental management systems, allows licensees to grow aquatic micro-organisms at a rate the company claims exceeds four times natural growth rates. This enables commercial-scale production of two end-products, a fuel feedstock, which can be converted into renewable jet fuel, and a protein that can be used in animal feeds. In April, Chilean company AIQ acquired an option to purchase a licence from PetroAlgae. Read more ...
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ANA says bon voyage as its first green-liveried Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft takes off
Tue 16 Nov 2010 - Japanese airline group ANA has unveiled its first green-liveried aircraft to reflect what it describes as the airline's commitment to environmental sustainability and lower emissions. The livery has been applied to a Bombardier DHC8-Q400 aircraft operated by ANA WINGS, a newly-formed subsidiary, and will be used on domestic routes from this Friday (19 Nov). The Bombardier was chosen for its superior environmental performance of reduced noise and lower CO2 emissions compared to equivalent jet aircraft. As a result of an in-house competition, the aircraft has been nicknamed 'Eco Bon' by employees, with 'Bon' deriving from 'Bon Voyage'. Read more ...
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Rolls-Royce forms a Carbon Partnership with China Eastern to reduce fuel consumption and emissions
Mon 15 Nov 2010 - The $1.2 billion order from China Eastern Airlines for Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines signed last week in Beijing - witnessed by visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao - included an agreement to form a Carbon Partnership. This will see Rolls-Royce provide China Eastern with a fuel management service for the airline's fleet of more than 300 aircraft. This will be provided by Reston, Virgina-based Optimized Systems and Solutions (OSyS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the UK engine manufacturer. The service is already in use by several other airlines including easyJet, Qatar Airways and Thomson Airways. The China Eastern deal will also include the supply of enhanced performance kits to upgrade the Trent 700 engines on the airline's 20 existing Airbus A330 aircraft. Read more ...
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Economic growth and global connectivity are entirely possible within environmental constraints, says BA's Walsh
Fri 12 Nov 2010 - Growth of the economy and global connectivity were entirely possible within the constraints of national and international environmental targets, British Airways CEO Willie Walsh told an environmental seminar hosted by the airline and the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry earlier this week. He said aviation played a key role in ensuring London remained open for business and attracting inward investment and tourism. BA's Head of Environment Jonathon Counsell said global regulation on carbon emissions was critical to the aviation industry but warned that "punishing" aviation taxes would take away investment in new technology and did nothing for the environment in reducing emissions. A great deal could be done on the ground as well as in the air to reduce aviation's impact, said Colin Matthews, CEO of airport operator BAA. Read more ...
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Cathay Pacific and Dragonair source new carbon credits as passenger offset programme continues to grow
Wed 10 Nov 2010 - Cathay Pacific Airways and its sister airline Dragonair have purchased 30,000 tonnes of carbon emission reduction offsets from offset service provider Climate Action, the third time new offsets have been sourced since the launch of the airlines' voluntary FLY greener passenger carbon offset service in 2007. A total of 80,000 tonnes of CO2 have now been offset through the programme, including the airlines’ own staff travel amounting to 38,700 tonnes. In common with most airlines operating similar carbon offset schemes, Cathay Pacific and Dragonair declined to reveal the passenger uptake but reported a 10 percent year-on-year growth in participation since the launch. The new project portfolio includes three hydropower and wind turbine projects in China's Pearl River Delta region. Read more ...
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Qatar Airways CEO calls on airline industry to collaborate and fight off the introduction of the Aviation EU ETS
Wed 10 Nov 2010 - Akbar Al Baker, CEO of fast-growing Middle East airline Qatar Airways, has called on IATA and ICAO to challenge regulations that will bring operators flying to and from Europe into the Aviation EU Emissions Trading Scheme from 2012. Speaking at the Doha Aviation Summit in Qatar, he said the two bodies should work collectively in the interests of airlines "to fight off the introduction of unnecessary charges that will eventually have to be passed onto consumers." He said the charges were merely designed to fund government coffers and would not necessarily find their way back into the industry. Al Baker was echoing similar discontent over the EU ETS expressed by senior airline executives at the recent Arab Air Carriers Organization's AGM in Cairo. Read more ...
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Initiatives build Christchurch's reputation as an environmentally-led aviation centre of excellence
Tue 9 Nov 2010 - The Christchurch Engine Center, a joint venture between Air New Zealand and Pratt & Whitney, is to perform EcoPower engine washes on all existing and future turbofan types within the Air New Zealand fleet. Under a one-year agreement, extendable up to five years, the Center will be able to wash other engine types and provide the service to third-party customers and to carry out washes in either Auckland or Christchurch using portable equipment. Pratt & Whitney claims its EcoPower system can reduce fuel burn by as much as 1.2 percent, as well as extend on-wing time. Meanwhile, Christchurch International Airport has won two environmental honours, including the sustainability reporting award for small-to-medium enterprises at the inaugural New Zealand Sustainability Reporting Awards. Read more ...
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Malaysia Airports sets out to achieve carbon neutral growth by 2020 through new energy efficiencies
Tue 9 Nov 2010 - Malaysia Airports, operator of the country's 39 airports including Kuala Lumpur International (KLIA), has committed to achieving carbon-neutral growth by 2020 and reduce carbon emissions below 2005 levels by 2050. The aims are included in the company's first-ever annual sustainability report launched at the recent International Greentech and Eco Product event in Kuala Lumpur. A project to map KLIA's carbon footprint was completed at the end of 2009 and the operator expects to eventually extend the exercise to its other airports. Malaysia Airports says it is committed to preserving biodiversity levels within the airport area in all development or expansion works. Read more ...
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NASA adds new research opportunities as it solicits proposals into future reductions in aircraft emissions and noise
Fri 5 Nov 2010 - NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate has amended its NASA Research Announcement to solicit additional research proposals into developing improved prediction methods and technologies for lower noise and emissions as well as higher performance for aircraft of the future. The research opportunities are in support of NASA's Subsonic Fixed Wing Project. Other topics look at enabling the use of shorter runways at smaller airfields and the use of Fischer-Tropsch alternative aviation fuels. NASA has an annual budget of $4-6 million for the project and is looking to make 20 to 30 awards with a maximum three-year duration. Interested applicants should hurry as proposals are required by the end of this month. Read more ...
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Seattle-Tacoma wins largest ever FAA environmental grant to fund airport pre-conditioned air project
Fri 5 Nov 2010 - Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is to receive a $18.3 million grant from the FAA's Voluntary Airport Low Emissions (VALE) programme to help fund construction of a pre-conditioned air project that will make Sea-Tac one of the nation's few airports with a centralized system that covers the entire airport. The project will allow aircraft to hook up to pre-conditioned air provided by the airport at each gate and shut down their auxiliary power units (APUs). Once installed, the project is expected to save more than 50,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions and airlines serving the airport around $10 million in fuel costs per year. Read more ...
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New UK Transport Secretary promises consultation with industry on technologies to reduce aviation carbon emissions
Fri 5 Nov 2010 - Government and the aviation industry must work together to create an aviation sector that continues delivering social and economic benefits, while reducing carbon emissions, says the new UK coalition government's Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond. Speaking at the Airport Operators Association's annual conference in London, he promised to develop a policy framework for aviation that supported economic growth and protected the position of London's Heathrow Airport as a global hub but addressed aviation's environmental impact. "Any aviation policy framework we set out cannot duck the climate change debate," he said. Incentivizing and encouraging businesses to invest in low-carbon technologies and fuels would be looked at, he added. Meanwhile, Heathrow operator BAA backed plans for a high-speed rail link to the airport. Read more ...
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Possibility of serious delays puts implementation of the Single European Sky at risk, warns EC Vice-President
Fri 29 Oct 2010 - Speaking at this week's European Aviation Summit in Bruges, organized by the Belgian EU Presidency, European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas suggested differences between EU states could create serious delays in delivering the Single European Sky (SES). He said the accelerated implementation of the SES was crucial as present inefficiencies and fragmentation were responsible for 16 million tonnes of unnecessary CO2 emissions and costs to the air transport sector of 3 billion euros ($4bn). A Commission statement on the Summit said the recent ICAO agreement had confirmed Europe's entitlement to go forward more quickly than others in plans to reduce aviation greenhouse gas emissions. The Bruges Declaration issued at the end of the Summit called upon a group of experts to identify the impact of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme on the competiveness of the European aviation industry. Read more ...
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Austria follows the lead of Germany with new environmental tax on departing passengers
Thu 28 Oct 2010 - Following on the heels of Germany, Austria is the latest to announce that it too would introduce an ecological tax to be paid by all airline passengers departing from the country’s airports. Passengers will be charged 8 euros ($11) for intra-European flights and 40 euros ($55) for long-haul flights. The tax is expected to raise between 40 and 60 million euros in 2011. Airline representatives have accused the Austrian government of following other EU states like Germany and the UK in using the environment as a thinly-disguised revenue earner. Speaking at the recent President's Assembly of the Association of European Airlines (AEA), British Airways CEO and AEA Chairman for 2010 Willie Walsh said Europe's airlines would not be able to compete abroad if weighed down by taxes and charges at home. Read more ...
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Boeing launches new weather and en-route services to reduce airline flight times and save fuel
Thu 28 Oct 2010 - From the beginning of 2011, Boeing is to make available two new subscription-based services that will provide airlines and their flight crews with up-to-the-minute information enabling en-route adjustments to account for weather and air traffic control status. Under its InFlight Optimization Services offering, Boeing is introducing two services, Direct Routes and Wind Updates, which it says can provide airlines with significant savings in time, fuel and carbon emissions. Direct Routes automatically alerts an airline's operations centre and flight crew every time a simple, more fuel-efficient path opens up along the intended route of flight, whereas Wind Updates sends datalink messages to the flight deck with real-time, flight-customized wind information. Read more ...
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Qantas CEO warns Australian government that imposing carbon tax would distort aviation industry
Thu 28 Oct 2010 - Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has said it would be a mistake for the Australian government to proceed with plans to introduce a carbon tax, arguing that regions or countries introducing carbon taxes or emissions trading schemes would distort the global aviation industry. Having dropped plans earlier in the year for a national emissions trading scheme, the government recently signalled it is considering a carbon tax and putting a price on carbon. Meanwhile, Joyce is to join a new roundtable set up by the government to engage the business community on its climate change policies and advise on carbon pricing. The airline has announced it has been placed sixth in this year's Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index for Australia and New Zealand. Read more ...
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Arab air carriers welcome ICAO fuel efficiency targets but criticize de minimis exemption and EU ETS
Wed 27 Oct 2010 - The environmental challenge facing the aviation industry and the implications of the recent ICAO Assembly resolution on climate change were widely discussed at last week's Annual General Meeting of the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) in Cairo. AACO members adopted a resolution welcoming the efficiency goals agreed by ICAO states at the Assembly and that there should be recognition of the different and special circumstances of developing nations. Arab carriers were particularly keen that any future market-based measures should recognize past investment made in new fuel-efficient aircraft by the region. In a keynote address, ICAO Secretary General Raymond Benjamin praised the contribution of Arab carriers in the fight against climate change and called the path to the ICAO agreement a "watershed". Also addressing the meeting, IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani said the region's average fleet age of 11 years compared to the industry average of 13 years was contributing to improved global fuel efficiency. Read more ...
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US Department of Agriculture and FAA sign five-year agreement to evaluate rural feedstocks for jet biofuels
Wed 27 Oct 2010 - The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has signed a five-year agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop aviation jet fuel from forest and crop residues, as well as other green feedstocks. Domestic production of renewable energy, including biofuels, is a national imperative, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who announced the venture along with with other initiatives to spur rural revitalization. The USDA and FAA will bring together their experience in "research, policy analysis and air transportation sector dynamics" to assess the availability of different kinds of feedstocks that could be processed by bio-refineries to produce jet fuels. The Air Transport Association (ATA) said it would provide confidence to those looking to invest in renewable aviation fuels. Read more ...
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UN climate change financing report set to recommend international aviation tax to help developing countries
Mon 25 Oct 2010 - According to The Times, a new global tax on airline tickets could be imposed as part of plans to raise $100 billion a year to provide finance to help developing countries mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. The UK newspaper claims to have seen a draft report by the High-level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing (AGF), set up by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in February, which estimates such a tax could raise up to $6 billion a year. The report has concluded that air travel would be an important source of climate funding because, says The Times, it was generally lightly taxed but one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gases. The report also suggests intra-EU flights could be excluded because their carbon emissions are to be covered by the Aviation EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). Read more ...
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The world's busiest international airport, London Heathrow, becomes Airport Carbon Accredited
Thu 14 Oct 2010 - London's Heathrow Airport has become the latest airport to join ACI Europe's Airport Carbon Accreditation programme, bringing the total number of airports accredited to 23 since the launch in June 2009. With Frankfurt, Amsterdam Schiphol and the two Paris airports already in the programme, the addition of Heathrow is particularly welcome. Although Atlanta handles more passengers annually than any other airport, Heathrow has the highest number of international passenger throughput. The annual carbon management certification programme has four progressive levels of accreditation: Mapping, Reduction, Optimisation and Neutrality. Heathrow has been awarded the third level. Read more ...
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ICAO Assembly resolution on climate change runs into trouble over de minimis exemptions for states
Tue 12 Oct 2010 - A proposal by Europe ahead of the ICAO Assembly that countries with insubstantial international aviation emissions could be exempted from collective global emissions reduction goals has led to serious and seemingly unintended consequences for the Assembly resolution passed last Friday. The so-called 'de minimis' provision is used by Europe to exempt smaller operators with a low threshold of flights from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). During last-minute negotiations to find a compromise agreement between ICAO member states, de minimis clauses were added to the resolution that exempt states with an international aviation activity of 1 percent of total revenue tonne kilometres from obligations to submit action plans to reduce their emissions and also from market-based measures such as emissions trading schemes. However, based on ICAO 2009 traffic data, nearly 170 states fall below the threshold, a number of whom with carriers to be included in the EU ETS. As a result, Europe has had to enter a 'reservation' on the clauses. Read more ...
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Aviation industry welcomes ICAO agreement on measures to reduce international aviation's climate change impact
Tue 12 Oct 2010 - Organizations representing airlines, airports and air navigation services have described the agreement reached by ICAO states on measures to control and reduce international aviation emissions as a welcome first step. IATA DG Giovanni Bisignani called it "an historic decision" that prepared the way for future achievements. He said no other industry sector had a similar globally agreed framework for managing its response to climate change in a manner that took into account the needs of both developed and developing countries. ACI DG Angela Gittens said ICAO had opened its doors to industry and the exchange of information and proposals had contributed to a globally harmonized agreement. Although welcoming the agreement, CANSO's Graham Lake warned industry's efforts to cut emissions faster and further required government support. The US ATA was also pleased with the outcome but expressed dismay over the EU's refusal to accept a mutual agreement proposal on market-based measures such as emissions trading schemes. Read more ...
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ICAO states clinch breakthrough on setting more ambitious goals to reduce international aviation emissions
Mon 11 Oct 2010 - A landmark agreement, even though far from perfect, was reached by the 190 contracting states of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on the final day of its 37th Assembly. After over a decade of deliberations, states passed through a resolution that commits them to achieving a global annual average fuel efficiency improvement of 2 percent until 2020 and a similar aspirational improvement thereafter until 2050. The controversial target of achieving carbon-neutral growth (CNG) in global net emissions from international aviation from 2020 - which had been at the centre of disagreements between states - was also adopted. However, CNG remains aspirational and although a collective global goal it appears the burden of achieving it will have to be shouldered by the developed nations. Market-based measures are recognized in the agreement but Europe entered a 'reservation', or objection, over clauses referring to guiding principles that would appear in conflict with the Aviation EU ETS due to start in 2012. Read more ...
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MIT study finds aircraft emissions at cruise altitude contribute to 8,000 premature deaths per year worldwide
Fri 8 Oct 2010 - Findings from a new study show that around 8,000 premature deaths a year can be attributed to the effects of oxides of nitrogen and sulphur (NOx and SOx) emissions from aircraft at cruise altitude, reports Morgan Bettex. Most of these emissions are caused by aircraft over North America and Europe but prevailing winds take them eastwards, where they can form a deadly mix with ammonia released from farming. Nearly half the total premature deaths occur in India and China. Up till now, regulation has only applied to such emissions up to the 3,000-feet level, the take-off and landing cycle, but the researchers recommend that cruise emissions be explicitly considered in the development of policies, technologies and operational procedures designed to mitigate the air quality impacts of transportation. Similar emissions from shipping are believed to be responsible for around 60,000 premature deaths annually. Read more ...
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CANSO joins European collaborative project aimed at reducing delays and emissions at congested airports
Fri 8 Oct 2010 - The civil air navigation services organization CANSO has joined the ACI Europe and Eurocontrol Airport Collaborative Decision-Making (A-CDM) programme that aims to increase operational efficiencies at the most congested European airports. CANSO is the global trade body for air traffic management (ATM) and is expected to provide further momentum for the initiative that was launched in October 2008. A-CDM allows airports into the ATM network and vice versa, providing users access to a range of operational data allowing them to make their operations more efficient. It has been estimated that by reducing the taxi time of just one minute per flight for major European airports with over 50,000 aircraft movements per year could lead to annual reductions of 145,000 tonnes of fuel and 475,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Read more ...
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Study seeks to unravel the complexity of how air travel compares with other transport modes on climate impact
Thu 7 Oct 2010 - Although CO2 emissions, which remain in the atmosphere for over 100 years, are considered the main culprit for global warming, other short-lived components and compounds contribute significantly to the climate impact of transportation, with the magnitude varying over time. A team of researchers led by Dr Jens Borken-Kleefeld of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria has quantified and compared for the first time the climate impacts of various passenger and freight transportation modes over five, 20 and 50-year periods. Because of the high contribution from contrails and cirrus clouds, aviation has a far higher climate impact in the short term than all other forms of transport but over the longer term car travel has an equal or higher impact per passenger kilometre, reports the study. Read more ...
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Working group set up during ICAO Assembly in last attempt at finding consensus on an international aviation climate deal
Mon 4 Oct 2010 - Such is the disunity amongst ICAO states at its triennial Assembly on the issue of setting more ambitious goals on reducing the aviation sector's carbon emissions that a special informal working group has been set up in an attempt to resolve the issue before the Assembly concludes this Friday (8 Oct). The 19-strong group, chaired by the President of the Assembly and also Chairman of the Assembly's Executive Committee, Dr Harold Demuren from Nigeria, comprises high-level representatives from nine developed states and 10 with developing nation status. Following complaints, an additional four developing states have been granted observer status. The main task of the group is to reach unanimity on a draft resolution before the Assembly. With the next Assembly not due for another three years, this represents a major challenge to ICAO's mandate to regulate on the issue. ICAO will take the position adopted at the Assembly to the UNFCCC COP-16 climate talks in Cancun in December. Read more ...
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United Nations body calls for a global approach on aviation emissions that takes account of tourism needs
Fri 1 Oct 2010 - According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourism accounts for around five percent of global carbon emissions and about half of the 880 million international tourists worldwide arrive at their destinations by air. In many developing countries, especially small island states, the proportion is much higher and the air transport sector therefore plays a key role in tourism. Recognizing that the sector is a major, and a growing, contributor to global greenhouse gases generated by visitors, UNWTO says the mitigation of these emissions is critical to the sustainable development of the tourism industry. In a statement to be circulated at the current ICAO Assembly and the Cancun COP-16 meeting in December, it calls for a global approach on aviation and climate change that also considers international tourism. Read more ...
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Air France-KLM retain their air transport leadership role in Dow Jones Sustainability Index
Thu 30 Sep 2010 - Air France-KLM has been confirmed as the 2010 leader in the air transport sector for sustainable development in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and remains in the two Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes - DJSI World and DJSI Europe - for the sixth year running. Since it was set up in 2004, the group has been confirmed every year as leader in the sector and has been recognized, for the second time, as being the 'supersector leader' for Transport and Leisure. The DJSI World groups 10 percent of the leading companies in terms of sustainable development among 2,500 companies in 22 countries worldwide. Read more ...
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SAS Group claims airline first following successful completion of international environmental certification
Thu 30 Sept 2010 - The SAS Group - which comprises SAS, Blue1 and Wideroe - has announced it has received both ISO 14001 and EMAS certification from auditors Bureau Veritas. The airline group says it is the only one in the world to hold both internationally recognized environmental certificates. EMAS is part of the European Commission's 'Towards Sustainable Development' action programme. SAS Chief Commercial Officer Robin Kamark said many of its customers, particularly corporate, were demanding environmentally certified products and services. Amongst the Group's environmental objectives is to halve the greenhouse gas emissions per revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) by 2020 compared with 2006. Read more ...
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Reaching Assembly agreement on a global framework for reducing aviation emissions will be difficult, says ICAO President
Wed 29 Sept 2010 - On the opening day of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) 37th Assembly in Montreal, Council President Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez described progress in environmental protection since the last Assembly three years ago as "impressive". However, he conceded the issue of finding a consensus between contracting states during the Assembly on tackling international aviation emissions would prove difficult. He told a press briefing that an agreement on developing a global framework that included market-based measures was important in the context of the EU's Aviation Emissions Trading Scheme starting in 2012. Meanwhile, IATA chief Giovanni Bisignani told delegates that reaching an agreement on a global solution to managing aviation emissions would be the Assembly's biggest challenge but believed it would prove successful. Read more ...
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ICAO states fail to agree on more ambitious goals and measures to reduce aviation emissions ahead of Assembly
Mon 27 Sept 2010 - Protracted negotiations amongst ICAO Council member states ahead of the triennial ICAO Assembly starting tomorrow have failed to find consensus on key issues aimed at reducing international aviation carbon emissions. States have been unable to agree on the text of a draft resolution to be considered by the 37th Assembly and a fractious debate is inevitable during the two-week session. At the centre of the arguments are a medium-term goal to reach a carbon-neutral growth in net emissions from 2020 - as proposed by the aviation industry - and the application of market-based measures.
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IATA's new iFlex programme looks to reduce fuel burn by 2 percent on long-haul flights by shortening routes
Thu 23 Sept 2010 - IATA has launched its iFlex programme in a bid to overcome the constraints imposed by traditional fixed airspace structures by using flexible flight planning in low-density airspace. Early modelling of iFlex suggests that airlines operating a 10-hour intercontinental flight can cut the flight time by six minutes, reduce fuel burn by as much as 2 percent and save 3,000kg of CO2 emissions. The South Atlantic and Africa will be the initial focus of the programme, concentrating on the Johannesburg-Atlanta and Dubai-Sao Paulo routes, and a pilot project is planned for 2011. The launch was announced at last week's Aviation & Environment Summit in Geneva, where UK ATC company NATS disclosed its emission reduction programme had saved 50,000 tonnes of CO2 last year. Read more ...
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South Africa's Sasol claims world’s first commercial aircraft flight to be fully fuelled with synthetic jet fuel
Thu 23 Sept 2010 - Formed in 1950 to produce oil from South Africa's coal reserves, Sasol celebrated its 60th anniversary with flights from Lanseria Airport near Johannesburg to Cape Town using 100 percent synthetic jet fuel produced from the company's proprietary coal-to-liquid (CTL) process. Sasol claims its CTL fuel is the world's first fully synthetic jet fuel to have received international approval by the global aviation fuel specification authorities as a commercial aviation turbine fuel. The company says the flights mark a significant development in the adoption of clean burning alternative fuels for the aviation industry. Although lifecycle assessment studies show CTL jet fuels have higher carbon emissions than conventional kerosene derived from crude oil, Sasol maintains the engine-out emissions of its fuel are lower due to a limited sulphur content. Read more ...
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US aerospace industry proposes 'cash for carbon' programme to help fund NextGen technology upgrade
Wed 22 Sept 2010 - Implementation of the US NextGen air traffic management system is expected to not only bring substantial cost and time savings to airlines but also environmental benefits in terms of reductions in emissions and noise. The Federal Aviation Administration estimates full implementation could realize potential reductions in greenhouse gas emissions of up to 12 percent by 2025. However, NextGen comes at a sizeable cost and operators across the US will be required to spend billions of dollars to equip aircraft with advanced technology ('equipage'). The question is who should pay for it? A new report published by the Aerospace Industries Association recommends the setting up of a 'cash for carbon' programme in which operators commit to achieving carbon neutral growth targets in return for government grant money and loans. Read more ...
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Industry target of CDA implementation at 100 European airports by 2013 is on track, says Eurocontrol
Wed 22 Sept 2010 - Eurocontrol reports that 83 airports across 25 European states have so far committed to implementing continuous descent approaches (CDAs). Of these, 33 already offer CDAs at some point in the day and a further 13 are currently carrying out flight trials, with at least 15 new implementation support visits in the pipeline, says the pan-European air navigation organization. The European CDA Action Plan was launched last year by aviation bodies representing airlines, airports and air navigation service providers. As CDAs allow aircraft to fly higher for longer, major savings can be made in fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as reduced noise exposure for those who live close to airports, says Eurocontrol. Read more ...
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Airbus and BA form consortium with Cranfield to explore feasibility of offshore algae for jet fuel production
Tue 21 Sept 2010 - Airbus and British Airways are to take part in a project set up by the UK's Cranfield University to explore how algae can be harvested in ocean-based facilities to produce jet fuel in commercial quantities. A consortium called the Sustainable Use of Renewable Fuels (SURF) has been set by the three parties, along with Rolls-Royce, Finnair, London Gatwick Airport and IATA, to serve as an advisory and steering group to Cranfield's Sea Green project. The university already has a pilot facility on campus that is growing and processing algae for biofuels but the eventual aim is for Sea Green to set up sustainable salt-water facilities, producing the first commercial quantities of biomass for biofuels within three years. Read more ...
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UN climate change chief calls for a global framework on international aviation that includes market-based measures
Tue 21 Sept 2010 - Christiana Figueres, the new head of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) called on ICAO member states to develop a global sectoral approach for international aviation that included market-based measures. She maintained this was not in conflict with UNFCCC or ICAO principles. In an opening address to the Aviation and Environment Summit in Geneva, she said international aviation was high on her agenda and although an important sector for the global economy it was also a significant contributor to the emissions that cause climate change. The appointment of Figueres was warmly welcomed by IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani, who said she had demonstrated a willingness to proactively engage with the industry. At the Summit, aviation industry leaders called on ICAO member states at the forthcoming Assembly to endorse its emissions reduction targets and deliver a global framework to achieve them. Meanwhile, progress on last-minute negotiations at ICAO to resolve differences on the issue remains slow. Read more ...
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Finnair relaunches carbon emissions calculator that it claims is the world’s first to use actual emissions data
Wed 15 Sept 2010 - Finnair has launched a new revised emissions calculator that the airline claims is the only one in the world to be based on actual cargo, passenger and fuel consumption figures, not averages or assumptions. In the calculations, consumed fuel has been allocated proportionately based on weight to both cargo and passengers for each flight, and the calculator presents the share attributable to passengers. The calculations are independently certified by PricewaterhouseCoopers and will be updated quarterly on the basis of actual realised figures. Finnair does not operate a carbon offset scheme for its passengers but says the calculator will be useful to those who wish to compensate for their carbon footprint. Read more ...
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Air Berlin carries out satellite navigation flight testing to simulate noise abatement approaches at Frankfurt
Tue 14 Sept 2010 - Germany's second largest airline, Air Berlin, is taking part in a joint research project to validate new noise abatement approach procedures at the German Aerospace Centre's (DLR) research airport at Braunschweig-Wolfsburg that will simulate approaches to Frankfurt Airport. Effective noise abatement can be achieved by noise avoidance and also noise transfer, says the airline, and is testing curved approaches to avoid future over-flying of residential areas. This is made possible through the use of new onboard GLS (Global Positioning and Landing System) satellite navigation technology which enables aircraft to skirt residential areas and fly steeper approaches. Conventional Instrument Landing System (ILS) navigation only permits straight approach paths, says Air Berlin, which claims to be the only airline in the world with approval to use GLS for normal flight operations. Read more ...
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UK's Birmingham International reports 95 percent of aircraft arrivals now using CDA procedures
Tue 14 Sept 2010 - Continuous Descent Arrivals (CDAs) at the UK's Birmingham International Airport (BIA) have resulted in the saving of over 13,000 tonnes of CO2 over the past 12 months, claims the airport. Rather than using the traditional stepped approach, a CDA allows an aircraft to descend on minimum power, making a smooth approach without levelling off. This saves both fuel, and therefore emissions, and also reduces aircraft noise. After one year of launching the CDA programme, 95 percent of aircraft arriving at the airport now use the procedure, making a saving per flight of around 315kg of CO2 and reducing the noise around the airport by between one and five decibels per arrival. The programme is a partnership between the airport company, NATS (the airport's air traffic control partner) and airlines operating at the airport. Read more ...
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North America turns up heat on Aviation EU ETS by urging ICAO to pass "mutual consent" resolution
Mon 13 Sept 2010 - According to the New York Times, the United States, Canada and Mexico have urged the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to pass a resolution stating that countries "seeking to implement an emissions trading system that applies to other contracting states' aircraft operators" do so only "on the basis of mutual agreement". If agreed upon, the resolution would be non-binding, says the paper, but would add to international pressure on Europe to at least delay the start of its system in January 2012. This is the first public intervention by the Obama administration on the Aviation EU ETS, which applies to all operators, regardless of nationality, flying to, from or within EU states. A number of leading US airlines, backed by the Air Transport Association (ATA), have already made a legal challenge to their inclusion in the scheme. Read more ...
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Aircraft operators and verifiers gear up for the first all-important Aviation EU ETS audit period
Mon 13 Sept 2010 - The first annual emissions and tonne-kilometre data reports are due to be submitted within the next six months by aircraft operators included in the Aviation EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Before the reports can be submitted they must first be audited by an independent and approved verification body. The pressure is now on operators not only to find and appoint a verifier in time but also ensure the reports meet the stringent requirements of the Competent Authorities in the EU states administering the scheme. However, the process and regulation of appointing verifiers specifically for the Aviation EU ETS is far from uniform across Europe and has the potential to lead to a situation of too few approved verifiers handling the audits of too many of the 4,000-odd operators in a short space of time. Read more ...
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The all-electric aerobatic plane Cri-Cri makes its debut as EADS drives environment-friendly technology innovations
Fri 10 Sept 2010 - The first-ever four-engined all-electric plane, the Cri-Cri, made a seven-minute maiden flight at Le Bourget Airport outside Paris last week. The tiny aircraft incorporates numerous innovative technologies such as lightweight composite structures that reduce the weight of the airframe and compensate for the additional weight of the batteries. Although EADS, parent company of Airbus, concedes that batteries will not be able to propel larger aircraft at least in the near future, Cri-Cri is a low-cost test bed for electrical technologies in support of projects like the hybrid propulsion concept for helicopters the company is developing, says Chief Technical Officer, Jean Botti. Today, EADS opens its 'Innovation @ Work' technology laboratory in Germany which includes a display of developments in microalgae-based alternative aviation fuel. Read more ...
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American Airlines 'Highways in the Sky' flight marks acceleration in US modernization efforts to cut delays and emissions
Fri 10 Sept 2010 - A recent American Airlines scheduled flight to Connecticut's Bradley International Airport marked a new era in the modernization of US airspace as it was the first to use a publicly available, commercially designed instrument flight path. The new landing procedure allows pilots to use onboard technology to follow a precise track that is independent of ageing ground-based navigation beacons that limit the routes where the aircraft can fly. Although the Bradley procedure was specifically designed to enable suitably equipped aircraft to land on a particular runway during periods of low visibility, so-called Required Navigation Performance (RNP) paths can be custom-tailored to shorten trip distances, thus saving fuel and emissions, and create community-friendly flight trajectories that lessen the impact of aircraft noise. Read more ...
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TAP Portugal's UP lays claim to the world's first carbon neutral in-flight magazine
Fri 10 Sept 2010 - From this month's issue, TAP Portugal's in-flight magazine UP will be carbon neutral, claims the airline. As a result of a partnership with E.Value, UP has become the airline industry's first in-flight magazine and the first monthly publication in Portugal to offset the greenhouse gas emissions linked to its production and printing. TAP does not disclose whether this includes the emissions from the manufacture of the paper it is printed on but the airline estimates that every copy emits, on average, about 200 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). When Emirates announced two years ago that it was scrapping its own in-flight magazine to save weight, fuel and emissions, many airlines were expected to follow suit but the importance of revenues from advertising sales has ensured the survival of the glossy in-flight read. Read more ...
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Airbus and Air France to start A380 transatlantic green flight trials from New York within three months
Thu 9 Sept 2010 - Airbus has released more details on its A380 'Transatlantic Green Flight' trials announced by the European SESAR Joint Undertaking in July, which selected 18 new projects to expand the Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to Reduce Emissions (AIRE) programme to a second wave, called AIRE2. A consortium led by Airbus in partnership with Air France and air navigation service providers from the UK, Canada and the United States (NATS, Nav Canada and the FAA) will commence trials on an Air France A380 on revenue flights from New York to Paris commencing within the next three months. Airbus has also engaged as a partner in two more AIRE2 trials, which involve validating a transition from RNP arrivals to ILS approaches at Sweden's Gothenburg Landvetter Airport and a further project with Air France. Read more ...
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Seattle-Tacoma, Portland, Buffalo Niagara and Southwest Florida recognized in airport environmental awards
Thu 9 Sept 2010 - Seattle-Tacoma International, Portland International, Southwest Florida International and Buffalo Niagara International airports have been selected as winners of this year's Environmental Achievement Awards by Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA). The awards were established in 1997 and ACI-NA says they have been catalysts for numerous environmental programmes at airports as well as generating considerable interest throughout the industry. ACI-NA President Greg Principato said airports were leading a "green revolution" in aviation by implementing many inventive programmes that reduced the environmental impact of their operations. The 2010 awards will be presented during the ACI-NA Annual Conference on 29 September. Read more ...
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In a critical year for the Aviation EU ETS, European emissions fall in first half of 2010 compared to 2009
Thu 12 Aug 2010 - Overall carbon emissions within the scope of the Aviation EU ETS fell by 1.8 percent in the first half of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009, according to data compiled by consultancy RDC Aviation. Total aviation CO2 emissions across 27 EU states amounted to nearly 113 million tonnes in the first half of 2010 compared with 115 million tonnes last year. The impact of the volcanic ash cloud that severely affected air traffic in northern Europe in April is not easy to measure although the UK and France experienced falls of around 4 percent in emissions over the period, whilst Germany and the Netherlands saw smaller increases in total emissions. This is reflected in airline terms with British Airways and Air France showing decreases in emissions while Lufthansa and KLM had rises. As 2010 is the benchmarking year for calculating the allocation of free emission permits, airlines are perversely incentivized to ensure their emissions are kept high to maximize their share. Read more ...
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GE Aviation's flight management technology to be trialled on European and US emissions reduction programmes
Tue 10 Aug 2010 - As part of a consortium led by LFV Sweden, GE Aviation is to play an active role in the EU-US AIRE Green Connections project to validate how existing technology can be better utilized and how ground-based operations can be improved to reduce air travel. Under the project, GE Aviation will provide the onboard flight management system (FMS) to predict the optimum flight path for aircraft and facilitate controlled time of arrivals at airports, through Required Navigation Performance (RNP) routes using technology developed by GE's Naverus business. Evaluations will be carried out on hundreds of SAS commercial flights to Stockholm-Arlanda Airport from later this year and run for 10 months. In June, GE was awarded a contract under the FAA's CLEEN programme that will see similar FMS technology flight demonstrations in the US involving Alaska Airlines. Read more ...
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Boeing announces details of ecoDemonstrator Program to help accelerate aviation environmental technologies
Mon 9 Aug 2010 - Boeing has set up a programme to help quicken progress on emerging technologies in the areas of fuel efficiency, noise reduction and operational efficiency. Part of the ecoDemonstrator Program will take place under the FAA's CLEEN programme, which recently awarded Boeing a $25 million matching cost contract for technology development. Under the CLEEN contract Boeing will undertake flight testing using two ecoDemonstrator aircraft, including a Next-Generation 737 in 2012 followed by a second series of flights aboard a Boeing twin-aisle aircraft in 2013. The ecoDemonstrator Program will also include collaborative work with IHI Aerospace of Japan to evaluate regenerative fuel cell technology for onboard auxiliary power applications. Read more ...
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Pratt & Whitney offers airlines a new programme that could reduce fuel use and emissions by up to 8 percent annually
Fri 6 Aug 2010 - Aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney has launched a new fuel conservation programme that could help airlines save 3 to 8 percent in annual fuel consumption and costs, even for those with fuel reduction programmes already in place. Pratt & Whitney is joining forces with Flight Sciences International to offer the EcoFlight Solutions service through its Global Service Partners network. According to Pratt & Whitney, the savings that could be made through the programme could add up to $20 to $50 million a year. For a mid-sized airline with a fleet of 48 wide- and narrow-body aircraft, reducing fuel burn by 5 percent could save 20 million gallons of fuel and 193,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, it claims. Read more ...
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Aircraft operators warned to make early start on Aviation EU ETS verification process or risk fines
Fri 6 Aug 2010 - Aircraft operators joining the Aviation EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) are being urged to start the verification process of their emissions and benchmark reports covering 2010 as soon as possible. These reports have to be verified and submitted to the relevant Competent Authority by 31 March 2011. In the UK, only bodies accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) can perform the strict verification audit. The Environment Agency for England and Wales (EA), which is responsible for nearly all aircraft operators assigned to the UK, has yet to publish a promised list of Aviation EU ETS accredited verifiers. However, last week, CICS, a company that already performs EU ETS verifications of fixed installation operators, announced it was one of the first to be "recommended to receive" accreditation by UKAS. Read more ...
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Transatlantic project to investigate the potential mitigating impact of alternative fuels on air quality at airports
Thu 5 Aug 2010 - International climate change and renewable energy consultancy AEA is to lead a project that will investigate how much US airports contribute to fine particulate (PM2.5) emissions and the effect this has on ambient local air quality. The research will also evaluate the effect that alternative aviation fuels may have on reducing the impact of these harmful aircraft engine emissions, which are associated with greater risks than larger PM10 inhalable particles. A contract to carry out the $500,000, 16-month project has been signed by AEA's US arm, Project Performance Corporation, and the US Transportation Research Board. According to AEA's Dr Hazel Peace, around 60 percent of US airports fall in areas that the Environmental Protection Agency has designated as 'nonattainment' for fine particulate matter. Read more ...
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Progress on alternative jet fuels "stunning", says aviation industry, but commercialization is now the major challenge
Mon 2 Aug 2010 - Boeing, Airbus and IATA lined up at the recent Farnborough Air Show to proclaim rapid progress in the development of alternative sustainable jet fuels but warned of the challenges ahead in bringing them to commercial scale. Producers and end users came together during the show to put on a series of briefing sessions on biofuel developments. "Stunning is the only word I can use to describe how much progress has been made in the last three years," said Paul Steele, IATA's Director of Aviation Environment and head of the industry coalition Air Transport Action Group. "We have seen a huge amount of activity in driving this forward. Certification has been the prime focus to begin with because safety is a key issue. We believe commercial biofuel flights are now three to five years away - some may say sooner than that." Read more ...
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Solena jet biofuel project with British Airways on track, says CEO, as the airline seeks further supplies for engine testing
Wed 28 July 2010 - Solena Group CEO Dr Robert Do says the search for a potential site for its waste biomass-to-jet fuel plant in East London has been narrowed down to two or three locations, with an announcement due shortly. Speaking at last week's Farnborough Air Show, Do expressed confidence that the company will be successful in attracting major international investors for the proposed $280 million facility. Now dubbed the GreenSky project, Solena and its partner and customer British Airways are bullish that 16 million gallons of jet biofuel will be in annual production once the plant opens in 2014. Meanwhile, the airline and Rolls-Royce have invited fuel suppliers to take part in a test programme to evaluate a range of alternative jet fuels. Read more ...
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Alaska Airlines' Greener Skies project continues with new emissions and noise reduction demonstration flight
Fri 23 July 2010 - Alaska Airlines this week conducted an Optimized Profile Descent (OPD) test flight into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) that it claims reduced emissions by 35 percent compared to a conventional landing. Satellite-based Required Navigation Performance (RNP) guidance technology enabled the aircraft to fly more efficient landing procedures that not only reduced greenhouse gas emissions but also noise impacts for residents in the Puget Sound region. The flight was conducted as part of the Alaska Air Group's 'Greener Skies' project along with Boeing, the FAA and the Port of Seattle. The airline is seeking approval for the procedures that could in the future be used by all RNP-equipped aircraft using the airport. Read more ...
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UK Environment Agency awards IT contract to manage compliance requirements of the Aviation EU ETS
Fri 23 July 2010 – CDC Climat, a French provider of carbon market and climate change services and solutions, and UK-based IT company SFW have been awarded a contract by the Environment Agency of England and Wales (EA) to deliver a system that will enable the agency to manage the aircraft operators it is administering under the Aviation EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). The application is an electronic workflow and messaging system that will allow carbon emissions monitoring, permitting, reporting and benchmarking. The system is based on a common set of requirements agreed by a number of EU member states and will be the first of its kind across the EU ETS. It will initially be used by the EA for managing its aviation requirements but it is anticipated the system will be extended to other emitting sectors. Read more ...
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British business calls for a global cap-and-trade scheme to help limit carbon emissions from international aviation
Fri 23 July 2010 – The CBI, the UK’s leading business organization, says a global cap-and-trade system is the best way for the world’s aviation industry to meet its climate obligations. It calls on member states to start laying the groundwork for establishing such a scheme at the International Civil Aviation Organization’s triennial general assembly in late September. In a new report, ‘Green skies ahead, creating a low-carbon aviation industry’, the CBI also voices concern over the new British government’s proposals to change Air Passenger Duty to a per-plane duty which, it maintains, would be ineffective, damage competitiveness and deliver little or no environmental benefit. The British Air Transport Association (BATA), the trade body representing UK-registered airlines welcomed the report’s findings. Read more ...
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Canadian programme formed to undertake camelina-sourced biofuel test flight of a Bombardier turboprop
Fri 23 July 2010 – A six-partner consortium led by crop biotechnology company Targeted Growth Canada (TGC) is to undertake a test programme using biofuel sourced from camelina oil that will culminate in a demonstration flight of a Porter Airlines Bombardier Q400 twin-turboprop aircraft planned for early 2012. TGC, Bombardier Aerospace and Porter are joined on the programme by engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Canada, Sustainable Oils and Honeywell’s UOP. Funding for the project is being provided by the partners as well as by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), an arms-length, not-for-profit corporation created by the Canadian government, and Green Aviation Research & Development Network (GARDN). Read more ...
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UK climate advisers urge development support for aerospace industry if climate change goals are to be met
Wed 21 July 2010 - The UK Government's climate change advisers, the Climate Change Committee (CCC), states radical technologies such as blended wing aircraft and open rotor engines will be required to help meet the country's 2050 aviation emission reduction targets. As such, public funding support for the research, development and deployment (RD&D) of these technologies, in cooperation with international partners, will be necessary. The advice comes in a report published by the CCC, 'Building a low-carbon economy - the UK's innovation challenge'. The CCC also recommends the Government sets out a strategy to secure new international agreements limiting emissions from aviation. Read more ...
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Series of A380 transatlantic green flights planned as SESAR selects 18 AIRE 2 carbon reduction projects
Thu 15 July 2010 - The European SESAR Joint Undertaking (SJU) has selected 18 new projects to expand the Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to Reduce Emissions (AIRE) programme that supports flight trials and demonstrations to reduce aviation CO2 emissions from surface, terminal and oceanic flight operations. A highlight of the programme will be a series of green transatlantic flights with the Airbus A380 superjumbo involving Airbus, Air France, NATS (UK) and NAV Canada. Seven of the 18 proposals include green gate-to-gate projects, among others between France and the French West Indies. In total, some 40 partners will be involved in the 2010/11 AIRE, including 13 airlines, four airport authorities and 13 air navigation service providers (ANSPs), with the FAA and NAV Canada supporting some of the gate-to-gate projects. Read more ...
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Eurocontrol unveils Summer 2010 plan to cut flying distances and save carriers fuel and reduce emissions
Thu 15 July 2010 - Eurocontrol has released an implementation plan in time for the summer 2010 season that will lead to a reduction in flying distances for air carriers using European airspace of around 20,000 nautical miles each day by the end of the season. This will save carriers 40,000 tonnes of fuel and reduce CO2 emissions by 140,000 tonnes over a 12-month period. The plan includes 217 packages of airspace changes developed over the past year, each of which will contribute to an improved performance of European Air Traffic Management. Continuous upgrading of the route network and supporting sectorization in Europe is needed to meet the capacity and flight efficiency needs of air traffic and cater for the changing patterns of traffic flows. Read more ...
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British Airways, BAA and NATS produce the 'perfect' environmental flight from London to Edinburgh
Wed 14 July 2010 - British Airways, the UK's air navigation service provider NATS and BAA at London Heathrow and Edinburgh airports have joined together to operate what they describe as the UK's first 'perfect flight' last Saturday evening between the two cities. Every factor within the journey - from pushback from the stand, taxiing to an optimized flight profile and a continuous descent approach - was calibrated to achieve minimal emissions and delay. The Airbus A321 was also able to fly at its most fuel-efficient altitude for longer than usual. Read more ...
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Norwegian airports join carbon accreditation programme as they seek to improve environmental performance
Wed 14 July 2010 - Three Norwegian airports - Oslo Gardermoen, Trondheim Vaernes and Kristiansand Kjevik - have become the first in the country to join the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. The scheme, which comprises four levels, has the long-term goal of neutralizing emissions at participating airports and 19 airports from 11 European countries have so far qualified for accreditation. Olav Mosvold Larsen, Senior Environmental Adviser for Avinor, the operator of Norway's 46 airports, says the accreditation process is demanding and involves time-consuming work on documentation. "The initial move is somewhat limited but the goal, of course, is to include more airports in the programme," he adds. Read more ...
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Initiative formed to assess viability of creating a sustainable aviation biofuels industry in the Pacific Northwest
Tue 13 July 2010 - The Pacific Northwest could become a global hub for the development of aviation biofuels following the announcement of a strategic initiative by local aviation interests. Three airports - Seattle-Tacoma International, Spokane International and Portland International - as well as Alaska Airlines and Seattle-based Boeing, have agreed to fund a four-state regional assessment to look at biomass options and possible sources for creating renewable jet fuel. The six-month 'Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest' project will look at all phases of developing an aviation biofuels industry, including biomass production and harvest, refining, transport infrastructure and actual use by airlines. Camelina, grown on the Montana plains, has already been successfully trialled and shown to have promise as a viable, long-term aviation biofuel source. Read more ...
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Commission approves Eurocontrol fuel consumption tool to help small emitters comply with Aviation EU ETS
Tue 13 July 2010 - Help is at hand for small aircraft operators and those with few flights to Europe who are faced with the administrative burden of complying with the monitoring and reporting provisions required by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. The European Commission has adopted a Regulation approving the use of a free-of-charge Small Emitters Tool developed by Eurocontrol that enables eligible operators to model the fuel consumption of their flights rather than requiring them to measure actual consumption of each flight. Using a simple spreadsheet, the operator enters the route length and the aircraft type, and the tool calculates fuel consumption and carbon emissions based, says Eurocontrol, on "statistically robust" fuel consumption coefficients for the majority of common aircraft types, as well as widely recognized emission factors for all other aircraft. Read more ...
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Major UK airports commit to action plan to reduce emissions and noise from aircraft ground operations
Mon 12 July 2010 - A new initiative has been launched to reduce carbon emissions from aircraft ground operations and improve local air quality and noise at major airports in the UK. The Aircraft on the Ground CO2 Reduction (AGR) Programme has been developed by BAA, the UK's largest airport operator, through the Sustainable Aviation coalition. Guidelines and practical action steps for airports, airlines, air navigation service providers and ground handling companies have been drawn up to capture best practices to cut emissions from aircraft auxiliary power units (APUs) and taxiing operations. The programme was launched at the recent Environmental Conference held by the UK Airport Operators Association (AOA). Read more ...
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Concerns remain as new UK government holds up change from Air Passenger Duty to aircraft-based green tax
Fri 9 July 2010 - The new UK coalition government's backtrack on an initial commitment to change Air Passenger Duty (APD) to a greener per-plane duty (PPD) and instead initiate a consultation process has been largely welcomed by concerned aviation industry representatives but greeted with suspicion by environmentalists, who favour a switch. A number of airlines and airports remain alarmed that a PPD could have a detrimental impact on regional flights and airports. According to The Sunday Times, the proposed tax could also spark a diplomatic row with the United States, which voiced its opposition to similar plans mooted in 2008 by the previous UK government. Meanwhile, the UK's Transport Secretary has announced the setting up of a new group to consider how to make best use of existing airport capacity in the South-East since it scrapped on environmental grounds proposals for new London runways. Read more ...
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AFRA comes up with ambitious target to improve recyclability rate of the global end-of-service aircraft fleet
Fri 9 July 2010 - The aircraft recycling industry is targeting a 90 percent recyclability of the end-of-service global fleet by 2016, announced Boeing's Director for Airplane Environmental Performance, Jeanne Yu, at last week's annual meeting of the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA) in Las Vegas. AFRA members currently undertake the recycling of around 150 commercial aircraft a year, representing a third of aircraft scrapped around the world. However, more than 12,000 aircraft are expected to reach the end of their service life over the next 20 years as airlines upgrade their fleets to more fuel-efficient aircraft, providing both opportunities and challenges to the fledgling sector. Another target is to reduce the amount of aircraft manufacturing waste sent to landfills by 25 percent by 2012. Read more ...
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Perpetual fossil fuel-free flight nears reality as Solar Impulse completes first-ever solar powered night flight
Thu 8 July 2010 - The solar-powered Solar Impulse has made the longest and highest ever flight of its kind, touching down at its Payerne, Switzerland airfield base this morning after flying for more than 26 hours. Taking off early yesterday morning, the plane's 12,000 solar cells stored enough energy to keep it flying through the night before touching down at 9am local time this morning. It is an important milestone for an eventual transatlantic crossing and round-the-world flight on a second prototype to be built this summer. Solar power is unlikely to find its way into commercial airliner operations in the foreseeable future but as the project's founder Bertrand Piccard points out, the flight is a symbolic achievement on the path towards a carbon-free aviation industry. Read more ...
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Could the exhaust from jet engines provide wind power to generate free electricity for airports?
Wed 7 July 2010 - A US industrial designer believes he has come up with a novel concept that harnesses the jet exhaust from aircraft waiting to take off to create freely available wind-generated electrical power for airports. With around 35,000 jet aircraft taking off at over 900 commercial airports daily, Phoenix-based Richard Hales says there is an airliner taking flight every 90 seconds at hundreds of commercial airports throughout the United States. Hales' FreeWind generator units would be sited in the vicinity of blast fences positioned at almost all airports to defuse jet engine exhaust that can reach 300mph. Without the necessary financial and engineering resources of his own, he is looking for an investor so that a prototype can be constructed and tested in a real-life situation. Read more ...
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Small errors in emissions data monitoring could cost Aviation EU ETS operators over one million euros
Tue 6 July 2010 - Inaccuracies or errors in monitoring emissions data could lead to aircraft operators entering the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) paying more than they should for emissions and getting less than their entitlement in carbon credits, says ETS Aviation, a specialist in MRV software and support services. Even a small airline with a fleet of six aircraft emitting 150,000 tonnes of CO2 a year could lose up to one million euros ($1.25m) over the 2012-2020 reporting cycle for a one to two percent error in monitoring emissions data, calculates the company. Meanwhile, leading accredited EU ETS verifier CICS is warning that many operators still have much work to do to meet deadlines and has released a 'white paper' to provide a resource on verification issues. Read more ...
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FAA awards contracts to manufacturers to help accelerate pace of aircraft environmental performance improvements
Mon 5 July 2010 - Around $250 million will be spent over the next five years in a series of contracts awarded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help develop and demonstrate technologies to reduce commercial aircraft jet fuel consumption, emissions and noise. The contracts are part of the FAA's Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) programme and have been signed with Boeing and engine manufacturers GE Aviation, Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce North America. The goal of the programme is to achieve a reduction in fuel burn by 33 percent, a reduction in NOx emissions by 60 percent and a reduction in cumulative aircraft noise levels by 32 decibels through technologies that could be introduced into aircraft from 2015. Read more ...
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New Zealand airlines become the first in the world to operate under a mandatory national carbon ETS
Fri 2 July 2010 - The first major carbon emissions trading scheme to affect airlines started in New Zealand yesterday and is expected to add around three New Zealand cents (two US cents) to a litre of jet fuel. Unlike the European model, which starts in 2012, emissions obligations under the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) are accounted for 'upstream' so fuel suppliers bear the responsibility for compliance and they in turn pass the costs on to the user. However, a large fuel user, such as an airline, can voluntarily 'opt-in' to the scheme and take on the responsibilities for carbon emissions accounting. Of the three major airlines operating in the country - Air New Zealand, Jetstar and Pacific Blue - only the former has decided to shoulder the obligations and liabilities from the beginning. The scheme applies only to domestic air travel and jet fuel used on international flights is exempted. Read more ...
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Stockholm and Izmir airports joint winners of new eco award as Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme completes first year
Mon 28 June 2010 - Stockholm Arlanda and Turkey's Izmir Adnan Menderes International airports have been jointly presented with the inaugural Eco-Innovation Award at the ACI Europe Annual Congress. It was awarded by the independent Advisory Board of Airport Carbon Accreditation, a programme launched a year ago, and recognizes outstanding environmental performance and an innovative approach to environmental management. So far, 19 airports across Europe have achieved Airport Carbon Accredited status, although over 30 airports applied for accreditation when the industry initiative was launched a year ago. ACI Europe reports that reductions of over 400,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions have been saved during the first year as a result. Read more ...
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Greenhouse gas emissions down in 2009 but overall fuel efficiency fails to improve at American Airlines
Thu 24 June 2010 - Combined jet fuel related greenhouse gas emissions at American Airlines and its affiliate American Eagle fell by 7.1 percent in 2009 compared to 2008, reports the second annual Corporate Responsibility Report just published by parent company AMR. However, fuel efficiency across passenger and cargo operations expressed in metric tonnes of CO2e per 1,000 revenue ton miles (RTMs) decreased slightly last year. The amount of carbon emissions per RTM flown in 2009 increased from 1.80 CO2e per 1,000 RTMs to 1.82 CO2e per 1,000 RTMs, which is blamed on a heavy fall in cargo carried. On the positive side, American's Fuel Smart programme saved over 100 million gallons of fuel in 2009 through ongoing initiatives. Read more ...
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Portal launched to help businesses simply measure and offset carbon emissions of staff flights
Mon 21 June 2010 - A new automated carbon measurement and offsetting portal has been launched by Australia-based Climate Friendly that is designed to be a simple tool for businesses worldwide to manage and offset their staff flight emissions. Called FlightPortal, it is designed specifically to link the global corporate travel sector to the global clean energy sector, and is available from a network of the world's leading travel management companies. According to the company, thousands of tonnes of CO2 have already been offset through FlightPortal by clients supporting projects spanning wind, geothermal, sustainable biomass and micro hydro across Europe, Asia and the Pacific region. Customers include the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Macquarie Group and WWF. Read more ...
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Lufthansa Group's 50 new replacement aircraft contribute to 2009 overall fall in specific fuel consumption
Mon 21 June 2010 - Specific fuel consumption across the Lufthansa Group declined last year to 4.30 litres of kerosene per 100 passenger kilometres compared to 4.34 in 2008. The Group has set a target to reduce the specific fuel consumption, and therefore CO2 emissions, by 25 percent by 2020 compared to the 2006 level of 4.38. This will be helped by the largest fleet modernization programme so far undertaken in which a total of 146 new aircraft list priced at more than 13 billion euros are due to go into operation over the next six years. A further contribution is expected from the use of blended synthetic fuels, based on biomass, making up 5 to 10 percent of total fuel usage by 2020. Details of the Group's Strategic Environmental Program are contained its 2010 sustainability report, Balance, just published. Read more ...
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EADS undertakes first aircraft flight powered by algae-derived biofuel and signs Brazilian production venture
Thu 17 June 2010 - The first public flights of an aircraft with an engine fully powered by algae-derived biofuel took place last week during the ILA Air Show in Berlin. The demonstration flights of a twin-engined Diamond DA42 NG light aircraft was undertaken as part of an ongoing project led by EADS Innovation Works, the research and technology arm of European aerospace manufacturer EADS. Due to the higher energy content of the algae biofuel, with the flight tests involving one engine using 100 percent biofuel and the other conventional jet kerosene, showed that fuel consumption of the biofuel is 1.5 litres per hour lower, equivalent to fuel savings of 5-10 percent. During the air show, EADS, its helicopter division Eurocopter and Argentina-based Biocombustibles del Chubut, which supplied the algae biofuel for the flights, signed a cooperative agreement to evaluate the creation of an aviation biofuel production facility in Brazil. Read more ...
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Coalition of US environmental NGOs files suit against EPA over failure to regulate aircraft emissions
Tue 15 June 2010 - A coalition of US environmental groups has filed a lawsuit challenging a perceived failure by the US Environmental Protection Agency to address pollution from aircraft, ocean-going ships and non-road vehicles and engines. The move came a day after the US Senate voted to uphold the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. The lawsuit was filed in the federal district court in the District of Columbia by Earthjustice and the Western Environmental Law Center on behalf of Oceana, Friends of the Earth, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Center for Food Safety and the International Center for Technology Assessment. Read more ...
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Airline industry's first-ever carbon footprint assessment carried out on North American regional carriers
Mon 14 June 2010 - Sustainability measurement and environmental risk management company EQ2 has conducted the first-ever airline industry carbon and environmental footprint assessment in conjunction with the Regional Airline Association (RAA). Using EQ2's web-based Evolution sustainability management system, seven participating RAA members, representing 52 percent of the US regional fleet, collected data on their fuel, electricity, water usage and waste generation. A report was submitted to the RAA Environmental Committee Meeting held during the recent RAA Annual Convention that is aimed at helping airline members gain a direct insight into issues they face and provide an understanding on how they can improve their environmental performance. Read more ...
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Finnair becomes first to order fuel and emissions saving Sharklet-fitted extended-range Airbus A321
Mon 14 June 2010 - Finnair has said it will order five new Airbus A321ER aircraft fitted with the Airbus-designed Sharklet wingtips to replace Boeing 757 aircraft used on leisure flights. With a range of 5,000 kilometres, the extended-range narrowbody aircraft will be capable of direct flights from, for example, Finland to the Canary Islands. The Sharklet devices are designed to enhance the eco-efficiency and payload range performance of the A320 Family, with an expected 3.5 percent reduction in fuel burn over longer sectors. This corresponds to an annual CO2 reduction of around 700 tonnes per aircraft, although Finnair is looking for savings closer to 4 percent. Last November, Air New Zealand became the launch customer for the Sharklets when it takes delivery of new A320 aircraft around the end of 2012. Read more ...
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NASA seeks proposals for research studies into green aircraft concepts that can halve carbon emissions
Fri 11 June 2010 - NASA is soliciting proposals for studies designed to identify advanced concepts that will enable commercial airliners to fly more economically, quieter and cleaner by 2025. Concepts must incorporate technologies enabling large, twin-aisle passenger aircraft to achieve ambitious environmental goals that include 50 percent less fuel consumption and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions compared with today's airliners and around 80 percent reduction in the nuisance noise footprint around airports. The total value of the research contracts is $36.6 million, with proposals due by July 15. Read more ...
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IATA says airlines will have to invest $1.3 trillion in new aircraft to meet fuel efficiency targets
Fri 11 June 2010 - IATA says airlines will collectively have to save an additional 728 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over the next 10 years if the industry is to make its 1.5 percent annual fuel efficiency improvement target by 2020. This is predicated, says IATA's Director of Aviation Environment, Paul Steele, on airlines spending $1.3 trillion on purchasing 12,000 new, more fuel-efficient aircraft. IATA foresees passenger numbers reaching 16 billion by 2050 compared to just over two billion now but remains committed to halving the industry's net aviation emissions by the same time. To monitor progress against the goals, the IATA Board at its AGM in Berlin this week agreed to mandate all member airlines to annually report on fuel consumption and carbon offsetting activities. Read more ...
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Lufthansa CEO calls for Aviation EU ETS to be postponed for a year because of ash cloud distortions
Thu 10 June 2010 - Speaking to journalists at the IATA AGM in Berlin this week, Lufthansa CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber called for the postponement of the Aviation EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), due to start in 2012, for a year because of the market distortions caused by the grounding of aircraft due to the volcanic ash cloud in April. As the main impact was felt in Northern Europe and Scandinavia, airlines in these regions would be adversely affected in the allocation of free emissions permits as 2010 is the benchmarking year for the calculation. The Association of European Airlines has reacted angrily to European Commission suggestions that the effect would be very small. Meanwhile, Chinese airlines have joined their US counterparts in attacking the inclusion of international airlines into the EU ETS. Read more ...
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German air passenger departure tax linked to environmental performance draws airline protests
Wed 9 June 2010 - The German government is to introduce a departure tax on all passengers departing German airports until the introduction of airlines into the Aviation EU Emissions Trading Scheme in 2012. The tax is aimed at raising 1 billion euros ($1.2bn) annually and although details are still to be released it is expected to add around 8-16 euros per ticket. In a statement, the government said the tax would be based on factors such as the flight's noise level and fuel consumption. IATA branded the tax a "cash grab" and inappropriate at a time of economic hardship for European airlines. Lufthansa CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber said the tax raised would exceed the total annual collective earnings of all German airlines. Read more ...
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United Airlines marks World Environment Day with 'Green Corridor' transatlantic flights
Fri 4 June 2010 - United Airlines is to operate a return transatlantic between Frankfurt and Chicago tomorrow (June 5) which will use state-of-the-art flight planning to reduce the carbon emissions of the flights by around three percent compared to normal operations on the route. The commercial flights, using a Boeing 777, will coincide with the United Nations-designated World Environment Day. The airline expects to save nearly 2,900kg of fuel and around 9,000kg of CO2 emissions on what it describes as the 'Green Corridor' demonstration flights. United will use a flight planning system to compute optimum routing, altitudes and speeds based on winds and aircraft performance capabilities, as well as fuel-saving measures on the ground. Read more ...
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More ambitious carbon targets and further consideration of economic measures highlighted at ICAO Colloquium
Thu 3 June 2010 - Early action, more ambitious goals on reducing international aviation CO2 emissions, help for developing countries and a global framework on market-based measures were called for at the recent ICAO Colloquium on Aviation and Climate Change held in Montreal. The triennial conference was held as ICAO prepares for its 37th Assembly at the end of September and is actively seeking consensus on key issues to put before Member States ahead of the COP-16 climate talks in December. A raft of presentations from States, industry, scientists and financial institutions covering mitigation and adaptation, aviation biofuels, financing and economic measures were heard over the three days. ICAO Council President Roberto Kobeh González told delegates that only through consensus building and global cooperation could international aviation be environmentally sustainable. Read more ...
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Etihad Airways extends partnership with Masdar in carbon credit purchasing for offset programme
Tue 1 June 2010 - Etihad Airways has signed a service agreement with Masdar, the Abu Dhabi multi-billion dollar renewable and future energy initiative, to purchase carbon credits for the airline's voluntary offset programme. Masdar's carbon management team will help in sourcing and retiring high-quality carbon credits from projects such as alternative energy programmes and energy efficiency projects. Details of the airline's offset programme are still to be decided but initially it is likely only to include staff travel, although Etihad is considering the introduction of a passenger carbon offset scheme at a future date. Read more ...
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Boeing announces major initiatives to develop, commercialize and fly sustainable jet biofuels in China
Fri 28 May 2010 - Boeing and PetroChina, China's largest oil and gas producer, have signed an agreement to evaluate establishing a sustainable aviation biofuels industry in the country. The US aircraft manufacturer says the strategic assessment is the first such effort in China and will study the environmental and socio-economic benefits of developing sustainable alternatives to fossil-based jet fuels. Another Chinese initiative by Boeing that is researching algae-based aviation biofuels has been expanded to include other research institutions and aviation supply chain entities. Also announced, a biofuel test flight will be conducted by Air China using sustainable biofuel derived from biomass grown and processed in China. Read more ...
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US airline EU ETS case against the UK to be referred to European court as NGO coalition joins action
Fri 28 May 2010 - A judicial review held yesterday at the High Court in London agreed an application by the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) to challenge the legal validity of its airline members be included unilaterally in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). The action was brought against the UK's Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and both sides' request for the case be referred to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg was granted. The court also granted permission for a transatlantic coalition of environmental groups to join the action. Similar applications by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the National Airlines Council of Canada to intervene were also granted although as a combined brief. Read more ...
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PARTNER publishes first comprehensive study into comparing life-cycle GHG emissions of aviation alternative fuels
Thu 27 May 2010 - The first-ever study into a comparison of the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a range of alternative aviation fuels has been published by the Partnership for AiR Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction (PARTNER), based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The work uses consistent methodologies to facilitate equitable comparisons, with a range of life-cycle GHG emissions provided for each feedstock. Importantly, it provides an examination of emissions from land use change, a current issue of concern. The range of drop-in fuels studied cover Fischer-Tropsch fuels as well Hydrotreated Renewable Jet fuels such as from jatropha, although camelina, which has already been used on test flights, will be analyzed only in a future study. The report was sponsored by the FAA. Read more ...
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Boeing reviews its overall environmental performance to reduce emissions and waste in new report
Wed 26 May 2010 - Boeing has reported that it has managed to reduce overall CO2 emissions at its major US manufacturing facilities by 31 percent on a revenue-adjusted basis since 2002. Boeing is now stepping up pressure on its suppliers to meet environmental standards. New contracting provisions will be introduced later this year that will establish suppliers' environmental initiatives as a key factor in doing business with the plane maker. This and a range of numerous other activities Boeing is undertaking to reduce its environmental impact are detailed in its 2010 Environmental Report published last week. Read more ...
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US climate bill is a "blunt and inappropriate instrument" that would cost airlines $5bn a year, says ATA
Tue 25 May 2010 - The American Power Act proposed by US senators Kerry and Lieberman represented the "wrong approach for aviation," said Nancy Young, Vice President Environment of the Air Transport Association of America (ATA). She estimated the cost to airlines and their passengers in 2013, should the bill be passed, would be around $5 billion, based on a predicted carbon price of $25 per tonne. However, she accepted there were some positive aspects in the draft bill, notably an exemption for bio-derived fuels and recognition that aviation greenhouse gas emissions should be addressed internationally. Meanwhile, Young revealed the action brought by the ATA and three US airlines against their inclusion in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme is due to be heard in the UK High Court on May 27. Read more ...
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Airline group working to develop sustainable jet biofuels pledges renewed support for standards process
Mon 24 May 2010 - The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG) has pledged continuing support to the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB), the Swiss-based body that is seeking to develop internationally approved standards in biofuel sustainability. The RSB has been hit by the recent resignations of two top biofuel trade organizations, the European Bioethanol Fuel Association (eBIO) and the European Biodiesel Board. In an open letter to the RSB Secretariat, SAFUG members said the RSB effort was pivotal in enabling the development of global and regional aviation fuel markets, and important for the future of the aviation industry. Read more ...
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Amsterdam Schiphol launches new knowledge centre to develop innovative sustainable solutions
Mon 24 May 2010 - Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has inaugurated a dedicated state-of-the-art facility, called theGROUNDS, to develop innovative applications for making the airport more environmentally sustainable. The first partners to participate in the initiative include TU Delft, Wageningen University & Research Centre, Imtech and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO). Initial projects to be developed by the partners include sustainable energy, water and mobility solutions, and Schiphol is also seeking to further develop a microalgae pilot project at the facility. The airport is aiming for its ground operations to become carbon neutral by 2012. Read more ...
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MIT unveils two new radical airplane designs that could reduce fuel and emissions by up to 70 percent
Fri 21 May 2010 - In what could set the stage for a fundamental shift in commercial aviation, a research team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has unveiled two radical green airplanes that are estimated to use up to 70 percent less fuel than current planes while also reducing noise and emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx), reports Morgan Bettex. The researchers have come up with a 737-type replacement called the 'double bubble' and a longer range 'hybrid wing body' version. The team presented the designs to NASA last month as part of a $2.1 million research contract to develop environmental and performance concepts that will help guide the agency’s aeronautics research over the next 25 years. Read more ...
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JAL achieves Eco-First recognition and pledges a 23 percent improvement in fuel efficiency
Fri 21 May 2010 - Japan's Ministry of the Environment has presented Japan Airlines Group (JAL) with its Eco-First award in recognition of the airline's various environmental conservation initiatives. The Eco-First programme was established in 2008 to encourage environmental preservation activities by companies in compliance with the Kyoto Protocol. During the past year, JAL has been involved with trialling new advanced flight operational measures and earlier last year conducted Asia's first sustainable jet biofuel flight. JAL has also made an Eco-First Pledge in which it resolves to achieve a 23 percent reduction in CO2 emissions per revenue-tonne-kilometre (RTK) in 2020 compared with levels in 2005. Read more ...
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Brazilian industry and airlines form alliance to develop sustainable aviation biofuels
Thu 20 May 2010 - Following a recent meeting in Sao Paulo, ten organizations have agreed to form the Brazilian Alliance for Aviation Biofuels (ABRABA). They include four airlines - Azul Brazilian Airlines, GOL, TAM and TRIP - as well as aircraft manufacturer Embraer and the Brazilian Aerospace Industry Association (AIAB). Representing the biofuels industry are producers and developers of biomass sources such as jatropha, sugarcane and algae. The alliance follows an announcement by TAM that the airline will carry out Latin America's first commercial aircraft biofuel flight during the second half of 2010 using a 50/50 blend of jatropha and conventional jet fuel. Azul, meanwhile, has scheduled a sugarcane-derived jet biofuel demonstration flight in 2012. Read more ...
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Growth in GHG emissions from European domestic flights far outstrips transportation sector as a whole
Thu 6 May 2010 - According to a report just published by the European Environment Agency (EEA), greenhouse gas emissions from domestic civil aviation across the 32 EEA member countries rose from 19.19 million tonnes in 1990 to 29.65 million tonnes in 2007, an increase of 54 percent. Emissions from the European transportation sector as a whole, excluding those from international aviation and shipping, increased by 28 percent over the same period. However, the EEA notes a recent slow-down in the growth of aviation emissions, which looks set to continue in the short term, it forecasts. Meanwhile, CO2 emissions from jet fuel consumption in the US fell by over 9 percent in 2009 to the lowest since 1987, suggests latest data from the US Energy Information Administration. Read more ...
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Brazilian airline TAM to conduct nationally-sourced jatropha jet biofuel demonstration flight
Wed 5 May 2010 - TAM has announced it will carry out a demonstration flight during the second half of 2010 using a 50/50 blend of jatropha and conventional jet fuel onboard a CFM-powered Airbus A320 belonging to the airline. This will be Latin America's first commercial aircraft biofuel flight and the jatropha has already been sourced from family agricultural projects and large farms in various parts of Brazil. TAM says the cultivation and harvesting of the jatropha seeds have complied with the non-competing with potable water and food production principles of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG), which it joined last November. Read more ...
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ETS Aviation's carbon footprinting software to be integrated into pilots' electronic flight bags
Wed 5 May 2010 - ETS Aviation, which specializes in aviation emissions Monitoring, Reporting and Verification software systems and support services, has signed an agreement with Canadian electronic flight bag company On-Board Data Systems (OBDS) that will provide pilots with a simple, on-board emissions reporting and carbon footprinting application. ETS Aviation was established in response to the introduction of the Aviation EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and has developed what it claims is the world's first online aviation emissions monitoring and reporting system, called Aviation Footprinter. Read more ...
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British Airways introduces cabin differential into its passenger carbon offset scheme
Wed 5 May 2010 - British Airways has this week introduced a new feature to its passenger carbon offset scheme in which customers will be able to offset their carbon emissions based not only on the distance flown but also by the cabin they fly in. This means customers travelling in premium cabins, who have more space on the aircraft, will pay more than was previously calculated, whilst those in economy class will pay less. The new offset facility applies to all bookings made through ba.com. The airline says passengers have contributed over $2.4 million since the scheme was re-launched in January 2008.
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Schiphol office building awarded BREEAM international sustainability construction certificate
Tue 4 May 2010 - The Dutch Green Building Council has awarded Schiphol Group, operator of Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, the first BREEAM-NL certificate for its sustainable construction of the new TransPort office building at Schiphol-East. Rated as 'Very Good', this is the first time the certificate has been awarded for a Dutch building. BREEAM is the quality mark that assesses the sustainability of buildings around the world on aspects such as energy, ecology, transport, materials and health. This summer the building will be assessed for its eligibility for LEED certification. Read more ...
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United Airlines conducts first US commercial flight using natural gas-derived synthetic jet fuel blend
Tue 4 May 2010 - United Airlines, now the world's largest airline following its merger with Continental Airlines, completed an engineering validation flight last Friday (Apr 30) using a synthetic fuel blended 40/60 with conventional Jet A fuel in one of the two engines on an Airbus A319 aircraft. This is the first commercial flight to take place in the US using a synthetic jet fuel, which were certified for commercial use in blends up to 50/50 by technical standards organization ASTM International in 2009. The natural gas-derived fuel was supplied by Los Angeles-based Rentech and the results of the performance and environmental analysis are expected Read more ...
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A shortage of verification bodies presents Aviation EU ETS aircraft operators with a major challenge
Fri 30 Apr 2010 - With the monitoring and collecting of data now underway, aircraft operators included in the Aviation EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) face yet another and imminent hurdle, says Paris-based VerifAvia. The CO2 emissions and tonne-kilometre data has to be verified by an independent accredited verification body before submission to the relevant administering Competent Authority by March 31 of each year, beginning in 2011. However, according to VerifAvia CEO Julien Dufour, with over 2,000 aircraft operators worldwide included in the scheme, only a handful of declared verifiers are so far in place and the aviation industry risks a shortage in the lead-up to the deadline. Read more ...
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Ash cloud's aviation CO2 silver lining has implications for airline EU ETS emissions allowances
Mon 26 Apr 2010 - Whilst the Iceland volcano ash cloud has cost the airlines $1.7 billion, according to IATA, around 1.67 million tonnes of CO2 emissions were saved by the grounding of scheduled flights within Europe, estimates consultants RDC Aviation. Figures from Eurocontrol show that between Thursday 15 April to the following Thursday, 22 April, 114,671 flights operated within European airspace compared to 188,514 in the previous week, with the agency estimating a higher overall saving of 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. However, the loss of the emissions will not be entirely welcomed by a number of airlines as 2010 is the benchmarking year for aircraft operators entering the Aviation EU Emissions Trading Scheme and airlines most affected by the ash cloud groundings could lose out in their allocation of free emissions allowances. Read more ...
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JetBlue marks Earth Day by encouraging staff and customers to do 'One Thing That’s Green'
Fri 23 Apr 2010 - To mark Earth Day yesterday, New York-based JetBlue Airways has launched a campaign to encourage customers, crew members and communities across its network to join in pledging to do 'One Thing That's Green'. For its part, the low-cost carrier is to donate one tree for each if its 12,000 crew members through its carbon offset partner Carbonfund.org. Through until July 9, customers can enter a sweepstake for the chance of winning a variety of eco-friendly prizes. The airline created its 'Jetting to Green' initiative in 2008 to encourage environmentally practices through education and volunteerism, and has recently formed the 'JetBlue Green Team' within the airline to develop future green metrics. Read more ...
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Climate change effects on weather poses real threat to aviation safety, say European states
Thu 22 Apr 2010 - Although much emphasis has been placed on the impact that commercial aviation has on the environment, less attention has been given to the impact that climate change may have on aviation safety. This is the view of a paper presented at the recent ICAO High-Level Safety Conference by member states of the EU, member states of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) and Eurocontrol. Weather has been a hazard since aviators first took to the air, says the paper, but in the future there is likely to be more frequent hostile weather that will present a challenge to aviation safety. The paper announces an international conference is to take place in Germany in September under the auspices of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to raise awareness of the issue. Read more ...
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Seattle-Tacoma International steps up recycling efforts with airlines to reduce landfill waste
Thu 22 Apr 2010 - A new off-aircraft centralized recycling system has started operating at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport that is aimed at reducing waste sent to landfills, improve ramp safety, decrease air emissions and save more than $250,000 each year. Six pairs of large capacity compactors have been installed at convenient locations for all airlines serving the airport to access. Computer monitoring provides alerts when they are full, thus reducing the amount of pick-up trips by 75 percent. The new programme includes financial incentives encouraging airlines to recycle. The Port of Seattle, which is responsible for the shipping port as well as the airport, has just published its annual environmental report for 2009-2010. Read more ...
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Berlin’s new Brandenburg International Airport to host world's first carbon-neutral filling station
Tue 20 Apr 2010 - A public filling station is to be constructed at the future Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BBI) that is claimed will be the world's first CO2-neutral filling station. This is to be achieved through the building of a wind farm in the vicinity of the airport site, which will provide emissions-free power supply for the station itself and hydrogen fuel for vehicles, as well as generate enough power to offset the indirect CO2 emissions of conventional fuels sold at the station. It is an initiative of Berlin Airports, ENERTRAG and TOTAL, and the station is expected to enter service in October 2011, coinciding with the planned start of operations at BBI. Read more ...
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Two main UK political parties pledge to replace environmental passenger duty with per-plane tax
Wed 14 Apr 2010 - Ahead of a UK general election on May 6, the two main opposition parties have said they will replace Air Passenger Duty (APD) - a revenue-raising tax with 'green signals' - with a per-plane tax. The change had been previously mooted by the present Government in a 2008 consultation but was eventually rejected. In its manifesto, the opposition Conservative Party said it would "reform APD to encourage a switch to fuller and cleaner planes". The Liberal Democrats' manifesto calls for the introduction of a higher rate of per plane duty for domestic flights "for which alternative and less polluting travel is readily available" and plans to raise £3 billion ($4.6bn) per year from the tax. Both parties have repeated a commitment to reject plans for additional runways at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. Read more ...
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Bombardier and GECAS join the growing list of accredited environmental aircraft fleet recyclers
Tue 13 Apr 2010 - Although great importance is attached to focusing on the environmental benefits of new aircraft, around 6,000 older types are expected to reach their end-of-life in the next 20 years. According to the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA), the disposal of these aircraft is a major problem and many companies have now launched environmental programmes to address it. Founded in 2005 by 11 organizations committed to drive the aircraft industry towards solutions for the safe and environmentally most responsible way of managing end-of-life aircraft, AFRA now encompasses 42 members from 10 countries. Aircraft manufacturer Bombardier and GE Capital Aviation Services are the latest to be awarded AFRA accreditation for their dismantling operations. Read more ...
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Air France and American Airlines fly first transatlantic green flights in next-generation trials
Fri 9 Apr 2010 - A scheduled Air France Boeing 747-400ER undertook the first gate-to-gate transatlantic 'green' flight from Paris to Miami on Tuesday (Apr 6) to demonstrate procedures and technologies optimized to deliver reductions in noise and emissions levels. It was followed on the same route 24 hours later by a scheduled American Airlines Boeing 767-300. The two flights were conducted under the US-EU Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to Reduce Emissions (AIRE). Air France said its flight saved two to three tonnes of jet fuel and cut CO2 emissions by six to nine tonnes. During the departure and arrival phases, the airline said the procedures used helped minimize noise levels by up to 7dB. Read more ...
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Finnair expects operational gains and fleet renewal to achieve a 41 percent emissions fall
Fri 9 Apr 2010 - Finnair has committed to increasing the pace of reducing its emissions per seat-kilometre over the next eight years, according to its recently published annual Corporate Responsibility Report. Between 1999 and 2009, the airline's CO2 emissions per seat have declined by 22 percent but through operational practices and fleet renewal it intends to reduce emissions by 24 percent between 2009 and 2017. This represents an anticipated overall 41 percent fall in 2017 compared to 1999. In an article within the report, Seppo Laine, Professor Emeritus of Aviation Technology at the Helsinki University of Technology, controversially claims recent research shows the climate warming effects caused by aviation have been overstated. Read more ...
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Solar Impulse takes off on maiden flight in a first step of an eventual solar-powered world journey
Thu 8 Apr 2010 - Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard and his team successfully completed the maiden flight of their Solar Impulse aircraft in Payerne, Switzerland yesterday. The test flight lasted nearly 90 minutes, with the aircraft reaching an altitude of 1,200 metres. Although reported not to have been connected for this initial flight, the aircraft has almost 12,000 solar cells integrated into its massive wings - the length of a large commercial airliner - which feed energy to the four electric motors, each with a maximum power of just 10 HP. Solar-powered aircraft are unlikely to ever see commercial passenger use but Piccard says the aircraft is intended to demonstrate the importance of converting aviation to renewable energies. Read more ...
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UK airport to plant its own willow farm to produce biofuel for terminal building biomass boiler
Thu 8 Apr 2010 - The UK's East Midlands Airport is to establish a 26-hectare willow farm on its land to produce biofuel to power a biomass boiler, which will be situated in the terminal building. The farm is to be located north of the runway on land owned by the airport and is planned to be fully planted by 2013. Cuttings will be planted in three phases to ensure a continual crop of willow. The willow farm is expected to produce around 280 tonnes of wood fuel annually, which in turn will save 350 tonnes of CO2 emissions, says the airport. Read more ...
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First flight takes place of an aircraft solely powered by jet biofuel blend derived from plant biomass
Thu 8 Apr 2010 - The US Air Force has carried out the first-ever feasibility flight powered solely by a blended hydrotreated renewable jet fuel. The twin-engined A-10C Thunderbolt used a 50/50 blend of conventional military JP-8 jet fuel and a biofuel derived from camelina. A recent report projects that one billion gallons of camelina biofuel could be available to the aviation and biodiesel sectors by 2025. Meanwhile, camelina producer and supplier Great Plains has entered an into agreement with Accelergy to blend camelina oil with coal to create a jet biofuel in a process it claims to be 20 percent lower in CO2 emissions. Read more ...
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Lufthansa Consulting teams with First Climate to provide aviation clients with carbon trading services
Tue 30 Mar 2010 - Lufthansa Consulting has entered into a partnership agreement with Frankfurt-based carbon asset management company First Climate to offer clients entering the Aviation EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) carbon trading solutions and strategies. Lufthansa Consulting is already providing support to aviation clients regarding their compliance obligations under the scheme along with associated risk management. Assuring an operator's portfolio contains sufficient certificates to cover its carbon emissions will become an increasingly important issue and First Climate will provide support and optimize activities on the carbon market. Read more ...
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NAV CANADA wins major environment award for deployment of fuel and emissions saving ATC technology
Fri 26 Mar 2010 - Canada's air navigation service provider, NAV CANADA, has been named winner of the Environment Award at the recent 2010 ATC Global Exhibition and Conference in Amsterdam. Deployment of Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) technology over Hudson Bay is expected to save airlines around $195 million in fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 547,000 tonnes between 2009 and 2016. With the ADS-B surveillance, NAV CANADA can now employ 5-mile separation standards rather than the 80 miles that was previously used, allowing aircraft to fly shorter routes and at more efficient altitudes. Read more ...
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British Airways calls for carbon revenues to be used to help scale up the development of aviation biofuels
Thu 25 Mar 2010 - Carbon pricing is critical to the business case for aviation biofuels as airlines join schemes such as the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS said British Airways' Head of Environment Jonathon Counsell at last week's World Biofuels Markets. He said the recently announced plans to build a waste biomass to jet fuel plant in London had been driven by an economic imperative based around the price of carbon and local environmental landfill taxes. Sourcing capital from airlines to help develop aviation biofuel projects was not an option, but he believed governments who earned revenues from the auctioning of carbon emission permits from airlines should use some of the money to fund low-carbon aviation technologies such as biofuels. Read more ...
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Regional airline associations call on ICAO member states to press for a global sectoral approach to climate change
Tue 23 Mar 2010 (updated 25 Mar) - Regional airline associations from around the world have urged the member states of ICAO to agree a global framework for aviation that can be put forward to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP 16 meeting in December. The associations - representing airlines from Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, as well as Europe and North America - reaffirmed their commitment to a global sectoral approach based on the short, medium and long term emissions reduction targets drawn up by the industry last year. The call coincides with a meeting starting Thursday in Montreal of an informal group of representatives from member states, with added observer representation from the industry and NGO lobbies, which will consider the climate issue ahead of the ICAO General Assembly in September. Read more ...
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Jet biofuel blends on course for certification within 12 months as testing concludes and research report issued
Mon 22 Mar 2010 - Aircraft and engine manufacturers have reported that after successful air and ground fit-for-purpose testing, jet biofuels blended 50/50 with conventional jet kerosene are likely to be certified for commercial airline use before the end of 2010, or early next year at the latest. A key ASTM research report compiled by Boeing, UOP and the US Air Force was sent earlier this month to the FAA, Airbus and engine manufacturers for review and comment. The report marks a final stage in the ASTM D4054 certification process before reaching the ASTM ballot and review procedure and the final fuel specification. Approval of biofuel blends is seen as a major hurdle to overcome in the commercialization and scaling up of aviation biofuel production. Read more ...
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US airlines and military form strategic alliance to leverage growth and commercialization of alternative aviation fuels
Fri 19 Mar 2010 - The Air Transport Association of America (ATA) and the US Defense Logistics Agency's Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) today signed an agreement to advance the development and deployment of commercially viable, environmentally friendly, alternative aviation fuels. The partners will aim to leverage their collective purchasing power to encourage suppliers to bring commercial aviation alternative fuels into the market place. Collaborative teams composed of ATA and DESC representatives will be formed to focus on three areas: Environment, Deployment and Logistics, and Contracting and Finance. Read more ...
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Flight trials to reduce environmental impact must quickly transform to everyday operations, says SESAR chief
Mon 15 Mar 2010 - Change through technology will be gradual but for the benefit of the environment and the aviation industry, there was a need for "quick wins", says Patrick Ky, Executive Director of SESAR, Europe's air traffic modernization programme. Speaking at the ATC Global conference last week, he said the target to reduce the environmental impact per flight by 10 percent was ambitious but attainable, and a 2 percent reduction could be reached without any major technological investment. Ky was speaking during a presentation of the achievements of over 1,000 commercial flight trials carried out in Europe in 2009 under the Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to Reduce Emissions (AIRE) European/US FAA partnership. Read more ...
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Transport minister pledges UK will work within ICAO to develop a global framework for market-based measures
Mon 15 Mar 2010 - Despite aviation's huge social and economic contribution to modern life, its greenhouse gas emissions cannot be left to grow unabated, said Paul Clark MP, the UK's Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, at an aviation and shipping seminar last week. He said if no action was taken, and if all other sectors abate as required in order to meet the 2-degree climate target, then by 2050 aviation and shipping emissions could rise to as much as 20 percent of total global emissions. This underpinned the UK's approach to last December's Copenhagen climate change conference, he said, in pressing hard for a global deal that included emissions from international aviation and shipping. Speaking at the same event, the Tyndall Centre's Professor Kevin Anderson warned that only the most radical transport policies delivered within the next decade would help avoid catastrophic climate change. Read more ...
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Airbus A380 to fly the flag for the UN's International Year of Biodiversity 2010
Thu 11 Mar 2010 - Airplane manufacturer Airbus is marking the International Year of Biodiversity by featuring the official logo on its A380 superjumbo aircraft during 2010. Airbus, in partnership with National Geographic magazine, pledged its support in June 2009 for the UN Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) Green Wave initiative, which is designed to educate young people about life on Earth, the importance of biodiversity, its role in their future and the steps they can take to nurture the nature around them. The United Nations General Assembly has designated 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity to bring greater global attention to the continued loss of biodiversity. Read more ...
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Boeing and Japan's IHI to research environmental fuel cell technology to supply onboard electrical power
Wed 10 Mar 2010 - Japanese aero engine manufacturer IHI and Boeing are to jointly carry out research into regenerative fuel cell technology to provide electrical power for airplanes. They will explore the application of regenerative fuel cells, which work much like rechargeable batteries, to power certain airplane electrical systems independently of engine-driven generators, thus reducing the load of the aircraft's onboard electrical supply and allowing for smaller, lighter power generation systems. This in turn could potentially reduce weight, fuel burn and CO2 emissions. There is a further environmental benefit as the only by-product of regenerative fuel cells is water. Read more ...
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Blended winglet manufacturer Aviation Partners claims technology has now saved two billion gallons of fuel
Fri 5 Mar 2010 - Seattle-based Aviation Partners Boeing has calculated that today marks the achieving of the two billionth gallon of jet fuel saved by its blended winglet technology, valued at over $4 billion and representing a global reduction of 21.5 million tons of CO2 emissions. The company, a joint venture between Aviation Partners and Boeing, says its winglets are now fitted on more than 3,700 aircraft and 21 different airline and business jet aircraft models, at a rate of over 400 aircraft per year. The technology - which makes the aircraft's wing more efficient by reducing drag and increasing lift - is available for both new production aircraft as well as existing airplanes and the company has so far retrofitted around 2,000 in-service aircraft. Read more ...
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New fuel and emissions savings procedure introduced for A380 superjumbo departures from Heathrow
Thu 4 Mar 2010 - London's Heathrow Airport, Airbus, Singapore Airlines and the UK’s air traffic control services provider NATS have developed a new airline procedure in which Airbus A380 aircraft departing from Heathrow will use less power when taking off. It will, they claim, save around 300kg of fuel per flight, equating to one tonne of CO2 emissions, as well as reducing NOx emissions and remaining within the airport's noise limits. The four partners have worked on the procedure over the last year and it has now been put into place. Heathrow estimates that by 2020 one in ten flights at the airport could be operated by the superjumbo. Read more ...
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New 1.6 MW solar system at Denver International now fully powers fuel farm's electricity needs
Wed 3 Mar 2010 - A second large-scale solar power system at Denver International Airport (DIA) has come into operation and will power the airport's fuel storage and distribution facility, supplying nearly all the required electricity consumption. The 1.6 MW photovoltaic system, sited on nine acres (3.6ha) north of the airfield, comprises around 7,400 Sharp solar panels and was commissioned following the success of a 2 MW solar power array inaugurated in August 2008. DIA will buy electricity generated by the system at a rate equal to 90 percent charged by the local utility Xcel Energy. Read more ...
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IATA enters legal case brought by ATA and three US airlines against the UK over the Aviation EU ETS
Mon 1 Mar 2010 - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has filed an amicus brief in London ahead of the hearing expected this month into the case brought by the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) and three major US airlines - American, Continental and United - over the aviation EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). An amicus brief is a document which is filed by someone, such as an advocacy group, who is not directly related to the case under consideration but is intended to be useful for evaluation by the judge. IATA says it wishes to express to the court its own deep concerns of the scheme. Meanwhile, the UK Government's consultation over transposing the second and final phase of the EU directive into law ends this coming Friday, March 5. Read more ...
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Qantas gives green light to energy efficient tri-generation power plants at three Sydney facilities
Fri 26 Feb 2010 - Two power plants will be constructed by energy company GridX to serve Qantas' Sydney Jet Base, catering centre and domestic terminal, representing the largest commercial tri-generation - cooling, heating and electricity - project so far undertaken in Australia. By capturing heat that would otherwise be lost, tri-generation can achieve, through the use of natural gas, energy efficiencies of around 80 percent compared with an average of 35 percent for a conventional supply of energy from the coal-powered grid. The airline says it is part of a sustainability package that was fundamental to its long-term business strategy. Read more ...
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CO2 emissions from scheduled airline flights within the scope of the Aviation EU ETS fell by around 7 percent in 2009
Wed 24 Feb 2010 - Data compiled by consultants RDC Aviation show that CO2 emissions from flights by scheduled airlines that fall within the scope of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) fell by 6.85 percent in 2009 compared to the previous year. All but five of the top 30 airlines with the highest CO2 outputs showed a decline in emissions, with Lufthansa overtaking British Airways as Europe's highest airline emitter of aviation CO2. As would be expected, CO2 emissions from aircraft also declined at European airports, by 7.12 percent, with heaviest falls at Stockholm-Arlanda and Dublin. Annual figures from the Association of European Airlines, ACI Europe and Eurocontrol confirm steep declines in passengers, cargo and flights in 2009. Read more ...
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Airlines should do more to improve their dismal waste recycling policies, says US consumer watchdog
Wed 24 Feb 2010 - With a typical passenger generating 1.3 pounds (0.6kg) of waste per flight, US airlines create over 880 million pounds (400,000 tonnes) of waste annually, of which 75 percent could be recycled but only 20 percent actually takes place. This is the main finding of a report, 'What goes up must go down: The sorry state of recycling in the airline industry', published by Green America's consumer watchdog website ResponsibleShopper.org. The report ranks 11 major airlines on their recycling efforts and offers suggestions the industry can take to improve recycling overall, as well as action airline passengers can adopt to improve recycling. It rates Delta, Virgin and Southwest as doing the best job, with United and US Airways at the bottom of the list. Read more ...
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ICAO environmental committee recommends more stringent NOx standards on new aircraft from 2014
Mon 22 Feb 2010 - The triennial meeting of ICAO's Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP 8) has recommended more stringent Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) emission standards of up to 15 percent on large engines and 5-15 percent on small engines certified after 31 December 2013. ICAO said that CAEP was also committed to a timetable for the development of a new CO2 standard by the time of the next CAEP meeting in 2013 (CAEP 9), which would apply - if agreed by Member States - to new aircraft engines from around 2016/7. Pressure for an international CO2 standard has been growing, particularly from the US, but the metrics are still unclear and a work programme, including on noise emissions, is now due to start within CAEP. Read more ...
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North American survey of eco-travellers finds two-thirds could not name a single environmentally friendly airline
Thu 18 Feb 2010 - An extensive survey of 1,736 green travellers, mainly from the US and Canada, shows there are significant opportunities - or challenges - to airlines in establishing an environmentally friendly brand image to this growing market segment. Over 65 percent of respondents could not name a single airline that presented itself as environmentally friendly. With a 4 percent response, Southwest Airlines was the 'winner', receiving almost twice as many mentions as other airlines. Carbon offset programmes also fared badly in the survey with the largest group of respondents not knowing enough about them to form an opinion. Read more ...
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Noise action plans submitted by UK airports dismissed as a sham by environmental campaigners
Wed 17 Feb 2010 - A report by campaign group the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) concludes that Noise Action Plans submitted by all 22 UK airports affected by UK and EU legislation on environmental noise will fail to tackle impacts on local communities. AEF says that the minimum requirements of the EU Environmental Noise Directive - which was passed in 2002 (2002/49/EC) and enacted in the UK in 2006 - have not been met by the NAPs submitted to the relevant authorities in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The legislation is designed to help protect communities against excessive noise from airports, railways, roads and built-up areas. Read more ...
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Marketing high-speed rail as an environmental solution on short-haul routes is wrong, argues study
Wed 17 Feb 2010 - Switching passengers from air to high-speed rail on short-haul routes is a growing mantra but a new study concludes that the principal benefits of high-speed rail are time savings and additional capacity, not a reduction in greenhouse gases. Traffic diverted to high-speed rail from other forms of transport over a route of 500km would save around 90,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year, assuming 10 million single journeys. However, the construction emissions alone for a line of this length may amount to several million tonnes of CO2. Therefore, says the study, in cases where anticipated journey volumes are low it is not only difficult to justify investment on economic grounds, it may also be hard to defend a project for environmental reasons as it would take too long for traffic to offset the emissions caused by building the line. Read more ...
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Biofuels are essential to reducing EU ETS carbon costs and meeting carbon-neutral growth goals, says report
Tue 16 Feb 2010 - Although not commercially viable yet, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) offers a strong financial, as well as environmental, incentive for the adoption of jet biofuels, says a new report by EQ2. Based on industry assumptions of 15 percent and 30 percent consumption of biofuels in 2020 and 2030 respectively, they could contribute to potential savings for airlines involved in the EU ETS of $2.01 billion in 2020 and $5.84 billion in 2030 on the purchase of carbon credits. Based on the current EU ETS carbon price for 2012 of 15 euros and the 2009 average jet fuel price of $1.69 per gallon, every gallon of jet fuel burned would incur carbon costs of an additional $0.21, equivalent to a premium of 12.4 percent. Read more ...
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Additional carbon taxes may need to be introduced to constrain air travel demand, says UK's climate advisor
Mon 15 Feb 2010 – David Kennedy, CEO of the UK's Committee on Climate Change (CCC), has said biofuels and fuel efficiency improvements could allow a 60 percent increase in UK passengers up to 2050 but demand would most likely reach around 115 percent without further measures such as a carbon tax and restrictions on airport expansion and slots. The Government's climate advisor forecasted biofuels would only contribute 10 percent towards an anticipated overall 35 percent industry fuel intensity improvement by 2050 and said biofuels should not be regarded as a 'silver bullet'. UK policy is for aviation carbon emissions to be no more in 2050 than they were in 2005 - around 37 million tonnes. Read more ...
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British Airways partners with Solena to build Europe's first sustainable biojet fuel production facility
Mon 15 Feb 2010 - British Airways is set to become the first major European airline to use commercial-scale sustainable jet biofuel in its daily operations. In partnership with Washington, DC-based Solena Group, the airline anticipates using 16 million US gallons of biofuels produced annually from a new plant to be sited in east London. The $280 million self-contained plant, which is due to open in 2014, will convert 500,000 tonnes of waste per year when fully operational into enough jet fuel to meet BA's entire needs, and more, at London City Airport. Under the Letter of Intent, Solena will construct the plant and BA has agreed to take the entire output. BA CEO Willie Walsh said the partnership would help the airline realize its goal of reducing net carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2050. Read more ...
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Air traffic control improvements are key to cutting aviation emissions in the short term, finds new Oxford study
Wed 10 Feb 2010 - Biofuels could reduce pollution and better technology boost efficiency but neither will have the global impact that improved flight management could achieve, says a new report by the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford. Dr Chris Carey, the Smith School's aviation expert, says the most obvious target for improving efficiency in aviation is engines - the source of emissions - but major technological innovations are a massive financial risk and new, more efficient aircraft are slow to reach the market. However, in a best-case scenario, which foresees major advances in aircraft technology, a high take-up in jet biofuels and a fully integrated global air traffic management system, aviation emissions could be cut by up to 95 percent by 2050. Read more ...
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Eurocontrol to conduct feasibility study of integrating GHG emissions assessments into air traffic flow management
Tue 9 Feb 2010 - French-based Egis Avia has been awarded a contract by Eurocontrol to study the integration of a greenhouse gas emissions assessment feature for the optimization of Air Traffic Flow and Capacity Management (ATFCM) network operations provided by Eurocontrol's Central Flow Management Unit (CFMU). The CFMU acts as an interface between the airspace users - who file the flight plans - the airports and the air navigation service providers (ANSPs) that provide Air Traffic Control (ATC) and other related services. The objective of the study is to raise the CFMU's role in allowing all stakeholders to understand the impact of their decisions on the environment, particularly emissions. Read more ...
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Munich Airport's first sustainability report outlines plans to achieve carbon-neutral growth by 2020
Tue 9 Feb 2010 - FMG, the Munich Airport operating company, has published its first-ever sustainability report, which lays out its goals and measures to reach a carbon-neutral status by 2020. Entitled 'Perspectives', the 110-page report documents FMG's concept for a sustainable business policy based on balancing ecological, economic and social objectives. In order to achieve both carbon-neutral growth and handle the expected increase in traffic, the airport will have to reduce carbon emissions by over a third, and FMG has developed numerous energy-saving measures to meet the challenge. Meanwhile, Frankfurt Airport has just started construction of its first carbon neutral building, a new fire station. Read more ...
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Aerospace giant EADS enters into algae jet fuel research collaboration with Singapore's ICES
Thu 4 Feb 2010 - EADS, parent company of Airbus, has signed a 12-month collaboration agreement with Singapore's Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES) to assess the potential for microalgae as a renewable source of fuel for aircraft and to investigate the conversion of algae oil for use as a jet fuel. As microalgae are much more efficient than plants at converting solar energy and carbon dioxide into fixed biomass, there is significant interest across multiple sectors in their long-term potential as an energy source. ICES and EADS say that the rapid growth of microalgae - doubling in biomass in as little as a few hours - means that nearly 90,000 litres of oil per hectare can be produced annually. Read more ...
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Singapore Airlines completes first ASPIRE multi-sector green flight and saves over 33 tonnes of CO2 emissions
Wed 3 Feb 2010 - The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has revealed that the multi-sector demonstration flight from Los Angeles to Singapore via Tokyo conducted by Singapore Airlines saved 10,686kg of fuel and cut carbon emissions by 33,769kg compared to normal practice, as well as achieving a reduction in flight time of 33 minutes. The arrival of the flight on Monday coincided with CAAS formally joining the Asia and Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE) that aims to accelerate the development, implementation and harmonization of air traffic management procedures, technologies and best practices on key routes in the region. With the Singapore Airshow also starting this week, IATA announced that in 2009 intra-Asia-Pacific travel had eclipsed the number of travellers in North America as the world's largest aviation market. Read more ...
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Emissions from UK-based international aviation continued on downward path in 2008, reports DECC
Tue 2 Feb 2010 - Final 2008 results for UK greenhouse gas emissions released by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) show a fall in emissions from international aviation fuel from 35.8 million tonnes to 34.4 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), a decline of 3.7 percent. However, between 1990 and 2008 the level of these emissions has more than doubled and do not include a greenhouse effect caused by high altitude aviation. Between 2007 and 2008, emissions from domestic aviation decreased by an even higher 5.0 percent. Between 1990 and 2008, emissions from this sector increased by 62.5 percent. Read more ...
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Singapore joins Asia-Pacific emissions reduction initiative and schedules first green demonstration flight
Fri 29 Jan 2010 - The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is joining the Asia and Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE), a partnership of air navigation service providers (ANSPs) focused on environmental stewardship in the region. A formal joint agreement is to be signed this coming Monday (Feb 1) and will be marked on Sunday (Jan 31) by the world's first multi-sector demonstration green flight, a two-leg flight operated by Singapore Airlines from Los Angeles to Singapore via Tokyo. By flying optimal routes and other fuel reducing measures, significant savings can be made in carbon emissions. Singapore now joins the US, Australia, New Zealand and Japan in the work programme. Read more ...
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European airport industry's new carbon accreditation programme continues to gain momentum
Thu 28 Jan 2010 - Seven more airports across Europe have been awarded Airport Carbon Accredited status during the past two months, according to ACI EUROPE. The programme was launched by the European airports industry last June, when 33 airports - accounting for 26 percent of European passenger traffic - committed to becoming accredited by June this year. Six months into the programme, this brings the total to 10 airports that have so far achieved the independently assessed status. Airports are certified at four different levels of accreditation: Mapping, Reduction, Optimisation and Neutrality. These latest additions bring the cumulative total of CO2 reductions from accredited airports to 440,000 tonnes so far. Read more ...
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Finland's Blue1 receives ISO 14001 environmental management certification
Thu 28 Jan 2010 - Finnish airline Blue1 has become one of the first Nordic network carriers to receive an ISO 14001 certificate for its environmental management system. The certification enables the guidance and development of Blue1's environmental procedures and helps to document and demonstrate the achievement of environmental targets. Auditing and certification was carried out by Bureau Veritas Certification Finland. Through a commitment to achieving challenging environmental objectives, the airline is focusing on reducing its CO2 emissions by 20 percent by 2020, as compared to 2007 levels. Read more ...
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New Zealand's Christchurch airport has its carbon neutral status reconfirmed and plans further energy savings
Thu 28 Jan 2010 - Christchurch International Airport (CIAL) has had its carbon neutral status recertified by Landcare Research for the year to July 2009. The airport company met the carboNZero requirements for the third year in a row after further reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating unavoidable emissions from its operations. The carboNZero programme is an internationally accredited greenhouse gas certification programme and is the world's first accredited GHG Certification Scheme under the ISO 14065 standard. CIAL was the first airport in the Southern Hemisphere to achieve carbon neutral status for its operations. Read more ...
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Aviation industry commits to continue working towards its climate goals despite lack of progress in Copenhagen
Thu 28 Jan 2010 - Speaking at an Airbus A380 event in Geneva, IATA chief Giovanni Bisignani said that although the Copenhagen climate change conference had not delivered an agreement on international aviation emissions, the industry remained committed to its carbon targets and would work with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to have them converted into national targets at the next ICAO Assembly in September this year. The aviation industry has pledged to deliver carbon-neutral growth from 2020 and to halve emissions by 2050. Paul Steele, Executive Director of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), who led the industry’s delegation at the UNFCCC COP 15 conference last month, said it was disappointing that there was no specific mention of aviation in the Copenhagen Accord and rejected suggestions the industry was off the hook. Read more ...
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Airbus and Boeing confirm they will work together on lobbying to ramp up progress on aviation biofuels
Wed 27 Jan 2010 - Senior representatives from Airbus and Boeing have said they will cooperate on pushing forward the development and commercialization of new generation sustainable biofuels. Airbus Senior Vice President Public Affairs & Communication Rainer Ohler said the two rival aircraft manufacturers needed to work together on developing green strategies and there was no other option but to use aviation biofuels if the industry's climate change targets were to be met. Ohler was speaking at an event to commemorate the first visit of the Airbus A380 superjumbo to Geneva Airport. He said the aircraft was designed with the environment in mind and represented a new generation of eco-efficient airliners. Read more ...
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UK Government to refer US airline legal challenge over the EU ETS to the European Court of Justice
Tue 26 Jan 2010 - According to Business Green, the UK Government is to refer the legal action instigated against it last month over the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) by three US airlines - American, Continental and United - to the European Court of Justice on the grounds that this is likely to offer the swiftest resolution of the issue. A spokeswoman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change told the online publication that the Government firmly refuted the case brought against it and would make a robust defence of the European legislation in the court. The airlines, backed by the Air Transport Association of North America (ATA), argue that their inclusion in the EU ETS contravenes articles in the Chicago Convention, the treaty that binds international civil aviation. Read more ...
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Abu Dhabi to host major research institution and demonstration project for sustainable aviation biofuels
Mon 18 Jan 2010 - Boeing, The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Etihad Airways and Honeywell's UOP have agreed to establish a major research institution and demonstration project in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, dedicated to sustainable energy solutions. The Sustainable Bioenergy Research Project (SBRP) will use integrated saltwater agricultural systems to support the development and commercialization of biofuel sources for aviation and other co-products. As part of its initial work, the SBRP will undertake research projects that combine the arid, saline-rich environment of Abu Dhabi with innovative saltwater farming practices. Read more ...
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Pew report finds reductions in aviation GHG emissions over business-as-usual projections could be halved
Mon 18 Jan 2010 - Under business-as-usual (BAU) forecasts, CO2 emissions from global aviation are estimated to grow 3.1 percent per year over the next 40 years, resulting in a 300 percent increase in emissions by 2050 compared to 2007. However, a new report published by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change finds that reductions of more than 50 percent below the projected levels are possible. The report, which looks at both the aviation and marine transportation sectors, presents a range of near, medium and long term mitigation options. For the near to medium term (to 2025), improvements in operational efficiency - for example advanced navigation and air traffic management systems for aviation - have the potential to reduce GHG emissions by about 5 percent below BAU projections, with advanced propulsion systems and new airframe designs further reducing emissions by up to 35 percent over the longer term (to 2050). Read more ...
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Major study into the feasibility of a jet biofuel refinery at Stockholm-Arlanda provides encouragement
Mon 18 Jan 2010 - A major study to investigate the technical and financial feasibility of a biorefinery plant to supply Stockholm's Arlanda Airport with 50,000 tonnes of jet biofuel per year has been completed. The project was initiated and part-financed by LFV, which operates Sweden's airports and air navigation service, and has substantial carbon reduction targets to meet. LFV claims the biorefinery would make the airport truly carbon neutral. With the added production of other hydrocarbons and district heating, this could reduce total CO2 emissions at the airport by 150,000 tonnes per year with a 10 percent blend of jet biofuels. The biomass for the facility would come from forestry chips and other wood residues. The report says the prospects were "very promising, showing high efficiency and competitive production costs." Read more ...
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Annual industry awards go to organizations involved in the advancement of alternative aviation fuels
Thu 14 Jan 2010 - Advances during 2009 in the development and deployment of alternative jet fuels has resulted in annual awards made by two aviation and biofuel publications. Biofuels Digest has given its Company of the Year award jointly to five companies - Solazyme, Sapphire Energy, Sustainable Oils, Rentech and Terasol - for their significant contributions to the successful flight tests carried out last year, as well as orders from the US military and commercial operators for renewable jet fuel. The publication also named Honeywell's UOP its Company of the Year Award for Achievement in Processing Technology, for its work in converting renewable oils into renewable jet fuel. Meanwhile, Air Transport World (ATW) has announced its Joseph S. Murphy Industry Service Award has gone to the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI). ATW's Airline of the Year award went to Air New Zealand. Read more ...
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Collaborative tool developed by Airways New Zealand delivers significant savings in emissions and costs
Wed 13 Jan 2010 - New Zealand's air navigation services provider Airways New Zealand has revealed that its Collaborative Arrivals Manager (CAM) tool has helped to reduce CO2 emissions by around 32 million kilos during 2009 across the total New Zealand fleet, comprising Air New Zealand, Pacific Blue and Jet Star. It has also contributed to fuel savings for airlines of NZ$15 million (US$11m) over the year. CAM enables airlines to jointly agree on priority flights and reschedule their services by matching demand to capacity and avoid congestion at the country's three main trunk airports. The ANSP says holding patterns in the air and engine idling on the ground have been significantly reduced. Read more ...
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Qatar Airways-led consortium plans development of economically viable sustainable jet biofuel production
Wed 13 Jan 2010 - Qatar Airways, Qatar Science and Technology Park and Qatar Petroleum have reached an agreement to establish the Qatar Advanced Biofuel Platform (QABP) with the aim of developing a detailed engineering and implementation plan for the production and supply of sustainable biomass-to-liquid (BTL) jet biofuel. With the support of Airbus, QABP will also come up with a biofuel investment strategy, an advanced technology development programme and conduct ongoing market and strategic analysis. The consortium will be structured so that further international partners can join and the initiative expanded globally to include additional projects, technologies and investment. Read more ...
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