Europe's airport carbon efficiency programme now extends to three continents as it ends its fourth year Wed 19 June 2013 - Four years on from the launch of the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme by European airport trade association ACI Europe, the scheme has now been extended to three continents following the certification of the first African airport, Enfidha-Hammamet International in Tunisia. In the past 12 months Airport Carbon Accreditation status has been earned by a total of 75 airports in 22 countries in Europe and 10 airports in seven countries in the Asia-Pacific region. All the airports now certified under the programme collectively represent 22 per cent of global air passenger traffic. At the recent ACI Europe/World annual conference held in Istanbul, meanwhile, Athens International Airport received ACI Europe's Eco-Innovation Award for 2013. Read more ...
CAAFI reports dramatic increase in international cooperation to develop aviation biofuels as industry meets in Paris Tue 18 June 2013 - This week's Paris Air Show will bring together sustainable aviation biofuel interests at both a global and domestic level to help drive the aviation industry towards its carbon-neutral growth target from 2020. The Alternative Aviation Fuels Pavilion at the Show will host a full programme of presentations from industry, state and local interests, as well as a showcase of exhibiting aviation biofuel producers. Rich Altman, Executive Director Emeritus of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI), who has coordinated the Paris programme, says since the last Show two years ago, the level of international dialogue and cooperation has increased dramatically in the quest to develop sufficient quantities of sustainable alternative fuels to meet the industry goal. Altman estimates there is a requirement for four billion gallons of such fuels to meet a five per cent share of overall global jet fuel consumption by 2020. Read more ...
FAA calls on producers to come up with solutions to replace the use of harmful leaded general aviation fuel Thu 13 June 2013 - General Aviation (GA) is one of the last forms of transportation to use leaded fuels and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is now asking the world's fuel producers to submit proposals for developing a new unleaded fuel by 2018. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), fuel used by piston-engined aircraft, known as avgas or 100LL (100 octane low-lead), is the largest source of airborne lead emissions in the country and exposure to the lead can result in a broad range of adverse health effects. The EPA has come under concerted pressure from environmentalists to act on the issue. However, finding a suitable drop-in replacement for 100LL avgas has so far proved elusive. The FAA has put out a request for fuel producers to submit by 1 July 2014 options for evaluation by the FAA, which will then select suppliers for laboratory and engine testing. Read more ...
Lufthansa Group’s fuel efficiency reaches new heights as overall fuel consumption improves by nearly three per cent Wed 12 June 2013 - The passenger airlines of the Lufthansa Group have recorded their best ever fuel consumption figures with a fall from 4.18 litres of kerosene per 100 passenger/km (l/100pkm) in 2011 to 4.06 l/100pkm in 2012, an improvement of 2.8 per cent. The Group's absolute fuel consumption declined from 9.02 million to 8.88 million tonnes of kerosene over the same period, despite transporting more payload and passengers, emitting in the process 455,000 tonnes less CO2. Lufthansa attributes the continuing annual fuel efficiency improvement to its current fleet renewal programme, which will see over 200 new aircraft added to the fleet by the end of 2025. A new Fuel Efficiency department has been set up to find further fuel savings. The Group reports that even with the partial suspension of the EU ETS in 2012, the cost of the scheme for the year reached 50 million euros ($66m). Read more ...
US elite frequent flyers call on United Airlines to lead rather than obstruct on climate change action Tue 11 June 2013 - A group of US and European NGOs has enlisted the support of over 500 United Airlines' elite frequent flyers to pressure the airline into doing more to curb aviation emissions. The frequent flyers, who include 20 members of the invitation-only Global Services programme, have signed an open letter to United's CEO Jeff Smisek urging the carrier to "stop obstructing efforts to reduce aviation climate pollution and start actively supporting strong climate action." The letter is part of a new campaign by the NGOs, called Flying Clean. It claims around 85,000 regular flyers, including 2,700 elite frequent flyers, have signed a similar petition on its website. The group says United has led the US aviation industry in opposing multiple climate change efforts at home and abroad, including California's clean fuel standard and Europe's emissions trading scheme (EU ETS). Read more ...
Six airlines achieve first stage assessment in IATA's new airline environmental management programme Tue 11 June 2013 - Six airlines are the first to be certified under IATA's Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme, a new voluntary evaluation system designed to independently assess and improve the environmental management of an airline. All six - Finnair, South African Airways, LAN, LAN Cargo, Malaysia and Kenya Airways - achieved Stage 1 status. The aim of the programme is to set common environmental standards based on recognised environmental management system (EMS) principles, such as ISO 14001, and have been developed by a joint team of environmental consultants and airlines. Airline assessments are undertaken by independently accredited Environmental Assessment Organisations that have demonstrated competencies in EMS auditing. Read more ...
ADP adds another energy-saving project as major solar farm installation at Paris-CDG starts operation Fri 7 June 2013 - Airport operator Aeroports de Paris (ADP) has commissioned a photovoltaic plant, or 'solar farm', at Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) that will produce 157 MWh of electricity for the ADP network. Covering a total surface area of 4,000 square metres, the plant consists of 792 panels and is expected to save around seven tonnes of CO2 annually. ADP has a strategic plan in place for the period 2011-2015 to reduce its carbon emissions by 25 per cent compared to 2009 and reach a goal of using 15 per cent renewable energy in its overall internal energy consumption. As part of the energy-saving programme, the plan calls for a 12.5 per cent reduction in primary energy consumption per square metre of building surface between 2009 and 2015. Read more ...
United agrees to purchase 15 million gallons of cost-competitive jet biofuel for LAX delivery starting in 2014 Thu 6 June 2013 - United Airlines and AltAir Fuels have signed an agreement that will see flights operating out of the carrier's Los Angeles hub using sustainable jet biofuel from as early as next year. Under the deal, the airline has committed to purchasing 15 million gallons of jet biofuel over a three-year period at a price competitive, it says, with conventional jet kerosene. AltAir expects to begin delivering 5 million gallons starting 2014. AltAir will retrofit part of an existing petroleum refinery near Los Angeles to produce around 30 million gallons of renewable jet biofuel, biodiesel and other associated products. The commercial-scale biorefinery will use process technology licensed from Honeywell's UOP. The AltAir fuel is expected to achieve at least a 50 per cent reduction in GHG emissions on a lifecycle basis. Read more ...
IATA airlines agree on a set of guiding principles to ensure equitable distribution of global MBM financial burden Tue 4 June 2013 - IATA airline members have overwhelmingly supported an AGM resolution recommending a set of principles that could be applied to individual carriers as part of a single global market-based measure (MBM) in a post-2020 carbon-neutral growth (CNG) agreement. Along with a broader package of measures to address aviation CO2 emissions, the industry acknowledges that a global MBM will be required to achieve CNG, at least as until technology can fill the emissions growth gap. The resolution seeks to define principles on how an MBM scheme should be equitably applied to airlines and also proposes a collective industry baseline as well as individual operator baselines based on 2018-2020 average annual emissions. The resolution also urges IATA's 241 airline members to strongly encourage ICAO states to adopt a single global MBM at their Assembly in September. Read more ...
Heathrow says it will name, shame and significantly increase fines for airlines that break noise limits Fri 31 May 2013 - London's Heathrow Airport has unveiled a range of actions it believes will make life quieter for people living nearby. It already incentivises airlines using the airport through higher charges for the noisiest aircraft and reduced charges for the quietest. Now it is proposing significant increases in fines for airlines that break noise limits and later this year will launch a 'Fly Quiet' programme that will publicly rank airlines according to their noise performance at Heathrow. The airport operator is also planning a number of other initiatives to reduce noise impact such as trialling new approach and departure operations, a 'Quieter Homes' programme from 2014 and more communication with local communities. It is insists the commitments are not about adding new runways at the airport but says if the airport is to grow then there should not have to be a choice between more flights or less noise. Read more ...
