The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) is calling on the region's regulatory authorities to implement pan- European regulation to prevent the continuation of what it considers are discriminatory local rules and noise classification of aircraft at the region's airports.
These measures, it believes, are placing a stranglehold on many business aircraft operations throughout Europe.
Speaking at last week's EBAA convention, association chief executive Fernand Francois said: "Although the bulk of business aircraft will be exempt from the Chapter 2 phase-out rule [banning hushkitted aircraft above 34t or 19 passengers], which comes into force in April 2002, many European airports are applying restrictions on the noisiest categories of aircraft."
Most recently, Brussels Zaventem Airport and the Netherlands' Rotterdam Airport have been the subject of government proposals to limit night operations.
The EBAA, which represents the interests of more than 500 business and general aviation members, believes that restricted access for Chapter 2 operations undermines the flexibility of business aircraft operations, which has become the industry's trademark.
While supporting the need for a new noise stringency standard, under debate at the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the EBAA says it will "fight to retain reasonable access for environmentally friendly business aircraft at all times of the day, and will continue to encourage our members to proactively apply quiet flying techniques to reduce the noise footprint around airports".
Source: Flight International
