The airline industry is fully engaged in the environmental debate, says John Hanlon, secretary general of the European Low Fares Airline Association (ELFAA), which favours including aviation in emissions trading, but on the basis that it rewards efficient carriers
Aviation, as a responsible industry, recognises that it has an impact on the environment and is concerned to take action to mitigate this. What the industry has greater difficulty understanding is the current focus on aviation in particular.
Latest European Commission reports put aviation's share of total European Union CO2 emissions at below 3%, with road transport contributing 27% and domestic household emissions around 20%. Directly contributing to aviation's share is the inefficiency of the highly fragmented European air traffic management system, which is estimated to increase airline fuel burn, and therefore emissions, by 12%.
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"We support the proposals, but only on the basis that it rewards environmental efficiency and punishes dirty airlines" John Hanlon secretary general of the European Low fares Airline Association |
While aviation is not in denial regarding its contribution to environmental impact, the industry believes it essential that steps to address this not only ensure environmental benefit but, as importantly, take account of the socioeconomic benefit of aviation.
The EU has improved the lives of its citizens in many ways and aviation has played an important part in bringing this about. European low-fares airlines were born from the liberalisation of market access and the creation of the Single European Market. No longer were air traffic rights the preserve of national carriers at both ends of the route, operating arcane pricing policies, which owed more to their inability to reduce cost than consumer demand. The low-fares airlines have truly revolutionised air travel within Europe, in the process bringing air travel within the reach of the majority of EU citizens.
With lower fares being dependent on greater operational efficiency, European low fares airlines have been notably quick to invest in new and cleaner fleets to take full advantage of the improved operating performance of each generation of aircraft. ELFAA member carriers have very young fleets which offer the very latest environmental enhancement in terms of noise and emissions.
Low-fares airlines further improve their emissions per passenger mile by operating these new aircraft with denser seat configurations and at higher cabin load factors. Emissions being a function of fuel burn and operating weight, low-fares airlines do not offer the range of in-flight services such as free catering, with the associated additional weight and residual waste.
In the main, European low-fares airlines operate from and to secondary, underutilised airports, avoiding the concentration of traffic and air pollution around congested major hubs. They link the regions of Europe with direct services, eliminating "dog leg" routings to connect at hub airports, with additional take off and landings, when fuel inefficiency and so emissions, are increased. At less congested secondary and regional airports, there are also fewer air traffic control holding delays, which at hub airports can bring significant gratuitous fuel burn and emissions.
Most importantly, low-fares airlines have developed a great number of new routes, linking the regions of Europe, facilitating investment and accelerating the development of the regional economies of Europe, particularly through tourism.
The calls for further taxes on aviation are misdirected. Indeed, aviation is the only transport sector that meets all the costs of its infrastructure, receiving none of the massive subsidies, handed out to rail, road and ferries. At its introduction, UK Air Passenger Duty was predicated on a contribution to the environment. The not insignificant revenues raised by this tax have, however, accrued to the UK Treasury, bringing no environmental benefit at all.
Green benchmarks
ELFAA supports the proposed inclusion of aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), but only on the basis that it rewards environmental efficiency and punishes dirty airlines. The allocation of ETS allowances can only be achieved using an environmental efficiency benchmark. This would incentivise operators of less fuel-efficient aircraft to renew their fleets, which would reduce their environmental impact, while rewarding environmentally efficient operators.
It is critical, however, that the scheme is designed to cover the largest carbon footprint possible and capture all flights from, to and within the EU and be part of the wider EU ETS, with open trading between the various sectors.
Most importantly, an effectively designed scheme for the inclusion of aviation in the EU ETS would represent a market mechanism, appropriate to a market-driven industry, reflect the spirit of the Kyoto protocol and provide real benefit to the environment.
Source: Airline Business
