AndrzejJeziorski/MUNICH
Zurich Airport has become the world's first major airport to introduce an emissions charge, amounting to as much as 40% of normal landing fees, for operators of aircraft which fail to meet the highest environmental standards.
The charge, introduced from 1 September, is balanced by a 5% reduction in landing fees. The airport says that current annual landing-fees revenue of SFr90 million ($60.8 million) will remain constant as a result of the moves.
Zurich Airport says that it is taking a pioneering role in promoting the use of aircraft with low-emission engines, with the aim of "at least" stabilising pollution levels. Sweden had tried charging a carbon-dioxide tax, but was stopped by European Union rules.
Swiss national airline Swissair says that it supports the charge, and would like to see similar schemes brought in internationally. The airline says that it will not lose money overall, as 34 aircraft out of its fleet of 62 are from the new-generation Airbus A320 family, which meets the emissions standard.
Swissair will have to pay extra for its Airbus A310s and Boeing 747-300s, MD-11s and MD-81s, however. Zurich Airport concedes that some airlines which have not modernised their fleets could find themselves heavily penalised.
The amount charged depends on engine types, which are divided into five classes according to levels of nitrous-oxide and hydrocarbon emissions per unit thrust (for jets) or power (for turboshafts).
Carriers using Class 5 engines on their aircraft, including most versions of the CFM International CFM56 and the General Electric CF34-3A, escape the charge. Those with Class 1 engines, however, such as the Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3B or the Rolls-Royce RB.211-22B, will incur the full 40% surcharge on landing fees.
Airlines using engines in classes 2, 3 and 4 will have to pay an additional 20%, 10% and 5%, respectively. Zurich says that about 52% of traffic into the airport will incur the charge.
Source: Flight International
