Plans to slash planes' carbon output

Commercial planes are to get new European landing procedures to reduce their carbon dioxide output, it was announced today.

By 2013 around 100 European airports will allow planes to descend all the way from cruising altitude to the runway in one smooth glide, saving up to 450 kilograms of CO2 per landing, the International Air Transport Association said.

Airlines are hoping to save 500,000 metric tons of carbon gas each year, said an Iata spokesman.

The measure – the first continent-wide plan of its kind – is part of the airline industry’s effort to combat climate change, Iata said.

It also comes amid concerns that the current global economic crisis could keep governments and businesses from transforming their carbon-dependent economies.

Industry leaders meeting in Geneva for a two-day summit on aviation’s impact on the environment said that while the slowdown in air travel would lead to lower carbon emissions in the short term, a sustainable reduction requires new technologies and more efficient use of airspace.

Iata, which represents 230 airlines worldwide, said last week that passenger traffic is expected to drop by 5.7% this year, while cargo demand will decline by 13%. The resulting reduction in flights will cut carbon emissions by 6% this year, said Iata chief executive Giovanni Bisignani.

Fuel-efficiency measures will cut emissions by a further 1.8%, resulting in a total reduction of 10 million tons of CO2 this year, he said.

Airlines want governments to earmark part of their economic stimulus packages for research and development into biofuels and next-generation air traffic management systems.

Governments should also resist the temptation to impose “crazy taxation” on the airline industry in a bid to divert revenue to other ailing sectors of the economy, Mr Bisignani said.

Subsidies for aircraft makers are the subject of several trade disputes, particularly between the United States and the European Union.