Air Industries Flying High
- June 19th, 2007
- Posted by EUEditor
The Le Bourget Air Show (International Paris Air Show, 18-24.6.07) has opened with the commercial air industry gearing up for expansion while under pressure for better environmental constraints.
Industry representatives have estimated the number of aircraft i n service will have doubled by 2026.
Though the contribution from aircraft is estimated at only 2-3% of current air pollution, both the total volume and the rate of growth have caused more intense demand for regulation..
This week (18.6.07) the European Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States have launched a new joint initiative to organise emission reduction, in collaboration with the aviation industry.
Background documents issued by the EC show that the work is focused on research, development, and accelerated implementation of “environmentally friendly air traffic standards and procedures.”
The initiatives are intended to shorten flight times, reduce fuel consumption and engine emissions, and reduce noise.
Proposals include use of new technologies for organising services on the ground, for more efficient transiting of planes through airports, with also cut-backs on engine starts and fuel-burning while on the ground, and excessive taxi-ing.
Planning for “trajectory optimisation” is expected to allow aircraft to make “tailored arrivals”, following a low-powered continuous descent approach, to save on fuel.
American contributions have concentrated on better traffic flow management, collaboration with all stakeholders connected with the air industries, and uses of advanced technologies for navigation, surveillance and communication.
An EU modernisation program has set out standards for increased safety, e.g. through the more efficient ground operations, decrease of air management costs by 50%, and reduction of aviation environmental impact by 10% — over the coming 20 years.