Leaders of the aviation industry met in Monaco during the weekend of November 2 and 3 to talk about the need to address the challenges of aircraft emissions.
A total of 520 participants attended the APG Connect conference at the Monte-Carlo Bay hotel. They heard Air France KLM group executive committee member Pieter Bootsma say: “It’s time to put in place important changes, it’s not a question of choice, it’s an obligation.”
Jean-Louis Barroux, president of AGP Connect, said that if the airline industry does not become cleaner, there is a risk that customers will turn away from it.
However, no-one at the conference was able to wave a magic wand. Pieter Bootsma proffered a number of strategics to mitigate the problem. Investing in newer aircraft, which use less fuel, is expensive at the outset but saves money over time. Better airport logistics also help to save aircraft emitting gases while stationary or taxiing, which accounts for more than 50 percent of aircraft emissions, according to the Air France KLM executive. The use of more expensive bio-fuels and carbon offsetting are also being promoted.
But one thing is clear, the rapid growth of air travel is set to continue unabated.
PHOTO: The Flying V concept airliner of KLM
