BRUSSELS: The European Commission hopes to cut carbon dioxide emissions from the aviation industry by up to 10 per cent by making flight paths more direct and reducing delays due to congested airspace.
“Planes are sometimes zig-zagging between different blocks of airspace, increasing delays and fuel consumed,” European Commissioner for transport Adina Valean said on Tuesday.
In 2019, such routes and delays cost the bloc 6 billion euros and pushed out 11.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, the Commission said.
Extraordinary measures in 2018 and 2019 during a capacity crisis also led to the re-routing of flights, meaning avoidable emissions could reach 10 per cent of the total. Aircraft pushed to lower altitudes also burn more fuel.
Valean told a news conference that an efficient air traffic management system with more direct routes would reduce emissions and cut costs for airlines. To achieve this, the Commission suggested air navigation charges should be based on the environmental impact of a flight and a greater role for network manager Eurocontrol. — Reuters
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