No ETS without Single Sky

AEA's Hartman calls for proper aviation framework

Europe's air traffic management system is a "morass of inefficiency" which wastes fuel, Peter Hartman, chairman of the Association of European Airlines (AEA), said.

He told leaders of Europe's airlines there was an urgent need for a Single European Sky (SES) for which airlines had campaigned for 20 years.

But the EU was introducing an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in 2012 which would penalise carrier's on CO2 emissions.

"It is unthinkable that ETS should penalise airlines for the CO2 they are forced to emit as they fly through Europe's fragmented airspace," Mr Hartman, also president and ceo of KLM, told AEA members meeting in The Hague.

He said Europe should not have an ETS without a Single Sky.

"Aviation is a staple requirement for European mobility, prosperity and jobs. Especially now, in the current severe economic downturn, the sustainability of European aviation is at stake," Mr Hartman said.

He called for a global ETS rather than one confined to Europe as the only way of ensuring a level playing field.

"We are in no doubt that technology can deliver a new era in low-carbon aviation. However, our industry has to be in a state of financial health that allows the necessary investments to take place. In this respect, a punitive ETS will be a counter-productive measure," he said.

The call for a Single Sky was echoed by Giovanni Bisignani, director general and ceo of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

He challenged the EC to introduce a SES by 2012.

"After decades of talks and little action, failure to implement an effective SES is Europe's biggest environmental embarrassment," Mr Bisignani told the European Air Transport Summit in Bordeaux.

"In 2007, this failure resulted in 21m minutes of delays and 468m kilometres of unnecessary flight.

"This wasted 16m tonnes of CO2. This crisis that is gripping the airline industry highlights the fact that airlines cannot afford the €5bn cost that this brings.

"And neither can Europe afford the impact on its competitiveness. This must change fast."

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