EU: AIRLINES HAVE TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS

The danger of being banned from European airports is now faced by almost 4,000 airlines. The EU requires them to drastically reduce their impact on environment from 2012. The European Union recently announced a list of almost 4,000 airlines that are to reduce their impact on the environment from 2012. Otherwise the companies are in danger of being banned from European airports. Major airlines such as Lufthansa, Alitalia, Quantas, KLM, Emirates, US Airways and United are included on the list. Airbus and Dassault, the European airplane manufacturers, are also listed together with hundreds of private business jet operators, or military services such as the U.S. Navy and the air forces of Israel and Russia.Under a new law that is to come in force soon all airlines will have to limit their CO2 emissions starting on January 1, 2012. Otherwise the airlines will face penalties limiting their business. To meet the requirements airlines will start monitoring their emissions from January next year. The new law is opposed by most of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) member countries as well as companies under the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The list of airlines that are supposed to take part in the new policy has been criticized because it also includes non-European companies flying to Europe.Currently pollution from aircraft emissions represents 3 per cent of emissions of Europe. CO2 is regarded as an agent contributing considerably to climate change.  Related:AIRLINES COMMIT TO CARBON-NEUTRAL GROWTH