Aviation”s latest battle against a populist campaign is one founded upon misconceptions; the sector is the producer of a small fraction of pollution in the UK, and research has found that per passenger, a journey of 400 miles by air of a fully laden aircraft produces considerably less CO2 emissions than a single car would on 400 miles of road.
UK aircraft only contributed about 0.1% of global emissions last year, and it is wrong to imagine that banning flying tomorrow would halt the damage caused by such byproducts.
The Air League supports the Royal Aeronautical Society”s ”Greener by Design” initiatives which aim to reduce carbon emissions, noise and other pollution at source, as a result of new designs of engines and aircraft. The Government should be supporting, politically and fiscally, research into lowering aircraft emissions and pollution, while Britain ought to lead the world in doing so.
We are also very supportive of the new OMEGA initiative which is a neutral project by academics to obtain real statistics about UK aviation emissions leaving the politics out of it. It is not funded by aviation interests and they will also be looking at ways by which aviation emissions might be reduced.
The Government”s White Paper supports expansion of our airports after more than three years of extensive research and consultation. Heathrow is the largest employer and generator of economic benefits in west London, with the UK”s airports being principal engines for economic growth in each of our regions.
Now is the time to give strong support to the UK”s enviable prowess in aviation and aerospace, to expand our airports to meet demand and at the same time to seek innovative measures to meet environmental challenges. It is not the time to undermine hard-won achievements for short-term political gain.
Christopher Foyle
Chairman, The Air League