ENVIRONMENT TAX could be with us by 2009 following a European
Parliament non-binding vote specifically aimed at the airline industry.
What is not clear is whether it will be implemented, and if so when.
How much aviation in total, including the military, actually
contributes to atmospheric pollution is not very clear or defined.
Certainly the numbers of aircraft in the sky at any one time are far
less than during the Second World War, when ”planes flew at a much
lower levels. A permit system is being mooted but any restrictions
could adversely affect trade. British Airways, to its credit, seems
to be ahead of other carriers with a proper policy in this area and is
leading the way in promoting carbon trading as the most efficient and
environmentally effective means of curbing aircraft emissions.
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