KEY POINTS:
Controversy over aircraft emissions has escalated over recent weeks, with disagreement between the European Union (EU) and most of the world's airlines.
Closer to home, competition has emerged between airlines pursuing alternative fuel solutions, although it appears to be a David and Goliath contest.
On Monday, Sir Richard Branson told a conference in Boston that "early next year" Virgin Atlantic would be conducting a Boeing 747 test flight with one of the renewable fuels his Virgin Group had developed. Noting Air New Zealand's plans for a similar 747 test flight late next year, a Reuters report said "Virgin is trying to beat that airline by testing biofuels first".
The Air NZ initiative was announced on September 28, when the airline signed a memorandum of understanding with its biofuel test partners, Boeing and Rolls-Royce. Virgin's similar agreement is with Boeing and the other major engine manufacturer, General Electric.
Branson has not given more details, but he pledged last year that over the next decade he would spend the profit from his stake in Virgin airline and rail businesses on fighting global warming. He also created Virgin Fuels, which is investing US$400 million ($533 million) over three years in renewable energy initiatives. Emission reduction aside, this could be a rewarding investment, eventually creating a new fuel giant.
Branson's deal with Boeing, however, also has to be seen in the context of Virgin Atlantic's fleet; two-thirds of which are Airbus planes, with six A380s still to come. Airbus' position on the alternative fuel issue is not known.
Meanwhile, Air NZ is pushing ahead with its campaign not only to reduce the emissions from its aircraft and the company's overall carbon footprint, but to ensure that passengers on its long-haul routes are made aware of the airline's efforts. Following on from a booklet published this year, Air NZ has produced an in-flight video outlining its moves to counter global warming, from aircraft fuel-saving measures to environment-friendly practices at its new headquarters.
Although the international aviation industry's claim that airlines are responsible for only 2 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions has not been seriously challenged, some critics maintain the impact is greater than that figure suggests. The industry's exponential growth has attracted critical attention, especially in Europe and in respect of low-cost airlines.
The prominent British low-cost carrier Easyjet, has responded to what it sees as distortions about aviation's contribution to the greenhouse gas problem and a lack of credit for efficiency gains that have been made, including those arising from new, fuel-efficient aircraft operated by it and other low-cost airlines.
Easyjet launched its campaign at the World Low Cost Airlines Congress in London last month, reflecting the extent to which low-cost carriers have been attacked with the implication that, as US Travel Weekly put it, "they have made leisure flying too popular for the planet's good".
A 15-page report issued by Easyjet cites research findings on aviation's minimal contribution to carbon dioxide emissions and compares these favourably with car and train emissions. In particular, Easyjet attacks Britain's air passenger duty on commercial flights, which was recently doubled, and wants it replaced with a tax on aircraft based primarily on their age. "Focus on polluters, not families," it says.
The EU is in a battle with most of the world's countries and airlines by proposing that emissions trading that will apply to EU carriers in 2011 should extend in 2012 to any airline that lands in or takes off from its airports. Emissions trading imposes a cap on the level of emissions that companies may produce and provides for trading of "allowances" between those above and below the cap. This results in financial benefit for those that reduce their emissions and penalties for those that don't.
The proposal was attacked on the grounds that the EU did not have legal authority. At last month's triennial Assembly of the 190-member International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a majority approved a resolution urging "contracting states not to implement an emissions trading system on other contracting states' aircraft operators except on the basis of mutual agreement".
The representatives of the 42 countries in the European Civil Aviation Conference dissented, reserving their right to apply market-based measures to all operators providing services to, from or within their territories.
The assembly did, however, agree to create a new Group on International Aviation and Climate Change, composed of senior government officials mandated to recommend "an aggressive ICAO Programme of Action". Options to be considered include technological advances, more efficient operations, air traffic control improvements, positive economic incentives and market-based measures.
The EU attacked the ICAO resolution as too weak in opting for "aspirational goals" instead of meaningful emission reduction targets. But it was probably as much as could be expected with the full ICAO assembly grappling with the issue for the first time.
* David Stone is an independent aviation commentator.
Change in the air
* Air NZ and Virgin Atlantic have promised test flights using renewable fuel next year.
* European Union airlines will face emissions trading in 2011.
* The EU wants to extend that regime in 2012 to cover all airlines that land or take off in its territory.
* The International Civil Aviation Organisation opposes the EU plan and has set up its own group to tackle climate change.
