General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
‘UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts’ from the DfT
The Department for Transport produced a report entitled 'UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts' on 22nd November. The 2006 progress report on the 2003 Aviation White Paper required that the government produce updates in 2007, on the latest passenger demand, CO2 forecasting, and appraisal methods, as well as updates on the economic appraisal results. (DfT website)
Click here to view full story...
Business call for plan on climate
Global businesses have called for a legally binding and comprehensive international deal on climate change. This would encourage business to invest in low-carbon technologies, a statement from 150 businesses said. The statement will be sent to environment ministers and heads of state ahead of talks in Bali. (BBC)
Click here to view full story...
UK top for flying fashion
A report on ethical fashion in August 2007 looked at a range of studies which showed that British fashion buyers rely twice as much on air freight for imports from China and India in comparison to French, German or Spanish buyers. Estimates of the greenhouse gas emissions of air freighting fashion varied between 20 and 150 times greater than for sea freight. (Rose Bridger)
Click here to view full story...
Boeing rapped over carbon claims ad
Boeing UK has become the latest firm to have its knuckles rapped by the Advertising Standards Authority over an ad claiming its new 747-8 Intercontinental aircraft would emit less than 75 grams of CO2 per passenger kilometre. (BusinessGreen)
Click here to view full story...
Anger over NATS south coast flight path plans
MPs have criticised a lack of consultation on flight paths to south coast in a House of Commons debate. The new path will be over North Hampshire villages. North West Hampshire MP, Sir George Young initiated Monday evening's debate, over plans by NATS (National Air Traffic Services). (UK Airport News)
Click here to view full story...
BA flying empty ‘ghost planes’ across Atlantic
British Airways is shuttling dozens of empty planes across the Atlantic because it has a shortage of cabin crew. The "phantom" services have been flying between Britain and Canada and the US over the past 2 weeks in order to retain valuable slots at London's airports. Several BA flights took off without a single passenger, using up thousands of tonnes of jet fuel. (Telegraph)
Click here to view full story...
Africa caught in the tough ‘food miles’ war with UK
Kenyan air freighted goods land in Europe as a surging air-miles debate continues threatening to curtail growth in the agriculture sector. Kenya, as an exporting country, feels that air freight has been unfairly picked out as being the prime contributor to carbon emissions and that the concept of ‘food miles’ as indicative of environmental sustainability is misleading. (Business Daily, Kenya)
Click here to view full story...
Examples of crazy cargo being air freighted – some really heavy stuff
Surprisingly, a great deal of really heavyweight shipments are being air freighted. These make a particularly heavy footprint on the earth. Some examples are racing cars and racing car fuel; a 63 tonne ice-skating rink; 80 tonne steel beams and a 4 tonne Buddha statue. All being lifted to 30,000 feet plus in a plane.
Click here to view full story...
‘Food miles’ soared by 31% in a year, study reveals
Almost a third more food was flown into Britain last year than in 2005, embarrassing the Government which has promised to slash the pollution and congestion from "food miles". Air-freight rose 31% in the year to 2006, according to DEFRA, which published the figures on its website without a press notice yesterday, a day after the Soil Association decided not to implement a full ban on air-freighted food. (Independent)
Click here to view full story...
Soil Association – Flown-in organic food rule change
Food flown into the UK will be stripped of its organic status unless it meets new stricter ethical standards, the Soil Association has warned. The association, which certifies 70% of the UK's £1.9bn organic food sector, says firms must show trade brings real benefit to developing world farmers. (BBC)