DOHA, 7 February 2019: Starting this this year, all IATA member airlines will monitor emissions on international flights and report findings to their governments, IATA director general, Alexandre de Juniac, told an aviation gathering this week in Doha.
He called the process a baseline and a license for airlines to gain offsets that they can purchase to support carbon-reduction programmes in other parts of the economy.
The scheme is part of what IATA calls CORSIA — the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation.
“This is a game-changing global agreement on climate change that will enable aviation to achieve carbon-neutral growth from 2020,” the IATA chief told airline and aviation leaders.
“Of course, CORSIA alone is not enough. We are working with governments and across the industry to reduce emissions with new technology, increased deployment of sustainable aviation fuels, improved infrastructure and more efficient operations.
“CORSIA will be mandatory from 2027. Already governments accounting for about 80% of aviation are signed up for the preceding voluntary period. And we are actively encouraging more governments to join.”
He touched on IATA’s campaign to deliver smarter regulation calling it a concept that IATA has been promoting for several years.
“Smarter Regulation results from a dialogue between the industry and governments focused on solving real problems. That discussion should be guided by global standards and informed by a rigorous cost-benefit analysis… to avoid unintended and counter-productive consequences.”
Smarter Regulation is illustrated in IATA Worldwide Slot Guidelines (WSG), a global system for allocating airport slots used at around 200 airports accounting for 43% of global traffic.
He noted that some governments tried to tinker with the system a trend that IATA resists.
“Why? Because allocating a slot at Tokyo, for example, means nothing if there isn’t a corresponding slot available at the destination at the required time. The system will only work if the parties at both ends of a route are using the same rules. Tinkering by any participant messes it up for everybody.”
IATA is currently working with the Airports Council International (ACI) to introduce standard methodology for airports to declare capacity.
Smarter Regulation touches on passenger rights with the IATA chief saying that for nearly 15 years the industry has raised its “concerns over the European Passenger Rights Regulation—the infamous EU 261.”
He called it a confusing, “poorly-worded regulation” that is adding costs to the European industry.
“Plus, it is not doing its best at protecting consumers. Even the European Commission sees the shortcomings of this regulation and has proposed important reforms. But these have been held hostage for years as a result of the implications of the Gibraltar dispute between the UK and Spain.”
“It is absurd that a dispute dating from the early 1700’s—over two centuries before the first airline took flight—is holding up reform of an airline regulation.”
Insisting airlines support passenger rights he called for a “common-sense approach that includes good communication, respectful treatment and proportional compensation when needed.”
Looking at the departure of the UK from the EU, set for 29 March, he warned that the outcome of Brexit talks could compromise the ability of aviation to meet growing demands for connectivity.
“ Irrespective of the political relationship between the UK and Europe we see growing demand by individuals and business for connectivity between the two. Brexit cannot be allowed to undermine that demand.”
Aviation is a global industry that will serve 4.6 billion travellers this year and transport 66 million tonnes of cargo, about a third of global trade.
