11/03/2009
In 2010, the International Air
Transportation Association (IATA) will begin certifying the use of
biofuels for use by 280 of its member companies—a first step in its
change in fuel usage. IATA has estimated that the use of biofuels may
reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80 percent in the commercial
aviation industry. The data show that the introduction of ethanol
would lead to a reduction of nearly 80 kilograms of pollutants
launched in the air by each 747-400 Boeing aircraft in the air.
British Airways, one of the companies interested in using the new
fuel, forecasts that by 2017, 10 percent of the fuel used in
commercial plans will be biofuels.
Analysts point out that aviation
biofuels have a distinct advantage over automobile biofuels in that
aviation would require a much less complex distribution system. With
planes, it is only necessary that 200 airports around the world have
access to the fuel.
The IATA wants governments around the
world to treat the airline industry as a separate segment in the
negotiations on climate change that will occur in Copenhagen Dec.
7-18. IATA is concerned that airline companies from different
countries will be forced to follow different environmental
requirements. The result could be an unfair competition among
companies of developed and emerging economies.