IATA will support the aviation industry’s efforts to address the impact of climate change

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has assured that it will continue to support the aviation industry’s efforts to address its impact on climate change. This is one of the main items on the agenda of the 40th Assembly of the Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) currently being held in Montreal.

“Three years ago, ICAO member states reached a historic agreement to implement a Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). The entire aviation industry welcomed this important commitment as part of the overall approach to significantly mitigate the impact of climate change on the industry. Today, CORSIA is a reality with airlines tracking their emissions. Unfortunately, there is a real risk that CORSIA will be undermined by governments accumulating additional carbon pricing instruments. They are marked as “green taxes”, but we have not yet seen any funds allocated to actually reduce carbon. CORSIA was agreed as the only global economic measure to achieve carbon-neutral growth by generating $40 billion in climate funds and offsetting around 2.5 billion tons of CO2 between 2021 and 2035. Governments should focus on making that
commitment is a success,” says IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac.

Therefore, IATA, in cooperation with the Airports Council International (ICA), the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO), the International Commercial Aviation Council (IBAC) and the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industry Associations (ICCAIA), coordinated by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) presented a working paper that, inter alia, calls on Governments to:

• Reaffirm the importance of CORSIA at the ICAO Assembly
• Participate in CORSIA from the voluntary period before it becomes mandatory in 2027
• Reaffirm that CORSIA is “the market-based measure applied to _CO2 emissions from international aviation”
• Join the principle that international aviation emissions should be accounted for only once, without duplication

Drones

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS, also known as drones) have enormous potential, including door-to-door shipments, urban air mobility, and the delivery of emergency supplies and medicines in remote areas. However, an absolute prerequisite is its safe and efficient integration into the airspace that is used for passenger transport.

“By 2023, drone operations in the U.S. alone could triple by some estimates. The trend is the same all over the world. The challenge is to ensure that this potential is developed safely. Industry and governments must work in partnership on the global standards and innovations needed to safely reach the tremendous potential of drones,” said de Juniac.

IATA, in cooperation with CANSO and the International Federation of Airline Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) presented a working paper calling on states to work together through ICAO and in cooperation with industry to develop provisions for these new entrants into airspace.

Source: Aerospace News