INSIDE AIR TRAVEL
Eco-Awareness Becoming Priority for Aviation
The aviation industry is trying to balance customer comfort with the need to become more environmentally friendly. At the Farnborough International Airshow this week, aircraft manufacturers are touting fuel efficiency, lower emissions and "greener" building processes.
Airline emissions attract attention from environmentalists. Aviation is a growing source of emissions blamed for global warming, environmentalists say. Proposals that would include aviation in emissions trading systems are generating controversy. Airlines note that aircraft are a relatively small source of emissions and that the economic contribution of aviation exceeds its share of emissions.
Assn. of European Airlines blasted European Parliament endorsement of fuel taxes on domestic and intra-EU flights and other measures aimed at reducing aircraft emissions. AEA Secretary General Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus warned that the policy would lead to "the systematic dismantling of a key industry by political manipulation of its price structure." He argued that the proposed measures would price a large number of airline passengers out of the market, saying, "The mobility of European citizens would be greatly reduced, the competitiveness of European business would be damaged, the economies of Europe's tourist regions would be devastated."
On the corporate front, Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners has established the first European service center for its EcoPower engine washing system at Amsterdam Schiphol with Martinair as its European launch customer. EcoPower is a closed-loop system that uses atomized water rather than detergents to clean aircraft engines at approximately 20% power, meaning that washing can be done at the gate. All residues are collected during the washing process, eliminating runoff, and the water purified for reuse. In addition, the system can improve thrust specific fuel burn and reduce exhaust gas temperature for longer revenue service time, according to the company. In May, Pratt concluded a pilot program with longtime partner Martinair, washing 14 of the carrier's PW4000s. Martinair VP-Maintenance and Engineering Paul Horstink said fuel savings of between 1% and 2% were achieved, a reduction he described as "substantial."
Motivated by fuel economy and environmental concerns, aircraft manufacturers and powerplant makers are designing all their new models, such as the Airbus A380 and A350 or the Boeing 787 and 747-800, with these features in mind and also offering modification kits for existing engines and aircraft. All these actions are very wise considering the threat of global warming and the growth of international air travel.
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