Prioritise cutting emissions, public tells aviation industry
Cutting aircraft carbon emissions should be the top priority for the aviation industry, according to research commissioned by air traffic service provider, NATS.
Just over half (52%) of the 1,000 people…
Cutting aircraft carbon emissions should be the top priority for the aviation industry, according to research commissioned by air traffic service provider, NATS.
Just over half (52%) of the 1,000 people polled by Ipsos MORI, believe reducing emissions from flying should be the main objective of any reworking of the nation’s airspace – something that the industry intends to tackle over the coming years.
Improving flight paths (36%) was the next highest priority, followed by cutting noise (32%) and flight times (31%).
Rethinking routes
Much of the UK’s network of air routes and flight paths were originally designed in the 1960s and are now in need of modernisation, not just to cope with growing demand but to allow for the environmental improvements that people want to see.
For example, the current airspace structure doesn’t allow air traffic controllers to take advantage of the navigation capabilities of modern aircraft, NATS says. This would allow for more direct routes and smoother, quieter flight profiles. It would also help reduce carbon emissions per-flight and reduce delays by improving capacity.
Priorities
The research also reveals that 49% of those surveyed would support changes to flight paths, against only 6% who would oppose any changes, with almost six in 10 saying the process should be given the same priority as the roll-out of high-speed broadband.
Ian Jopson, Head of Environment and Community Affairs at NATS, said: “We know that people still want to fly and that demand is growing, but these results show us that people also want to see a reduction in the environmental impact of aviation. Modernising how our airspace is structured and managed is the main way for us to do that.”
While environmental improvements were given top priority, more respondents agreed (45%) than disagreed (21%) that residential areas should also be avoided as far as possible, even if that did mean an increase in fuel burn and emissions.
Jopson added: “These findings are totally in line with the guiding principles around airspace change, with minimising noise for local communities the top priority at lower levels and reducing carbon emissions at higher altitudes.
“That’s exactly the balance we’ll be looking to achieve and we want to work with communities to achieve that.”
Aviation Index
The Aviation Index research provides insights into people’s attitudes to flying – from the factors they take into account when choosing an airline and attitudes to flight safety; through to their concerns about the growing use of drones.
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