Mon, Sep 20, 2010
NextGen, Environmental Stewardship Top List
The most significant challenges impeding the
sustainable growth of civil aviation in the United States and
around the world can be met through government-industry
cooperation, collaborative strategies and pragmatic policies,
according to a new report released by AIA Thursday.
“The civil aviation industry is firmly committed to
sustainable growth through environmental stewardship – but we
cannot do it alone,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C.
Blakey. “Governments must commit the necessary resources to
implement 21st century air traffic management systems that
complement and enhance private sector efforts.”
The report, titled Civil Aviation Growth in the 21st Century:
Meeting Capacity and Environmental Challenges, identifies safely
expanding the capacity of our national airspace system and
addressing growing environmental and energy concerns as the two
most significant challenges facing civil aviation today and in the
foreseeable future.
“Enabling the commercial viability and availability of
sustainable biofuels for aviation use is one of our top
priorities,” said Blakey. “The Defense Department has
been a real partner with industry in researching and testing
sustainable biofuels. Industry is committed to continuing in that
effort. We expect to see more feedstocks and more processing
methods become viable in the coming years.”
AIA makes several policy recommendations to guide government and
industry toward the timely implementation of the Next Generation
Air Transportation System (NextGen). The report also describes the
mutually supportive roles government and industry can play to
achieve the goal of achieving carbon neutral growth for civil
aviation from 2020 and beyond.
“Civil aviation is a keystone of the U.S. and global
economies,” Blakey said. “The global economic slowdown
has masked the limitations of our national airspace system. Even
so, full economic recovery requires a strong civil aviation sector.
If we’re to meet the rising demand for civil air
transportation in an environmentally responsible way, we’re
going to need strong public investment in sustainable aviation
infrastructure.”
Among the recommendations in the report:
- Design and implement a ‘cash for carbon’ program to
fund NextGen aircraft equipage.
- Establish a mechanism for addressing the issue of FAA ground
infrastructure consolidation and modernization.
- Ensure industry has significant involvement in addressing
NextGen/SESAR harmonization challenges.
- Better leverage international forums like ICAO to create
comprehensive global environmental standards.
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