What
are
the
efforts
being
made
in
order
to
cut
carbon
emissions
in
the
commercial
aviation
industry?
Commercial
aviation
has
grown
to
immense
proportions
since
its
humble
beginnings
commencing
in
December
1903
with
the
Wright
Brother’s
first
flight.
This
first
flight
spanned
a
humble
36
metres,
which
was
completed
in
12
seconds.
This
was
then
followed
a
year
later
by
a
five
minute
flight.
The
first
crash
took
place
in
1908
when
the
first
passenger
carrying
flight
went
down
killing
the
two
passengers
however
sparing
the
captain,
Orville
Wright.
Since
then
aviation
and
commercial
aviation
in
particular
has
grown
to
enormous
proportions
with
humans
being
able
to
travel
huge
expanses
in
very
little
time.
Commercial
aviation
has
spread
to
nearly
every
country
in
the
world
and
is
accessible
to
many.
Passenger
numbers
have
grown
immensely
since
the
60’s
and
70’s
when
flying
was
considered
luxurious
and
romantic
due
to
the
reduction
in
prices
and
the
rise
in
low‐cost
carriers
(LCC).
It
has
given
almost
anyone
the
possibility
to
fly
especially
when
there
are
extremely
cheap
fares,
for
example
for
a
trip
from
London‐Dublin
for
47
Pounds
Return.1
These
cheap
fares
have
sparked
a
new
era
in
air
travel,
and
with
this
greatly
increased
passenger
numbers.
BAA,
the
British
Airports
Authority
owns
London
Heathrow,
London
Gatwick,
London
Stansted,
Edinburgh,
Glasgow,
Southampton
and
Aberdeen
airports.
They
have
been
claimed
to
have
a
great
monopoly
on
British
airports
and
therefore
must
sell
one
of
their
properties
in
order
to
increase
competition
in
the
market
so
that
passenger
levels
are
increased
and
the
best
quality
product
possible
is
supplied.
BAA
handles
approximately
150
million
passengers
a
year
through
these
airports,
Heathrow
alone
sees
67.8
million
passengers.
All
of
BAA’s
airports
have
reported
an
increase
in
passenger
numbers
of
about
1.6%,
except
for
Glasgow
airport
that
showed
a
decline
in
passenger
numbers,
presumably
due
to
the
terrorist
attacks
that
took
place
there.
However,
this
great
growth
has
sparked
great
concern
to
many
in
recent
years
as
airlines,
however
efficient
they
are,
are
still
burning
unsustainable
fuel
which
is
harming
our
environment
by
expelling
huge
amounts
of
carbon
emissions
all
over
the
world.
There
are
two
motivations
for
airlines
and
aircraft
manufacturers
to
cut
down
on
this:
i) the
amount
of
carbon
emissions
that
are
expelled
by
planes
each
and
everyday
1
http://www.bookryanair.com/skysales/FRSelect.aspx
Booking
for
Ryanair
from
London
Stansted
(STD)
–
Dublin
(DUB)
on
the
04.03.09
–
12.03.09
accessed
on
26/11/08
ii)
the
fact
that
the
most
expensive
part
of
running
an
aircraft
is
the
fuel.
The
question
is
however,
is
anything
being
done
in
order
to
change
this?
This
investigation
was
launched
in
order
to
find
an
answer
to
this
from
several
different
sides
of
the
argument.
Part
1.
Airline
Manufacturers
i)
Airbus
The
world’s
first
commercial
jet
airliner
was
the
De
Havilland
Comet,
which
had
its
first
flight
in
July
1949.
The
difference
between
this
plane
and
its
predecessors
was
the
fact
that
it
was
more
fuel
efficient
and
much
quieter
–
this
is
what
revolutionized
the
turbo
prop
engine.
Since
then
many
different
airframes
and
engines
have
been
built
and
improved,
which
has
improved
the
fuel
efficiency
of
the
airliner
and
the
noise
that
is
expelled
by
the
engine,
creating
a
higher
level
of
personal
comfort.
The
two
major
aircraft
manufacturers
today
are
the
American
Boeing,
and
the
European,
contributed
to
by
the
three
nations
of
Britain,
Germany,
Spain
and
France,
Airbus.
Airbus
has
its
headquarters
located
in
Toulouse,
France,
however
they
also
have
major
facilities
in
Hamburg,
Germany
as
well
as
Broughton,
UK
an
Seville,
Spain.
Airbus
was
set
up
in
order
to
compete
with
the
American
manufacturers,
Boeing,
McDonald
Douglas
and
Lockheed.
Currently,
Airbus
employs
57,000
people
and
creates
a
revenue
of
$39
Billion
USD2
and
has
made
more
aircraft
deliveries
than
Boeing
in
the
last
five
years,
as
well
as
having
the
tendency
to
receive
more
orders
than
Boeing
since
2000.
Airbus
has
four
different
aircraft
families,
ranging
from
the
smallest
A320
family
to
the
super
jumbo
A380
family.
In
between
there
are
the
A300/A310
family
as
well
as
the
A330/A340
family.3
Airbus
hope
to
release
their
next
aircraft
within
the
next
five
years,
which
will
be
the
Airbus
A350
which
is
said
to
be
Airbus’
answer
to
the
super
efficient
Boeing
787
as
well
as
the
777.
2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus
accessed
on
the
30/11/2008
3
http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/
accessed
on
the
30/11/08
Airbus
A350‐XWB
The
Airbus
A350
is
what
is
known
as
an
XWB
or
an
Xtra
Wide
Body.
This
essentially
means
that
the
fuselage
of
this
aircraft
is
wider
than
other
aircrafts.
Airbus
decided
to
use
this
idea
as
the
original
plans
for
the
A350
were
to
use
an
upgraded
version
of
the
A330
fuselage,
however
this
was
not
seen
as
an
innovative
step
forward
which
meant
that
they
had
to
come
up
with
something
completely
different.
Hence
they
decided
to
expand
the
fuselage
of
the
existing
A330
model
in
order
to
come
up
with
what
is
now
planned
to
be
the
A350.
The
A350
will
be
the
first
modern
airliner
with
a
fuselage
primarily
made
of
composites
of
titanium
and
aluminum.
4
Overall
the
A350
will
have
an
advanced
cockpit,
a
brand
new
fuselage,
efficient
Rolls
Royce
Trent
engines
and
highly
advanced
wing
design.5
The
A350’s
wing
design
will
increase
speed
while
reducing
drag
and
therefore
noise,
this
will
make
the
A350
airliner
to
date.
The
A350
has
taken
a
lot
of
the
advanced
ideas
from
the
A380
and
applied
it
in
a
more
advanced
way.
This
means
that
it
will
be
even
more
efficient
than
Airbus’
currently
most
efficient
model.
The
A350‐XWB
model
was
presented
in
April
2006
at
the
Farnborough
Air
Show,
where
airlines
and
manufacturers
like
Airbus
have
to
opportunity
of
display
new
aircraft
models
and
receive
a
lot
of
orders
due
to
this.
So
far
458
orders
for
the
all
three
Airbus
A350
models
have
been
made.6
The
entry
of
the
A350
into
the
commercial
aviation
industry
is
hoped
to
be
in
20137.
4
http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a350/efficiency/fuselage.html
accessed
on
02/12/2008
5
http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a350/efficiency/index.html
accessed
on
2/12/08
6
http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a350/efficiency/index.html
accessed
on
02/12/2008
7
http://www.gizmag.com/go/5880/
accessed
on
the
30/11/2008
The
A350XWB
displayed
at
the
Airbus
stand
of
the
Farnborough
Air
Show
2008
Airbus
A380
The
Airbus
A380
is
the
largest
passenger
aircraft
in
the
world
to
date.
It
is
able
to
carry
35%
more
passengers
than
it’s
competitors,
yet
it
burns
12%
less
fuel
per
seat.
This
greatly
decreases
operating
costs
for
the
airlines
involved
as
well
as
reducing
its
affect
on
the
environment.
The
A380
has
revolutionized
air
travel
by
creating
a
benchmark
in
passenger
comfort.
The
additional
space
is
used
to
the
passenger’s
advantage
and
the
little
engine
sound
makes
the
A380
a
revolutionary
way
to
travel.8
The
Airbus
A380
is
head
and
shoulders
above
its
main
competitor.
It
is
the
cleanest
way
to
travel
and
has
also
managed
to
reduce
noise
pollution
for
those
living
in
airport
vicinities.
The
A380
is
said
to
be
a
whole
four
decibels
quieter
than
the
Boeing
747
and
therefore
will
make
a
50%
reduction
in
noise
levels.
The
A380
will
even
be
assigned
a
category
four‐noise
level.9
The
A380’s
design
aims
were
to
use
existing
airport
infrastructure
so
that
airports
would
not
have
to
be
greatly
modified
as
well
as
reducing
operation
costs
by
15‐20%
compared
to
the
Boeing
74710.
As
the
A380
was
to
be
designed
in
order
to
fit
into
existing
Airport
structures
they
needed
to
find
a
solution
for
a
wingspan
problem.
There
is
a
limit
on
the
wingspan
of
airliners
in
airports
as
they
need
to
be
able
to
taxi
and
dock
at
the
terminal
while
still
allowing
space
for
other
aircrafts.
This
was
especially
important
for
busy
airports
for
which
the
A380
was
intended
as
a
solution
to
congestion.
As
the
A380
is
the
largest
airliner
in
the
world
a
larger
wingspan
was
needed
in
order
to
create
enough
lift
for
the
plane
to
fly.
After
testing
in
wind
tunnels
it
was
found
that
drag
was
created
at
the
wingtips
and
that
a
great
amount
of
lift
was
lost
due
to
this.
As
a
solution
Airbus
placed
winglets
(these
are
placed
on
the
wing
tip
and
increase
the
aspect
ratio
without
increasing
the
wingspan
–
these
are
commonly
used
on
aircrafts
today
in
order
to
cut
operating
costs)
on
the
tip
of
the
wings
of
03/12/2008
9
http://www.fraport.de/cms/a380/rubrik/7/7683.htm
Fraport(Frankfurt
Airport)
A380
Mini‐site
accessed
on
03/12/08
10
http://www.airliners.net/aircraft‐data/stats.main?id=29
Airlliners.net
History
of
A380
–
accessed
on
03/12/2008
8
http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a380/index2.html
accessed
on
the
A380
in
order
to
keep
the
wingspan
at
the
allowed
length
so
that
the
aircraft
is
able
to
use
the
properly
equipped
airports.
The
A380
Wingtips
as
well
as
the
curvature
of
the
wing
–
Picture
taken
at
the
Farnborough
Air
Show
2008
Airbus
has
adapted
their
aircraft
designs
to
fit
the
need
of
the
modern
airline.
They
have
revolutionized
air
travel
by
introducing
a
super
jumbo
while
at
the
same
time
cutting
operation
costs
as
well
as
pollution
–
therefore
trying
to
protect
the
environment.
It
is
obvious
that
they
are
aiming
towards
creating
even
more
efficient
aircrafts
and
continuing
to
reach
new
heights.
Airbus
have
demonstrated
that
they
are
more
than
capable
of
creating
efficient
aircrafts
while
at
the
same
time
making
an
impact
for
the
consumer
and
seem
to
have
the
ability
of
doing
this
consistently
and
the
release
of
the
highly
anticipated
A350
could
only
build
on
an
already
very
positive
reputation.
Boeing
Boeing
is
the
largest
airplane
manufacturer
in
the
world.
They
are
the
largest
exporter
of
the
United
States
and
are
based
in
Chicago,
USA.
Boeing
currently
has
about
159,300
employees11
and
created
record
revenue
of
$4.1
billion
in
2007
–
an
84%
jump
from
2006.12
One
of
Boeing’s
chief
aims
is
to
reduce
operation
costs
for
their
aircrafts
as
well
as
reducing
the
impact
on
the
environment.
Boeing
has
also
invested
substantially
into
Bio‐fuels.
In
addition
to
this
Boeing
are
also
looking
towards
renewable
energy,
noise
reduction
and
air
traffic
system
efficiency.13
Boeing
has
been
hugely
successful
with
their
aircraft
designs.
In
August
2007,
the
7000th
Boeing
737
was
ordered.
The
737
aircraft
family
is
the
most
successful
aircraft
family
in
history
which
only
speaks
for
Boeing’s
success14.
In
2008
a
total
of
640
orders
were
made,
479
for
the
737
and
a
further
78
for
the
highly
anticipated
78715.
Boeing
are
currently
testing
on
the
787,
the
latest
test
was
a
wing‐ break
tests
in
order
to
check
the
wing
flex16.
The
787
is
months
behind
schedule
which
has
put
doubt
into
the
minds
of
the
shareholders,
however
Boeing
is
working
hard
to
bring
the
787
through
its
test
period
as
quickly
as
possible
in
order
to
keep
orders
of
airlines
awaiting
delivery
and
so
that
more
airlines
will
order
still
look
to
order
that
model
in
future.
From
2006‐2008
763
787’s
have
been
ordered17,and
a
total
of
over
900
have
been
ordered.
Japanese
carrier
All
Nippon
Airways
will
be
the
first
airline
to
take
delivery
of
the
787.
11
http://www.indeed.com/cmp/Boeing
Boeing
Company
Information
‐
accessed
on
04/12/2008
12
http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/earnings/2008‐01‐30‐ boeing_N.htm
Boeing
Revenue
‐
accessed
on
04/12/2008
13
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/environment/index.html
Boeing
Company
Research
and
Investigation
–
accessed
on
04/12/2008
14
http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2007/q3/070809d_pr.html
Boeing
‐
7000th
737
order
–
accessed
on
04/12/2008
15
http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/index.cfm
Boeing
Orders(Updated
on
the
02/12/2008)
–
accessed
on
04/12/2008
16
http://787milestones.tpninteractive.com/
Boeing
Wing
Break
Test
–
accessed
on
04/12/2008
17
http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/index.cfm?content=displaystanda rdreport.cfm&RequestTimeout=500&optReportType=AnnOrd&pageid=m15521
Boeing
Orders
of
2006‐2008
–
accessed
on
04/12/08
The
Boeing
787
family
is
being
manufactured
to
respond
to
the
needs
of
airlines
today.
The
key
concepts
of
this
aircraft
are
to
“provide
airlines
with
fuel
efficiency,
resulting
in
exceptional
environmental
performance”18.
This
aircraft
will
use
20%
less
fuel
than
similar
sized
aircrafts
today19.
It
has
been
announced
that
up
to
50%
of
the
aircraft
will
be
made
of
composite
materials,
which
will
reduce
the
weight
of
the
plane
and
as
a
consequence
reduce
fuel
consumption.
The
787
will
also
benefit
the
customer,
as
the
cabin
will
have
a
higher
humidity
than
previous
models
making
it
a
more
comfortable
journey
for
the
passenger.
A
large
number
of
new
technologies
will
be
used
on
the
787
in
order
to
make
these
revolutionary
changes.
I
asked
a
Boeing
Representative
a
few
Questions
about
the
company
and
future
plans:
These
Questions
were
answered
by
Marc
Chere,
working
in
sales
and
is
based
in
London,
UK.
1.What
effort
is
Boeing
making
in
order
to
create
more
environmentally
friendly
aircrafts?
Boeing
is
very
committed
to
improving
the
environment.
We
are
not
only
working
on
new
aircraft
but
we
are
proposing
changes
to
existing
aircraft
that
are
flying
so
they
can
lower
their
emissions.
2.
Is
Boeing
promoting
these
planes
to
large
airlines
or
other
major
customers?
Yes.
We
have
sold
over
900
new
787s
to
many
major
airlines
around
the
world.
The
787
will
lower
CO2
and
other
emissions
more
than
20%.
from
Boeing
Website
‐
accessed
on
04/12/08
19
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/787family/background.html
Boeing
787
information
‐
accessed
on
04/12/08
18
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/787family/background.html
Quote
3.
Are
older
models
able
to
take
part
in
upgrades
in
order
to
reduce
carbon
emissions?
Yes.
Winglets
(the
little
part
of
the
sticks
up
at
the
end
of
the
wing)
can
lower
the
carbon
emissions
by
up
to
6%.
We
are
offering
winglets
on
our
737,
747,
767,
and
777
products.
4.
How
is
the
B787
different
to
previous
models?
It
is
the
first
large
aircraft
that
is
almost
all
composites.
It
is
lighter
weight
and
has
a
very
new
engine.
The
best
way
to
lower
carbon
emissions
is
to
lower
the
weight
(less
fuel
burn)
and
to
build
new
engines
that
are
more
efficient.
5.
How
is
the
B747‐8
different
from
previous
747
models?
The
747‐8
is
larger
that
the
747‐400,
has
a
new
wing
design,
uses
more
advanced
materials,
and
will
have
the
same
engines
as
the
787.
The
carbon
emissions
of
the
747‐8
will
be
about
15%
less
than
the
747‐400
and
about
30%
less
than
the
747‐200.
6.
Do
you
believe
that
improving
the
fuel
efficiency
of
your
aircrafts
is
the
future
of
commercial
aviation?
Absolutely.
Fuel
is
the
most
expensive
part
of
operating
an
aircraft
and
of
course
is
directly
linked
to
how
much
carbon
is
emitted
from
the
aircraft.
The
good
news
is
that
we
are
always
trying
to
find
ways
to
lower
fuel
burn
on
aircraft
because
it
helps
lower
the
cost
of
operation
and
it
lowers
the
carbon
emissions.
7.
Do
you
as
an
individual
try
to
take
care
of
the
environment
and
is
this
important
to
you?
Yes,
this
is
very
important
to
my
family
and
I.
We
not
only
believe
in
lowering
of
carbon
emissions
but
we
want
the
world
to
greatly
reduce
the
amount
of
chemicals
it
uses.
The
world
uses
too
many
chemicals
every
day
and
this
is
also
having
a
negative
impact
to
our
environment.
Biofuels
–
Boeing
is
currently
heavily
investing
into
Biofuel
research
for
commercial
airplanes.
There
are
several
challenges
in
developing
biofuel
for
aircrafts.
These
fuels
should
be
able
to
perform
at
low
temperatures
as
well
as
high.
A
normal
cruise
flight
temperature
is
around
‐30
C
degrees,
therefore
a
fuels
is
needed
with
a
very
low
freezing
point
as
it
needs
to
be
operationally
stable
at
all
times
of
the
flight.
The
fuel
must
also
be
stable
at
high
temperatures
and
airports
as
well
as
airlines
need
to
store
this
effectively.
The
alternative
fuels
should
also
have
a
much
higher
energy
output
than
input
–
essentially
they
must
deliver
much
more
energy
than
what
is
used
to
make
them.
For
biodiesel
from
soybeans
this
is
the
case.
The
energy
release
for
this
is
approximately
3.4
times
as
much
as
the
amount
of
energy
it
takes
to
make
them.
Ethanol
however
only
has
1.32
times
more
energy
going
out.
i) ii) iii) There
are
several
types
of
alternative
fuels
–
Synthetic
–
these
come
from
natural
gas,
coal
or
bio
Biofuels
–
these
come
from
oil
based
food
stock
such
as
soybeans
Other
–
these
come
from
substances
such
as
ethanol,
methane
and
liquid
hydrogen.
Currently
over
322
billion
litres
of
biojet
fuel
is
needed
to
sustain
the
world
fleet.
Biojet
fuel
that
originally
comes
from
soybeans
collects
560
litres
of
oil
per
hectare
and
therefore
a
plantation
the
size
of
Europe
stretching
from
Turkey
to
Scotland
and
Finland
to
Portugal
would
be
needed
in
order
to
produce
this.
An
answer
to
this
would
be
using
local
methods
in
order
to
create
biojet
fuel.
In
Brazil
the
Babassu
nut
can
be
used
in
order
to
extract
oil
to
create
biojet
fuel.
Therefore
instead
of
having
one
single
enormous
plantation,
several
smaller
plantations
could
be
set
up
using
the
local
possibilities.
Boeing
is
currently
involved
in
several
projects
in
order
to
face
this
mammoth
task.
They
are
working
with
suppliers
such
as
Virgin
Fuels
who
are
looking
to
use
alternative
fuels
in
order
to
power
airplanes.
Virgin
Atlantic
is
hoping
to
do
this
in
the
near
term.
Boeing
is
also
focusing
on
a
near
term
solution
to
finding
a
drop
in
alternative
fuel.
A
drop
in
fuel
means
that
it
can
be
transferred
directly
from
a
pump
or
truck
into
an
aircraft.
Also,
Boeing
has
created
the
Commercial
Aviation
Alternative
Fuels
Initiative
or
the
CAAFI
who
are
looking
to
coordinate
the
industry
and
are
also
looking
to
establish
a
European
version
of
this
in
order
to
spread
the
interest
of
Alternative
fuels
to
airlines
on
the
other
side
of
the
Atlantic.
A
complete
alternative
to
using
feed
stock
based
oil
would
be
to
look
into
using
a
form
of
algae.
As
was
said
over
322
billion
litres
of
biojet
fuel
would
be
needed
to
sustain
the
world
fleet,
however
a
much
smaller
way
of
doing
this
would
be
to
use
an
algae
base
oil.
This
would
only
require
about
35
square
kilometers,
an
area
around
the
same
size
as
Belgium,
meaning
that
it
would
be
a
much
easier
project
for
countries
or
private
investors
to
invest
in.
This
idea
is
however
still
in
a
very
primal
phase
and
therefore
could
only
be
applied
in
the
long
term.
In
the
meantime
however
a
solution
is
still
needed.
This
could
be
a
mixture
of
current
fuel
as
well
as
sustainable
fuel.
A
50‐50
split
could
administer
this.
This
would
require
a
feasible
biojet
fuel
originating
from
a
plant
of
algae,
mixed
with
a
synthetic
fuel
from
coal
or
natural
gas.
This
is
however
also
in
the
very
beginning
stages
but
it
presents
a
larger
chance
and
a
short‐term
solution
–
as
opposed
to
other
longer‐ term
solutions.
In
conclusion
it
seems
that
Boeing
is
making
a
very
large
effort
to
reduce
carbon
emissions
and
therefore
protect
the
environment.
Not
only
are
they
looking
to
release
a
super
efficient
aircraft
within
the
year,
however
they
are
also
heavily
involved
with
an
organization
dedicated
to
Alternative
fuels
–
let
alone
investing
a
large
amount
of
money
into
research
for
this.
Boeing
is
keen
to
find
a
biojet
fuel
that
can
efficiently
and
effectively
power
and
aircraft
while
at
the
same
time
being
a
convenient
substance.
The
main
challenges
they
face
are
finding
a
way
to
lower
the
freezing
point
for
a
biojet
fuel
so
that
it
can
be
fully
usable
under
high
altitude
conditions.
Also
the
recession
that
is
taking
place
will
surely
not
help
with
their
efforts
to
protect
the
planet.
Part
2
–
Airlines
Although
the
responsibility
of
designing
and
constructing
new
aircrafts
lies
upon
the
manufacturers
it
is
the
airlines
that
use
the
airplanes
on
a
regular
basis.
Therefore
the
choice
of
aircraft
is
vitally
important
in
reducing
aircraft
costs
and
maintaining
a
good
fuel
efficiency
record.
In
the
UK
of
the
556.2
million
tones
of
carbon
emissions
are
expelled
each
year
and
of
this
37.5
million
are
contributed
by
the
aviation
industry20.
This
is
due
to
the
number
of
flights
that
are
undertaken
by
airlines
all
over
the
world.
With
so
many
flights
and
so
much
carbon
being
expelled
by
airlines,
is
there
anything
being
done
in
order
to
work
against
this?
There
are
several
things
that
airlines
can
do
in
order
to
reduce
carbon
emissions.
Airlines
have
a
variety
of
options
to
choose
from.
Several
support
various
initiatives
that
aim
towards
offsetting
carbon
emissions
whereas
others
tend
to
involve
themselves
in
new
technologies
to
reduce
carbon
emissions
as
well
as
operational
costs.
Also
airlines
can
optimize
route
planning
so
that
as
little
fuel
as
possible
is
used
in
ascent
and
descent.
Most
airlines
also
look
to
buy
the
newest
technologies
so
that
the
fuel
level
of
fuel
efficiency
is
as
high
as
possible.
The
use
of
winglets
also
reduced
fuel
burn21.
When
these
factors
are
all
combined,
the
carbon
emissions
and
fuel
burn
are
somewhat
reduced;
however
this
does
not
solve
the
entire
problem.
Several
airlines
are
linked
up
to
a
carbon
emission
offsetting
plan,
meaning
that
the
traveler
can
add
to
their
airfare
an
amount
of
money
that
goes
towards
a
project
in
order
to
counterbalance
the
amount
of
carbon
that
is
expelled.
This
is
done
by
investing
in
a
project
where
trees
are
built
in
order
to
produce
the
required
amount
of
oxygen
in
order
to
cancel
out
the
carbon
dioxide.
Airlines
advertise
this
as
flying
neutral
and
it
seems
to
give
the
passenger
a
sense
of
doing
some
good
for
our
planet.
Northwest
Airlines,
or
NWA,
has
now
become
a
subsidiary
of
Delta
Airlines.
Northwest
has
it’s
headquarters
in
Eagan,
Minnesota,
close
to
Minneapolis
International
airport
–
a
major
hub
to
the
airline.
NWA
has
three
hubs
in
the
United
States,
Minneapolis,
Memphis
and
Detroit
and
also
has
a
strong
presence
in
Tokyo’s
Narita
Airport
and
Amsterdam’s
Schiphol
Airport.
As
of
2006,
NWA
is
the
6th
largest
airline
in
the
world.
Northwest
currently
has
a
fleet
of
336
aircrafts,
with
another
25
on
order,
which
serve
225
destinations.
In
2008,
Northwest
and
Delta
Airlines
merged
to
create
the
largest
airline
in
the
world
which
raised
concerns
with
many
environmental
activists.
So
is
Northwest
airlines
making
an
effort
in
order
to
protect
the
environment?
Has
this
changed
since
the
merger
with
Delta
Airlines?
20
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate‐change/airline‐
emissions‐far‐higher‐than‐previous‐estimates‐821598.html
‐
Figures
of
Aviation
Carbon
emissions
–
accessed
on
07/12/2008
21
http://www.airlines.org/economics/energy/fuel+efficiency.htm
Fuel
efficiency
ideas
–
accessed
on
07/12/2008
I
asked
Aaron
Robinson
who
works
for
Northwest
Airline’s
in
Eagan,
MN.
What
is
Northwest
doing
in
order
to
reduce
carbon
emissions?
Is
it
an
important
part
of
Northwest
operations?
For
a
summary
of
various
fuel
initiatives
we’ve
undertaken,
please
see
pages
35
of
the
Corporate
Environmental
Responsibility
Report.
As
you
probably
know,
CO2
emissions
are
directly
proportional
to
fuel
consumption.
Given
that
fuel
costs
have
been
40%
of
the
airline’s
costs
in
2008,
curbing
our
fuel
use
as
much
as
possible
is
always
a
high
priority.
To
attach
some
numbers,
we
spent
$3.4
billion
on
fuel
in
2007,
and
might
spend
$5+
billion
this
year.
Has
Northwest
Airlines
considered
following
some
airlines
such
as
Virgin
Atlantic
by
using
a
bio‐fuel
for
its
aircrafts?
I’m
afraid
I
can’t
comment
on
this,
sorry.
When
buying
aircrafts
is
fuel
efficiency
a
large
factor
in
deciding
which
model
is
suitable
for
the
airline?
Yes,
fuel
efficiency
is
certainly
an
important
factor,
but
it’s
not
the
only
one.
Among
others,
considerations
include
passenger/cargo
capacity,
aircraft/engine
performance
capabilities
(range,
payload
capability,
takeoff
capability),
maintenance
costs,
training
costs,
airport
equipment
considerations,
noise
restrictions,
fleet
simplification,
and
of
course
cost.
Like
most
things
in
life,
tradeoffs
between
various
facets
are
required.
How
does
Northwest
Airlines
look
to
the
future?
Do
they
have
a
clear
plan
as
to
new
aircrafts,
different
fuels
etc?
Do
fuel
efficiency
and
carbon
emissions
have
a
big
role
in
this?
Northwest
is
currently
in
the
midst
of
a
$6
billion
fleet
renewal
program.
We
have
replaced
our
DC910s
and
727200s
with
A319s
and
A320s,
DC10s
and
747200s
with
A330200s
and
A330300s,
and
are
currently
replacing
many
of
our
remaining
DC9s
with
Embraer
175s
and
CRJ900s.
Fleet
renewal
has
helped
Northwest
improve
its
fuel
efficiency
(we
measure
in
RPMs/gallon)
by
31%
since
2000,
and
61%
since
1990.
We
are
proud
to
point
out
that
we
have
the
youngest
and
most
fuel
efficient
fleet
of
any
U.S.
airline
across
both
the
Atlantic
and
the
Pacific.
See
the
Carbon
Emissions
Policy
for
more
details.
How
environmentally
friendly
do
you
rate
Northwest’s
operations?
Do
you
believe
that
they
are
doing
well
to
protect
the
environment
or
is
there
still
a
lot
of
room
for
improvement?
It
is
my
hope
that
reading
the
included
documents
will
give
you
a
sense
of
your
opinion
rather
than
mine.
I
hope
you’ll
consider
that
we
are
the
official
airline
partner
of
The
Nature
Conservancy,
one
of
the
world’s
largest
and
most
trusted
environmental
organizations,
and
that
we
recently
received
the
Minnesota
Governor’s
Award
for
Pollution
Prevention.
Overall
though,
I
think
it’s
a
matter
of
perspective—admittedly,
burning
thousands
of
gallons
of
fuel
per
hour
is
not
good
for
the
environment.
But
is
the
alternative
(driving)
worse?
Northwest
currently
flies
65
passengermiles/gallon—compare
this
to
the
U.S.
DOT’s
reported
36
passengermiles/gallon
for
cars.
Will
any
of
this
change
once
Northwest
is
fully
integrated
into
the
Delta
brand?
The
overall
picture
would
not
be
expected
to
change.
As
far
as
specifics,
It’s
too
early
to
say
for
sure,
but
I
can
tell
you
that
Northwest’s
Environmental
Director,
Tim
McGraw,
has
been
named
the
Environmental
Director
for
the
merged
airline.
As
we
can
see
by
these
answers,
NWA
is
certainly
making
an
effort
to
improve
their
fuel
efficiency.
They
are
undertaking
a
6
billion
dollar
fleet
renewal
program
and
take
the
environment
seriously.
It
seems
that
they
realize
the
threat
that
is
being
posed
to
the
environment
by
air
travel
and
are
clearly
trying
to
work
against
this.
This
is
a
commendable
effort
in
an
industry
that
often
lacks
the
initiative
to
excel.
It
seems
that
airlines
are
making
an
effort
in
order
to
reduce
their
carbon
emissions
however
it
is
apparent
that
they
are
more
interested
in
reducing
operational
as
this
is
what
is
hurting
the
airlines
most.
Business
will
always
come
first
but
the
environment
is
another
issue
of
importance
to
airlines
is
it
gives
them
a
positive
image
and
as
well
as
being
the
ethical
thing
to
do.
The
current
financial
environment
however
does
not
seem
to
be
the
best
time
to
completely
renovate
an
airline
fleet,
but
it
is
also
not
a
time
to
be
wasteful
with
fuel.
A
combination
of
these
two
will
hopefully
allow
us
to
see
a
gradual
increase
in
airline
efficiency,
be
it
somewhat
slower
than
some
would
like.
Part
3
–
Carbon
Off
setters
Carbon
off
setting
has
recently
become
quite
popular
for
the
environmentally
aware
traveler.
It
gives
the
customer
the
ability
to
set
right
what
it
is
doing
wrong.
In
this
case
–
the
customer
is
paying
to
support
projects,
which
range
greatly
in
order
to
produce
oxygen
to
counter
the
effects
of
the
large
amounts
of
carbon
dioxide
that
are
produced
when
flying.
Sever
airlines;
such
as
Qantas
Airways
have
added
this
to
their
services
as
an
airline,
encouraging
the
passengers
to
take
part
in
this
project
by
using
celebrities
as
endorsements22.
The
22
http://www.qantas.com.au/info/flying/flyCarbonNeutral/index
‐
Qantas’
Flying
Neutral
Plan
–
accessed
on
09/12/2008
traveler
can
also
decide
to
offset
their
emissions
at
a
third
party
organization,
of
which
there
are
quite
a
few.
Carbon
off
setting
has
been
highly
criticized
since
it’s
introduction,
as
there
is
no
real
guarantee
that
the
money
that
is
spent
by
the
customer
is
put
to
any
good
use.
It
can
never
be
guaranteed
that
the
money
is
going
to
the
project
that
the
customer
intended
it
to,
however
there
are
certain
organizations
that
have
been
chosen
by
the
United
Nations
to
be
genuine
and
are
marked
as
Certified
Emissions
Reductions
or
CER’s23.
Here
is
a
short
comparison
of
some
carbon
off
setting
plans:
Organization
Qantas
Airways24
LHR‐SIN
CO2
Emissions
(T)
SIN‐SYD
CO2
Emissions
(T)
LHR‐SYD
CO2
Emissions
(T)
Cost:
1.148
Climate
Care25
1.62
Live
Neutral26
2.13
Carbon
Neutral27
1.3
My
Climate28
2.612
0.163
0.88
1.67
0.8
1.435
1.761
2.84
4.07
2.1
4.047
16.74
AUD
(7.90
GBP)
24.50
GBP
24.00
USD
16.24
GBP
17.85
or
29.40GBP
157.00
or
469.00
CHF
(87.70
or
261.98
GBP)
accessed
on
09/12/2008
24
http://www.qantas.com.au/info/flying/flyCarbonNeutral/index
‐
Qantas
Caron
Neutral
‐
accessed
on
09/12/2008
25
http://www.climatecare.org/
‐
Climate
Care
‐accessed
on
09/12/2008
26
http://www.liveneutral.org/flyneutral
‐
Live
Neutral
‐
accessed
on
09/12/2008
27
http://www.carbonneutral.com/cncalculators/flightcalculator.asp
‐
Carbon
Neutral
‐
accessed
on
09/12/2008
23
http://www.greenaviation.org/managed_aviation
‐
Carbon
Offsetters
‐
Note:
Flights
are
One‐Way
LHR‐SIN‐SYD
in
Economy
Class
for
one
passenger
LHR
–
London
Heathrow
Airport
SIN
–
Singapore
Changi
Airport
SYD‐Sydney
Kingsford
Smith
Airport
It
is
clear
by
looking
at
this
table
that
the
carbon
off
setters
are
not
consistently
priced
or
calculated.
Prices
ranged
from
around
8
pounds
to
261
pounds
for
the
same
route.
It
is
difficult
to
see
which
is
more
reliable
and
which
organization
will
offer
the
best
value
for
your
money.
After
all
it
is
no
use
to
spend
over
200
pounds
for
something
that
could
be
done
with
a
lot
less.
This
does
however
also
depend
on
the
projects
that
are
offered.
It
cannot
be
proven
that
carbon
offsetting
is
successful,
yet
if
the
money
is
truly
reaching
the
areas
where
it
is
required
and
is
developing
in
a
positive
way,
then
there
can
be
little
harm
in
the
exercise.
The
customer
must
however
be
careful
in
whom
the
money
is
invested
as
it
is
not
unusual
that
these
kind
of
projects
are
used
negatively.
Although
the
aviation
industry
contributes
only
about
11%
of
carbon
emissions
to
the
planet,
concern
has
grown
as
this
number
is
always
rising.
For
this
reason
it
is
necessary
for
airlines,
as
well
as
manufacturers
to
take
action.
For
manufacturers
it
is
mainly
focused
on
designing
and
constructing
more
efficient
aircrafts
that
will
pollute
less
in
areas
of
noise
as
well
as
greenhouse
gasses.
Biojet
fuel
is
also
in
need
of
more
development
to
become
a
feasible
alternative
to
regular
jet
fuel.
Money
however
is
being
invested
greatly
in
these
areas,
which
is
a
positive
sign
of
growth
and
development.
Airlines
also
have
a
responsibility
of
making
their
operations
as
efficient
as
possible.
They
can
adjust
several
aspects
to
make
a
difference
such
as
optimizing
flight
paths
or
investing
in
more
efficient
aircrafts
that
will
deliver
the
optimum
in
fuel
efficiency.
For
airlines
however
it
seems
that
the
28
https://myclimate.myclimate.org/calculate_flight?locale=e3‐CH
‐
My
Climate
–
accessed
on
09/12/2008
environmental
aspect
is
taking
second
place
to
a
more
important
operational
cost
due
to
the
difficult
financial
situation.
Carbon
off
setters
claim
to
be
helping
the
environment
by
countering
the
CO2
emissions
caused
by
airplanes.
It
is
however
questionable
how
legitimate
these
operations
are
which
raises
doubts
in
the
minds
of
many.
Theoretically,
yes,
a
large
effort
is
being
made
to
reduce
carbon
emissions
that
are
expelled
due
to
the
aviation
industry.
However,
more
can
be
done.
Manufacturers
could
collaborate
innovative
ideas
to
create
the
most
efficient
aircraft
possible.
This
does
not
seem
likely
as
the
two
largest
manufacturers,
Airbus
and
Boeing,
do
not
look
likely
to
become
very
close
in
the
near
future,
however
it
would
certainly
make
a
difference
for
the
environment.
Airlines
can
continue
optimizing
their
operations
to
reduce
fuel
burn
as
well
as
investing
in
newer
aircraft
models.
The
larger
airlines
must
set
an
example
for
the
smaller
ones
to
follow.
The
passenger
also
has
a
choice.
Not
only
can
they
invest
in
a
carbon
off
setting
program
but
they
also
have
the
choice
of
airlines
and
therefore
in
most
cases
also
the
aircraft.
By
choosing
a
more
efficient
aircraft
such
as
the
A380,
the
passenger
is
reducing
their
carbon
footprint
by
20%
per
mile,
a
staggering
difference
to
other
aircrafts.
Yes,
an
effort
is
being
made
but
more
can
still
be
done.