Digest
INDIGO JOINS IATA
Governments “picking the wrong fight” over taxes Tax revenues from airlines and passengers in 2019. Equivalent to 45% of the air transport industry’s gross value added
$129billion
Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo has joined IATA. Indigo becomes the fourth Indian airline to join the trade association of the world’s airlines, following in the footsteps of Air India, Spice Jet and Vistara. The airline said the move will help increase its global reach .
airlines.iata.org
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Alexandre de Juniac has said European governments are “picking the wrong fight” in taxing airlines over environmental concerns. Speaking at Wings of Change Europe in Berlin, the IATA Director General and CEO said governments should work together with aviation to help create a sustainable industry. Many European countries impose environmental taxes on passengers, but IATA says such methods do little to reduce emissions.
The air transport industry continues to invest heavily in aircraft efficiency, has committed to reduce total emissions to half 2005 levels by 2050, and is offsetting emissions from 2020 through the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for
International Aviation (CORSIA) scheme. Commenting on proposals in Germany that would double the taxation on passengers, de Juniac said “the goal must not be to make flying unaffordable” but rather to help people fly in a way that aligns with climate fears. “Neither should [the goal] be to cripple industry and tourism which creates jobs and drives development,” said de Juniac. “Flying is not the enemy—it is carbon.”
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LEADING AIRLINES ANNOUNCE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN SUSTAINABILITY IATA has welcomed news of investment in sustainability by two of the world’s leading airline groups. Qantas Group has announced a commitment to making air transport more sustainable through a policy of offsetting aimed at reducing its net emissions up to zero by 2050. An investment of A$50 million ($34.1 million) has been set aside to help the group and its carriers—Qantas, Jetstar Australia and New Zealand, QantasLink and Qantas Freight— achieve its goal. The news follows
IAG’s pledge to spend $400 million in sustainable aviation fuel over the next 20 years, including plans to build a plant that will convert household waste to jet fuel. IAG—which owns British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus— also announced that it will offset carbon emissions for all UK domestic flights from 2020, and is investing $27 billion in replacing its aircraft with more efficient models. Speaking to Airlines. about the initiatives, IATA’s Director, Aviation Environment Michael Gill
said he hoped that other carriers will take inspiration from the work of both airline groups. “We applaud all airlines that can go beyond the collective industry goals,” said Gill. “The announcements show leadership in climate action alongside other leading airlines making significant contributions to commercialising sustainable aviation fuel.”
2019 – 06 Airlines
09/12/2019 11:44