Airbus, Boeing team up for healthy environment

29 April, 2008:

Airbus and Boeing, rivals and the world’s biggest manufacturers of aircraft, have joined hands to sign an agreement to work together to reduce the impact of air traffic on the environment.

Airbus and Boeing will support environmental-friendly measures by the airline industy. The two companies will focus on modernizing air transportation management system. Boeing and Airbus also will support the alignment of the industry with environmental positions.

Airbus Industries, based in Toulouse, France, has significant presence across Europe and produces around half of the world’s jet airliners.

Boeing Company, with its international headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois, the United States, is the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer by revenue, orders and deliveries, and the second-largest aerospace and defence contractor in the world.

The rare cooperation between the European and American aircraft-making giants was announced on the sidelines of the third aviation and environment summit held under the aegis of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Geneva recently, where leading industry groups had made a commitment to work against pollution.

According to the agreement, Airbus and Boeing will work together “to push for global inter-operability in air traffic management to optimise efficiencies,” US media has reported.

In particular, the agreement on environment lays down that the two companies will work with the government of the United States and the governments in Europe to help them take the most direct path to a modernised air traffic management system.

The website www.greenbiz.com says that the exceptional agreement comes at a time when both the United States and Europe are currently looking at developing new-generation air traffic management systems.

Eric Stefanello, senior vice-president of air traffic management at Airbus was quoted as saying: “We need to make the air traffic management system inter-operable in both the United States and Europe. Such a move could result in a reduction of 10%-12% in carbon emissions from the aviation sector in Europe alone.”

Scott Carson, president and chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said, “Airbus and Boeing are committed to action. The fact that we are sitting here today despite the highly competitive nature of our business demonstrates and underscores the joint commitment to addressing and helping solve the environmental challenges facing our industry.”

Tom Enders, chief executive and president of Airbus, told the news agency AFP that “the issue of air traffic management lends itself to collaboration and both parties have ‘common positions.’ After the signing the agreement, both parties have identified other possible areas of cooperation on environmental issues. Europe and the United States could be an example for the rest of the world as they move towards more modern air management systems.”

At the summit in Geneva, both Airbus and Boeing had also joined other industry leaders, including the head of the International Air Transport Association, the international body on airlines, to sign a declaration to adopt several strategies against pollution.

The Geneva declaration, signed by 13 organisations, acknowledged that the aviation industry has a responsibility for the environment. In the declaration, the aviation industry made pledges in the fields of applying new technologies, fuel efficiency, improving air routes, traffic management and airport infrastructure, and reduction of gas emissions.