Sir Richard Branson reveals plan to cut global aviation emissions

VIRGIN Atlantic chairman Sir Richard Branson has put the aviation industry on environmental red alert saying it must act now to avert global disaster.

Speaking a week after ABTA and Travel Weekly hosted the industry’s first green summit, Sir Richard Branson urged airlines, airports and aircraft makers to join a new forum.

He claimed carbon dioxide emissions could be slashed by a quarter in just two years and questioned whether people should be allowed to take domestic flights.

But his comments have irritated some of his airline competitors, who claim much of what he called for is already being done. One rival accused him of “grandstanding”.

Demanding more action and less talk, Sir Richard said: “The world has a really serious problem. A majority of scientists think we still have a handful of years to act. We need to accelerate the pace at which we reduce aviation’s impact on the environment.”

Sir Richard has written to airlines including British Airways, EasyJet, American Airlines, airport operator BAA, Boeing and Rolls-Royce inviting them to join his initiative. A first meeting is planned in October.

Although in agreement, BA said it was “puzzled” Sir Richard was proposing another industry group so soon after Virgin Atlantic was one of 70 organisations that signed up to the UK’s Sustainable Aviation strategy in June last year.

“We certainly don’t see the need of having another industry body when we already have one performing this role,” a BA spokesman said.

An EasyJet spokesman added: “We don’t want a ‘greenwash’ where we do a bit here and there and think it’s okay.”

Key to Sir Richard’s vision is a single European air traffic control system, which could cut global aviation emissions by 12% to 15%.

He also proposed starting grids at airports to which aircraft would be towed, allowing engines to be left off until take off. This could cut emissions at Heathrow by 50% and at New York JFK by 90%. Virgin says BAA has proposed a pilot scheme at Gatwick.

Also proposed was adoption of the more fuel-efficient continuous descent approach when landing, but this would require airports and ATC systems to change their procedures.

Sir Richard conceded many of the proposals are not new, but said: “We need a sense of urgency. The aviation industry can get its act together, if it can’t governments should impose some of these things.”

The move follows the announcement that Virgin will spend £1.6 billion over the next 10 years developing alternative fuels.