It’s the second event in a week: severe turbulence has hit a Qatar Airways plane from from Doha, Qatar to London. Eight people people were taken to hospital in Dublin, where the plane landed.

The Dublin airport said six passengers and six crew members had reported injuries during the incident on the flight while it was airborne over Turkey. The event happened five days after a British man died of a suspected heart attack and dozens of people were injured when a Singapore Airlines flight from London encountered severe turbulence. Some authorities say that in-air turbulence will be more and more common, an effect of climate change.

Read Also: Is sex on an airplane legal?

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Electric airplane stocks should be going up with this news: Eviation Aircraft, an Israeli-American venture of for an all-electric aircraft, announced this week that it has surpassed $2 billion USD in orders for its 9-seater all-electric Alice airplane. 

The all-electric airplane is intended for commuter distances of no more than 3 hours of flight. But you have to start somewhere. Safer than a helicopter, and emitting zero emissions (if electrified by solar power or wind energy), Alice will go in history books like the Wright brothers. 

The project started with a small team of Israeli founders, who managed the project, including investments and prototyping close to their market in the US. Israel tried to scale an all-electric car company in the past Better Place but it was too early for the Israeli consumer. Prior to that, decades before, Israel ventured to create an international car brand called Susita. The problem was that the fiberglass body was liable to be eaten by wild camels. It was a smart move for the Israelis to move to America to launch their brand, a typical move for most Israeli startup companies. 

The Eviation Alice (we wrote about it here), is an all electric passenger airplane completed its first flight on September 27, in Washington. It was the first all-electric commuter airplane to pass this test.

“Our order book passing the US$ 2 billion mark is a significant commercial milestone,” said Gregory Davis, President and CEO of Eviation. “This success demonstrates that the Alice is leading the industry and meeting the market demand for zero-carbon flight.

“We are already seeing a growing clamour from passengers for sustainable aviation, matched by an increasingly robust attitude from regulators. By ordering the Alice, our forward-thinking customers are positioning themselves wisely for the future.”

World’s first green passenger plane

The Alice, built from a clean-sheet design around all-electric propulsion, produces no carbon emissions and costs significantly less to operate per flight hour compared to light jets or high-end turboprops. The aircraft is also quieter than combustion engine aircraft, allowing more flights into cities and communities where noise is a factor. You can read more about the partners in the project here. Like the cellcom industry, EVs in cars, and yes electric planes, take a village of multinational corporations to build. 

Together, these developments promise to usher in a new era of low-cost point-to-point travel, reshaping the commuter and regional air market. Alice is powered by two magni650 electric propulsion units developed by magniX.

“With almost 300 aircraft now on order, the Alice is receiving strong customer endorsement. The aircraft is capturing the hearts and minds of the marketplace with its beautiful design, low operating costs and carbon zero footprint,” said Eddie Jaisaree, Vice President, Commercial Sales at Eviation.

“The Alice will not just protect the planet but also create a more enjoyable flight experience for passengers. Considering the environmental and fuel cost challenges facing conventional airlines, incorporating the Alice into our customers’ fleets will give them a significant competitive advantage.”

The post All electric passenger plane Eviation sees over $2B USD in pre-orders appeared first on Green Prophet.

After getting off a tiring flight, no one wishes to look for cabs. Imagine finding a taxi waiting for you right when you get off your flight. You can have just that with a professional airport shuttle service. These services make sure that you are picked up on time and dropped at your desired location.

But how do you find a professional yet comfortable airport shuttle service? Don’t worry we are here to help you determine how you can select the right service for you. Below is a list of things you can look for.

Reviews

You will need to contact a firm for these services before you get off your flight. However, you cannot choose just anyone as the firm you choose determines how comfortable your ride will be. To ensure your safety as well as comfort, do a little bit of research about the firm. Make sure you read reviews other customers have left.

Do not read reviews off of the firm’s site only, go beyond that as several firms filter the bad reviews out. If you find anything even remotely about a service, do not appoint them for the task. Also, make sure you read the safety section of the firm’s website carefully.

Vehicle type and size

The type of vehicle you will need depends upon your luggage and whether you are a single passenger or there is a group. Another fact that determines the type of vehicle is the level of comfort you are going for. For instance, if you are a single passenger, you would most probably go for a car. Along with that, you will also need to decide whether you want to go in regular cars or a limo. 

Therefore, you should think about these things beforehand. If you are traveling with a large company, you can go for a minivan or maybe two or three cars. You also need to keep in mind that your vehicle size and type will affect the cost.

Cost

While the prospect of arriving at your location in an SUV sounds thrilling, are you ready to pay for it? Cost is an important aspect of finding the right service for you. Most people do not wish to go for extravagant vehicles for shuttle services as it can cost a lot. 

You also need to check whether the firm you have chosen provides services at a reasonable rate. One way to figure that out is to compare the price with their competitors. Always remember to check whether the price you are paying matches up to the quality of the service or not.

Confirmation

Once you have found the service which is right for you, you can go ahead and book your services. Once that is done, you will receive some sort of confirmation. If you don’t, you should ask for it. If there is no such confirmation, the firm can deny you their services as you have no proof of it.

So, make sure you receive a confirmation email or message, especially if you are paying for the service in advance.

To know more about how to book a taxi shuttle service, click here.

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Despite Saudi activists going to prison for women’s rights, Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) over the weekend opened the door for Saudi women to work as flight attendants for the first time.

The kingdom’s flag carrier clarified in a statement on Friday that Saudi female applicants must be high school graduates between the ages of 20 and 30, with the “required level of the English language,” that their weight be “proportional to the height in accordance with the standards of Saudi Airlines” and that they pass a medical examination.

Saudia is the third-largest carrier in the Middle East in terms of revenue, behind Emirates and Qatar Airways.

Karema Bokhary, an analyst and academic who was a candidate in Riyadh’s 2015 municipal council elections, suggested to The Media Line that in five years or so, Saudi women might have equal rights, as the society would overcome major obstacles in terms of their rights.

“Allowing Saudi women to work as flight attendants forms a very interesting topic. … I’m going to monitor who’s going to apply and their numbers as well,” Bokhary said.

She explained that historically, Saudi society had forbidden females to work in trades such as saleswomen, much less as flight attendants who were somehow considered servants. “They [Saudis] might consider it a further humiliation for Saudi women as they will have to serve, clean and deal with any requests as it will be their job.”

The decision was a good tipping point in the kingdom, as it normalized the job and made it available for all, women and men, Bokhary said. “Also, the payoff for the job is very high, especially since it opens the way for women who are not university graduates to work. At the same time, the decision will enable them to travel.”

There was great interest within the country regarding women working in new fields and their conditions and pay, “as it’s very important to enable women to support themselves and be productive members of society, rather than burdens,” she continued.

Nevertheless, it was important for Saudi Arabia to preserve its identity amid these major changes, and for Saudi women to protect their identities as well, Bokhary said.

“We don’t want to be like the Western world. I think there’s confusion now, especially since the door was opened all of a sudden and some women are using it to become famous, but eventually this bubble will burst,” she said.

She indicated that the movement to support women’s rights started during the reign of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz (2005-2015) and made great strides under the current monarch, King Salman bin Abdulaziz. “And Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has completely opened the way for women and fully supporting Saudi women, and he’s not pulling back. The sky’s the limit for them,” Bokhary said.

A central part of the prince’s Saudi Vision 2030 program to make the kingdom less dependent on oil is for Saudi women to work across a broad spectrum of industries, whereas in the past they were limited to such sectors as education.

Riyadh has publicly committed to increasing the rate of female employment by reforming both the economy and the legal system, Bokhary said.

Hanaa’ Khayari, 20, a student at Riyadh’s King Saud University who works part-time as a hostess in a restaurant, told The Media Line she was grateful to her country and the changes that have been made for women, and that Saudi Vision played a major role in opening opportunities for females.

“I hear that a large number of Saudi women want to work as flight attendants, within certain comfort criteria drawn up by the airline company itself to help women work in a healthy environment,” Khayari said.

For Saudi women to achieve their goals and to be independent within society, they must prove themselves, she said. “It’s a huge opportunity, as women will be able to visit many countries and meet new people, in addition learning new languages and cultures.”

It was important to encourage Saudi women to apply to join the airline’s cabin crews, by focusing on the benefits and the advantages the job would provide females. “For instance, by explaining how women can evolve and grow in the field, she said.

“I thank King Salman and the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the number of girls who will benefit from this great opportunity,” Khayari said.

Prof. Widad al-Jarwan, who specializes in political sociology at King Saud University, told The Media Line people should bear in mind that Saudi women were living normal lives, just like everyone else in the kingdom, as they joined the educational system more than 70 years ago and many had graduated as teachers and physicians.

“And the door was opened for them more than 15 years ago in terms of studying abroad …, the same as for men in all fields,” she said.

The whole world was undergoing many changes and passing new laws, as even in the most developed countries some obstacles stood before women in some matters, and not only in Saudi Arabia, Jarwan explained.

“Now there are new changes and transformations that include radical reform of legal, social and civil affairs in terms of women, under Riyadh Vision,” she continued. “Women are half of society, and the options for empowering women are increasing regarding their type of work and specialization, and obtaining all of their family, social and legal rights.

Women formed the most important part of society, as mothers, wives and the ones raising the next generation, she said. “They protect the country and produce for it.

“Saudi women have exceptional talents and mentality that enable them to combine education, work and their families. Saudi women are strong, capable and productive women for their country,” Jarwan said.

If one compared the Saudi woman to other women around the world with transparency, pragmatism and sincerity, the results would show that females in the kingdom were better off in terms of living conditions, she said. “Education is available to her in all specializations. Work is available for her in all fields. Financial social support is available for her and in exceptional cases as well, such as disability and widowhood.”

Saudi society in general, by virtue of the religious, societal and governmental norms, respected, valued and sympathized with women, Jarwan emphasized. “We have a very, very high percentage of women in education and work and in senior positions. In our country, we are keen to contain all aspects that would put women in the best condition.”

Major steps have been taken in the past three years toward granting equal rights to Saudi women, including lifting the ban on female drivers, and granting them the freedom to leave the home without a male guardian and to attend public events such as soccer matches.

Saudi women also now have the right to, without male guardian permission, register births, marriage or divorce, live apart from their husbands, travel overseas and obtain family records. Moreover, they can register as a co-head of household, along with their husbands.

____

This article was first published by the Middle East News Service, The Media Line

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The coronavirus is spreading at a really alarming rate. There is no sign that this will stop, even if in many Asian countries the spread did slow down. Due to the current pandemic, many governments started to restrict travel. This is a normal way to tackle a pandemic but few people understand why this is the case. In order to highlight the reasons, we should talk about how risky it is to use public transportation in the current coronavirus setting.

Busses And Trains

The most common way for the virus to spread is when a person that is infected is coughing. This is when small droplets that are packed with virus content reach the air. People around the infected person breathe these in or infections happen as someone touches surfaces that the droplets landed on. Then, when the face is touched without washing one’s hand, infection appears.

The official government advice is to stay away from people, at a distance of at least 2 meters. This is why using trains and busses is very tricky. If these public transportation methods are crowded, it is practically impossible to maintain this distance.

When you travel on a bus or train that is quite empty, risks are much lower. However, factors like ventilation and the time spent on the train/bus do play an extra role. Train operating companies now run reduced services. These are offered for those that need to travel. Surfaces are more often cleaned and carriages are often checked.

Major bus operators also respond by cutting back service frequency. Better cleaning is also implemented and only those that need to travel by bus should actually use it. In London alone, over 40 tube stations were closed. This will keep growing if the pandemic continues.

Generally speaking, whenever possible, do all you can to avoid the peak transportation hours if you absolutely need to take the bus or the train.

Planes

With air travel, the biggest concern when the outbreak first appeared is that it can transport infected people from one country to another. As a result, most airlines actually suspended, rescheduled or consolidated flights. There are even airports that were shut.

Flightright, a company responsible for gaining flight cancellation compensation in value of over 300 million EUROs till now, has carefully monitored the situation. While cancelled flight compensation keeps growing due to the fact that air travel is delayed or cancelled, what is very important is to focus on health. Remember that flight cancellations only affect your wallet and there are firms like Flightright that help. Dealing with the coronavirus is much more difficult.

Flightright gives you access to the possibility of getting compensation for flights that were delayed even up to 6 years in the past. The coronavirus is not the only reason why flights are delayed or cancelled. If you had problems with any type of flight delay or cancellation, Flightright should be contacted to see what type of compensation can be obtained. 

Recently, we saw the UK government advising people to always avoid non-essential travel to another country. Residents were also encouraged to get back to the country as soon as it is possible.

In the event that you absolutely need to fly, there is this belief that there is a very high possibility to be infected since you breathe “stale” air. In reality, the air that is present on a plane is of a higher quality than what you find in the average business office. It is definitely a whole lot better than on a bus or on a train.

The big problem with air travel is that there are more people standing in a smaller square feet area. This is especially the case when planes are busy. This fact increases the risk. However, the air is changed faster. This means that you are much more likely to avoid being infected if you just avoid contact with other passengers. Although it might seem illogical to some, plane travel is safer than regular public transportation methods.

The post How Risky Is It To Use Public Transportation During The Coronavirus Pandemic? appeared first on Green Prophet.

But there is a loopy loophole that luggage jackets want to solve. Airlines don’t (yet) regulate the weight of passengers’ clothing.  Why carry luggage when you can wear it instead?

New luggage jackets let you skirt the rules as you cram your essentials into their roomy reinforced pouches. So what if you look like the Michelin man, you’ve saved cash and beaten baggage claim lines too.  And ponder the carbon reduction as you lessen dependence on diesel-fueled baggage tugs and electric baggage handling systems.  Fashion can save the world!

1. Rufus Roo (about $50 above) is the simplest form of wearable luggage: an ultra-light polyester utility vest with huge pockets that can stow a weekend’s worth of clothes and amusements, even a laptop. Load it up, pop it on, and catwalk your way through check-in.

Stuff it into the overhead bin once you board the plane.  It’s got a 10kg loading limit, likely because the fabric is so thin. It also comes in tiny sizes, letting the kids earn their plane fare by schlepping their own gear.

2. Stuffa  (about $115) (above) was created more to provide additional storage than to replace a full suitcase. It’s a stylized flak-jacket with 12 concealed pockets.  Two external pockets allow easy access to essentials like your phone, passport, or tickets.  This one comes with a loading max of 5kg.

3. Jaktogo (starting at about $105) also works as a garment just long enough to get you past boarding. It’s enormous (pictured above and in lead “x-ray” photo) with massive pockets and a complicated packing process that involves lots of Velcro. Made of polyester, it’s lightweight and weather resistant, and also comes in leather and denim versions. Assume a positive reply to the query, “Does this suitcase make my ass look big?”, but there’s no flight discount gain without a bit of sartorial pain.

4. Bagket (about $115) is a shape-shifting jacket that allows you to carry it as a bag until you check-in.  Then put it on as a jacket, bypassing baggage baloney, and cleverly revert it to a carry-on case once you board the flight. It’s big, with 22 pockets. Made from strong polyamide fabric with durable shoulder straps and heavy duty zippers, it seems able to exceed the recommended 7kg of packing.  Check out the video, above, to see how it works.

The concept of dual-function clothing isn’t new..  My job once demanded frequent flying between Dublin and Glasgow; a 50 minute flight on an infamous low-cost Irish carrier.  My meager carry-on was given over to a laptop and paperwork.  I could snap up toothpaste and shampoo once I landed, but what about everything else?

Decades earlier, I’d scored a bright orange field jacket at a Patagonia discount outlet in Maine.  Lightweight yet impervious to wind and water, it was my go-to gear for sailing or skiing, with enough pockets to replace a backpack.

It wasn’t rocket science to see how this beauty could fix my airborne commute, and it became my flying uniform.  Pockets bulged with socks and underwear, a paperback and travel documents, and a few sheep’s worth of yarn to keep me knitting along the way. The only limit on what I could (freely!) take with me was the weight my back could handle.

Today there are loads of wearable luggage options on the market.  Check them out; they’ll help you to Keep Calm and Carry On.

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There has been talk for a couple of years already that Tel Aviv’s international airport will move to the sea, literally. A proposal has been submitted to create an artificial island off the city’s coast to replace the Ben Gurion Airport, one that services local, domestic and international flights. A couple months ago I interviewed a geologist helping to develop feasibility studies for such a structure. And according to media reports it looks like the crazy plan is going ahead despite environmental risks to the fragile Mediterranean Sea, and security risks of sabotage.

A new committee from the Ministry of Science and Technology in Israel developed a feasibility report for this artificial airport island to be built off the coast of the Tel Aviv suburb Rishon LeZion. Goodovitch Architects have drafted some sketches (above) of how the airport could look.

Among the parties involved in the far-flung idea is Elie Schalit, 92, a chairman and founder of the Colbert Group, which builds giant cruise ships. He was the man who built the first ships for Ted Arison and his Carnival Cruise Lines.

According to Haaretz the plan for the airport would include a large artificial island on top of poles, 15 meters above sea level. Located two kilometers out in the Mediterranean Sea, the 250 acre landing surface would connect to terminals and cargo docks onshore. Passengers would be shuttled to and from the runways by a fast train or by buses traveling along a long pier. The project cost is an estimated NIS 50 billion, about $12 billion USD, and would take more than a decade to build.

Land grab for the rich, at the Sea’s expense?

“Former Tel Aviv municipal engineer Israel Goodovitch, the driving force behind the idea, is not concerned by the inevitable doubts. He makes use of his connections and acquaintances, and rushes through every door, loaded down with data and models of the plan that will he claims, make it possible to shut down Ben-Gurion International Airport altogether and transform its site into lands worth their weight in gold for residential construction in the center of the country.”

Doesn’t anyone see a conflict of interest in that the city engineer is also drafting plans for the airport under his private name?

With the growth of Israel outpacing its space, real estate developers no doubt have their eye on the land surrounding the Ben Gurion Airport in central Israel about 20 minutes from Tel Aviv. The conveniently located airport has become a drag for nearby residents who suffer from airplane emissions and exhaust. Goes to show why you shouldn’t buy your home near an airport and then complain later.

At any rate, this massive artificial island will far exceed the size and scope of the artificial islands in the Persian Gulf – ones that have have severe ramifications for coastal erosion and sea life. Since it will be built on poles, perhaps the environmental effects will be less pronounced than they are in the gulf?

I have to say that after flying in the air for 10 or 12 hours getting to Israel, or any location for that matter, I am happy to land on, well, land. I am not so sure about how I feel landing on an artificial island, especially in a land that has seen its fair share of earthquakes and tsunamis. And terror attacks.

My overall feeling is that this new airport scheme is a bad idea. Want to usurp the valuable land on the not-long ago revamped Tel Aviv airport? Then move it to a periphery and have travellers move about on high speed trains. Or move the people to the periphery. Where to live is all about perceptions. Create a great city and the people will move there. No need to engineer new land at sea.

The post Tel Aviv Bids for Artificial Island International Airport At Sea appeared first on Green Prophet.

It’s mission accomplished. The Solar Impulse, the world’s longest solar powered flight has landed back home in Madrid, Spain. The flight took 17 hours from Rabat, Morocco. The plane’s maiden voyage was from Spain to Morocco, proving that a solar-powered plane could fly both day and night. Next, say its owners Swiss pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, is a flight around the world.

The Solar Impulse has the same amount of power as a scooter with four 10 HP engines, and it took the flying duo who founded the project seven years of studying, simulating, constructing, and testing their Solar Impulse concept.

“Flying as far as this, powered only by solar energy will be excellent training for the round-the-world trip,” said Borschberg, co-founder and chief executive of Solar Impulse.

“To fly night and day without fuel, powered by solar energy, and to demonstrate that progress is possible using clean energy.”

Meanwhile, the plane will return home to the green pastures of Switzerland as its ambitious crew prepares for the next adventure.

::Solar Impulse

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Dozens of gleaming white tents form a bold roofline covering 120 acres of passenger services; sustainable magnificence created by visionary architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill over thirty years ago. Located in Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia, the terminal serves as a temporary city for millions of pilgrims destined for Mecca to take part in the annual Hajj.

The world’s 1.7 billion Muslims are all encouraged to undertake the pilgrimage, and approximately 0.01 percent heed the call each year. With increasingly accessible air travel, the number of hajjis – or pilgrims – grows annually,  now over 1.5 million.

A human tide rolls into the airport as pilgrims fly in from around the world before travelling by road to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The crush returns as Hajj concludes. The entire cycle occurs in a matter of weeks.

Crowd dynamics in Mecca led to stampedes in 2004 and 2005, killing 244 and 360 people, respectively. Safe and efficient handling of this eclectic population is a logistical challenge with critical risks.

Terminal plans hatched in the mid-‘60’s were mothballed in the decade after the 1967 Six Day War.

In 1974,  SOM’s superstar design team led by Bengalese-born engineer Fazlur Kahn and American architect Gordon Bunshaft resumed work on the terminal, part of an ambitious airport Master Plan. Initially designed as a fully enclosed building (Edward Durrell Stone, modern architecture legend, consulted during early planning), this new design team had a flash of contextual insight and determined that a traditional air-conditioned terminal wasn’t ideal for the desert site, nor for the unique passenger demographic.

They played with Arabian imagery of desert tents, billowing fabric. In the wake of the moonwalk, they experimented with space-age materials. Tent-like shapes, made of Teflon-coated fiberglas (resistant to heat, humidity and sun-damage), suggested an open-air environment. Kahn’s radically innovative structural design allowed for long-span open spaces.

Two symmetrical sections of tent “modules”, framed by towering pylons, are separated by a landscaped mall.  Steel cables weave between the elements, suspending the tents and eliminating clunky roof supports. The tents cover the air-conditioned arrival buildings, sited along terminal edges and housing security, check-in, toilets and shops.

The tents are the showstopper, capable of accommodating 80,000 people at any time.

The white tents deflect heat and diffuse natural daylight into interiors. Their conical shape creates a chimney effect, cooling interiors with minimal mechanical assistance. When outside air burns at 120 degrees F, inside stays a balmy 75.

The designers understood these travelers’ needs. Tucked below the tents is a mosque. And gathering areas where pilgrims can meet their tour groups. There are private spaces for changing into ritual garments and performing ablutions. Travellers trade goods along the pilgrimage route and seek mementos of their Arabian experience, so SOM integrated a traditional market (souk) into the design.

Completed in 1981, the Hajj Terminal received that year’s Progressive Architecture award. In 1983 it scored an American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Honor Award and the 1983 Aga Khan Award for Architecture. In 2009, it received the AIA Twenty-Five Year award for its architectural design of “enduring significance”.

The AIA explained, “This project exemplifies the power of a clear idea. With a very simple bay repeated quite beautifully, they set the standard for many airports since.

“The architects created a highly sustainable project well ahead of the green movement. The terminal presents a sense of place, ecology, economy of means, and culture – not imposing on but learning from the local culture and environment. The brilliant and imaginative design of the roofing system met the awesome challenge of covering this vast space with incomparable elegance and beauty.”

Airport terminals evolve. Functional hangers to protect travelers from weather have morphed into ersatz shopping malls.   A place to check luggage, then navigate increasingly difficult security hurdles.  Run the gauntlet of duty-free; grab an overpriced bite; conduct impromptu business via wireless gadgetry; and eventually board a flight.  Terminals have become a car-to-plane conduit, designed so we shop every step of the way.  Can you name a new terminal that provides a real sense of place?

Last week, Frommers.com named this aviation old-timer as one of the best terminals in the world, based on stellar performance in key operational metrics such as on-time departures, cleanliness, and ease of travel to and from city center.

High functionality coupled with environmental smarts, wrapped in a gorgeous skin: Hajj Terminal is a timeless beauty.

Watch the vintage film on the creation of the Hajj Terminal

The post Hajj terminal for Mekkah is aviation’s green gem appeared first on Green Prophet.

United Arab Emirates-based airlines, Emirates and Etihad Airways warn of higher ticket prices as they seek to pass on costs of a European Union (EU) aviation carbon trading scheme to passengers. Dubai’s Emirates will spend almost $52 million US this year to purchase additional emission allowances, with Etihad facing a $394 million bill over the next nine years, according to the head of environment of that Abu Dhabi-based carrier.

International airlines lost a battle against expansion of the EU carbon cap-and-trade system when Europe’s highest court backed the EU airline carbon tax known as the Emissions Trading System (ETS).

The ruling came after American and Chinese airlines challenged extension of the world’s largest cap-and-trade program beyond European borders. EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard has used the carbon trading scheme as one of her “main weapons to combat climate change,” and welcomed the decision. Meanwhile, US, China and India threaten to boycott the scheme.

An Etihad spokesperson said: “Etihad Airways remains opposed to this scheme. We consider it to be more an anti-competitive tax on non-European airlines than an attempt to promote environmentally sustainable practice by the aviation industry.”

So what’s this all mean for passengers?

It means that as of January all airlines flying to and from airports in the 27 EU states must purchase permits to offset carbon emissions on flights to and from Europe. The move pushes airlines to decrease carbon output, but will likely increase airfares.

Absent a global agreement, the EU maintains that ETS is the fairest way to tackle aviation’s contribution to climate change.

Climate action spokesman Isaac Valero-Ladron said critics from non-member states could circumvent the ETS by introducing their own alternative schemes. “Our law gives all countries the choice to reduce aviation’s carbon pollution differently. If they take equivalent measures, all incoming flights from these countries can be exempt,” he said. “Instead, some countries are basically saying: ‘We don’t like your approach, but we aren’t going to do anything to reduce emissions.’ Hopefully, these countries will quickly shift their attention to the need to take bold action at home.”

Global aviation trade body the International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates the ruling will cost airlines $1.17 billion this year, inflating to $3.5 billion by 2020. The European Commission translates this to an airfare increase in the range of two to 12 euros per passenger: predicting a gradual impact on airlines as 85 percent of this year’s carbon allowances will be distributed free of charge. Bills become due in 2013 after annual emissions are calculated.

According to IATA, aviation has made global commitments to improve fuel efficiency by 1.5 per cent annually to 2020, to cap net emissions from 2020 and to cut net emissions in half by 2050 (compared to 2005 levels).

There is speculation that this may mean a boost to smaller Middle East airports such as Morocco and Cairo as flights to Europe from the USA, China and India seek interim connection hubs; carbon tax only being calculated on the shorter leg of the flight. Other Middle Eastern carriers such as El Al, Royal Jordanian, Kuwait Airlines, and Gulf Air have not commented on this development.

Middle East Airlines EU Carbon Tax Blows Change into Air

United Arab Emirates-based airlines, Emirates and Etihad Airways warn of higher ticket prices as they seek to pass on costs of a European Union (EU) aviation carbon trading scheme to passengers. Dubai’s Emirates will spend almost $52 MIL this year to purchase additional emission allowances, with Etihad facing a $394 MIL bill over the next nine years, according to the head of environment of that Abu Dhabi-based carrier.

International airlines lost a battle against expansion of the EU carbon cap-and-trade system when Europe’s highest court backed the EU airline carbon tax known as the Emissions Trading System (ETS). The ruling came after American and Chinese airlines challenged extension of the world’s largest cap-and-trade program beyond European borders. EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard has used the carbon trading scheme as one of her “main weapons to combat climate change,” and welcomed the decision. Meanwhile, US, China and India threaten to boycott the scheme.

An Etihad spokesperson said: “Etihad Airways remains opposed to this scheme. We consider it to be more an anti-competitive tax on non-European airlines than an attempt to promote environmentally sustainable practice by the aviation industry.”

Airfares could fly into the sky

It means that as of January all airlines flying to and from airports in the 27 EU states must purchase permits to offset carbon emissions on flights to and from Europe. The move pushes airlines to decrease carbon output, but will likely increase airfares.

Absent a global agreement, the EU maintains that ETS is the fairest way to tackle aviation’s contribution to climate change. Climate action spokesman Isaac Valero-Ladron said critics from non-member states could circumvent the ETS by introducing their own alternative schemes. “Our law gives all countries the choice to reduce aviation’s carbon pollution differently. If they take equivalent measures, all incoming flights from these countries can be exempt,” he said. “Instead, some countries are basically saying: ‘We don’t like your approach, but we aren’t going to do anything to reduce emissions.’ Hopefully, these countries will quickly shift their attention to the need to take bold action at home.”
Global aviation trade body the International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates the ruling will cost airlines $1.17 billion this year, inflating to $3.5 billion by 2020. The European Commission translates this to an airfare increase in the range of two to 12 euros per passenger: predicting a gradual impact on airlines as 85 percent of this year’s carbon allowances will be distributed free of charge. Bills become due in 2013 after annual emissions are calculated.

According to IATA, aviation has made global commitments to improve fuel efficiency by 1.5 per cent annually to 2020, to cap net emissions from 2020 and to cut net emissions in half by 2050 (compared to 2005 levels).

There is speculation that this may mean a boost to smaller Middle East airports such as Morocco and Cairo as flights to Europe from the USA, China and India seek interim connection hubs; carbon tax only being calculated on the shorter leg of the flight. Other Middle Eastern carriers such as El Al, Royal Jordanian, Kuwait Airlines, and Gulf Air have not commented on this development.

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