Rotorcraft
Greener skies the goal of voluntary emissions plan
Blue skies over the Atlantic may look a little greener over the next few years as the U.S.

Blue skies over the Atlantic may look a little greener over the next few years as the U.S. and European Union member states work together to reduce aviation’s environmental impact. FAA Administrator Marion Blakey and European Commission for Transportation president Jacques Barrot announced in June the launch of the Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to Reduce Emissions (AIRE), a voluntary program designed to reduce aircraft greenhouse gas emissions.

As part of the agreement, government and industry will use best practices and develop new procedures and technologies to “whittle away at a carbon footprint that is already low,” Blakey said. A United Nations panel on climate change estimates that about 3 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions can be attributed to the aviation industry. “Every place we can make a difference, we will,” Blakey said.