The impact of the European Union’s plans to include aviation in its emission trading scheme (ETS)–a CO2 cap-and-trade system that has been in place since 2005 for ground-based facilities like coal-fired powerplants–is becoming clearer. The directive has yet to win approval, but a draft text adopted in July by the European Parliament already indicates that small operators will be exempt. Still, the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) warns that complying with the plan will be impractical for most operators.
The annual CO2 allowance set by the EU is 10,000 metric tons, which translates into 3,170 metric tons of fuel burned per operator per year. An operator burning less fuel will remain outside the ETS, although it must still keep track of its fuel use.
According to EBAA CEO Eric Mandemaker, the threshold roughly corresponds to an operator with five midsize airplanes. Operators flying fewer than 243 flights per period for three consecutive four-month periods are also exempt. This frequency equates to an average of two flights a day. Aircraft weighing less than
5.7 metric tons (12,550 pounds) fall outside the ETS’ scope as well. The Cessna Citation CJ2+ light jet, for example, is just below the limit.
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