Reducing aviation emissions

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation held a hearing on “Aviation and the Environment: Emissions” today. Dr. David Fahey, research physicist in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said the three aspects of aviation operations that affect climate change are the burning of fossil fuels, the altitude at which aviation emissions are made, and the fact aviation increases cloudiness on or near flight tracks. He said aviation leads to warming of the climate, and that any assessment of aviation needs to have a scenario for what the future of aviation is. He suggested strengthening commitment to aviation science and regulation organizations, and sharing resources and efforts between them.

Daniel K. Elwell, assistant administrator for Aviation Policy, Planning, and Environment for the Federal Aviation Administration, said currently aviation accounts for less than three percent of total man made greenhouse gas emissions, and that fuel efficiency of aircrafts has improved. He discussed a five pillar plan for environmental stewardship, which included improving scientific understanding, accelerating air traffic improvements and efficiency, hastening progress in environmental developments, exploring alternative fuels, and looking at market based measures.

Dr. Gerald Dillingham, director of Physical Infrastructure Issues for the U.S. Government Accountability Office, said increased flights and delays may offset decreases in emissions. He said NextGen, a plan consisting of new capabilities for air traffic management and communications, has potential to reduce emissions, but that the FAA should take NextGen from the planning stages to implementation. He said the next step for Congress should be to address the decline in funding for research and development for FAA and NextGen.

Ambassador John Bruton, head of the Delegation of the European Commission to the United States of America, said the European Union is not solely relying on emissions trading to reduce aviation emissions, but they are also improving technical designs, funding research, looking at alternative fuels, and improving air traffic management. He said the Clean Sky initiative has the largest budget of any European Union program. He hopes to work closely with the U.S. in upcoming stages, since this is a global problem that he wants to act on. He also discussed new legislation with plans to tax airlines flying into the European Union, where the funds will go to research or programs that might help alleviate emissions.