Planes in Europe will be permitted to fly carrying less fuel to reduce CO2 emissions, a new European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) publication states.
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The changes, which will come into effect at the end of October, could save up to 3 million tonnes of CO2 every year, or 1% of annual European flight emissions.
At the moment, planes carry extra fuel for emergencies, changing flight plans, delays and in case of potential weather issues. But, the EASA said, this extra weight simply uses unnecessary fuel and produces more emissions every flight. By carrying less fuel, the environmental impact of flights can be reduced.
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While some may baulk at this idea, the EASA said that by optimising fuel, improving risk assessments and continuing to ensure high safety levels, carrying less fuel remains as safe as the current flight system.
“There is no reason to lift up more fuel reserve into the sky than necessary – lifting fuel burns more fuel,” said Jesper Rasmussen, EASA Flight Standards Director. “Most importantly, this can be done without compromising safety – the reduction is possible thanks to better assessment methods and better data.”
The EASA also said that the package is aligned with the International Civil Aviation Organization and that the new regulations will apply to aircraft partially or fully using other energy sources, such as electricity.
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In the declaration, the EASA provided no exact fuel reduction figure, but instead offered an adaptable regulatory package: how much fuel planes will be required to carry depends on route, aircraft, and the safety recommendations of every national authority.
However, as part of the rules, the safety agency also proposed three schemes: A basic fuel scheme, a fuel scheme with variations and an individual fuel scheme. The basic fuel scheme will take little adaption for air operators, whereas the latter schemes would require bigger changes and “enhanced monitoring capabilities”.
The EASA said that it would support air operators during the changeover.
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