Green Special: Air travel

By Rob Virtue on October 12, 2009 2:49 PM |

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Two weeks ago British Airways' subsidiary Cityflyer welcomed the first in a fleet of new aircraft to London City Airport.

The impetus behind the introduction of Embraer jets - aside from the reduction in operating costs - is 50 per cent cut in emissions.

In the face of pressure to stop expansion plans, the planes provide one strand of evidence that the airline recognises its contentious impact on the environment.

Cityflyer's chief executive Peter Simpson said the Embraer jets would reduce the airline's CO2 emissions by 50 per cent when the fleet completely changes over by next summer.

Meanwhile, the airport has spent time encouraging passengers to use the DLR to get to the airport, with now over 59 per cent using it to get to and from City. A total of 81 per cent of people now use public transport to get to the airport.

Environmentalists, however, believe there are more effective ways of being green.

Friends Of The Earth's Neil Verlander said high speed rail links should be explored as a leisure alternative, both domestically and across Europe, while video conferencing could help cut down on unnecessary business trips.

He said plans for expansion at London City - to increase flights by 50 per cent - should be halted.

"We're not anti-flights," he said. "We realise it's part of the future but every sector needs to take responsibility and we don't believe aviation is doing that.

"We would certainly stop all airport plans for expansion."

Click here for our Green Special on car sharing