The News Review:
- World fights with aviation’s climate change footprint
- Air Transport Association Comments on House Aviation Safety Hearing
- Nigeria: Privatisation – Aviation Workers Threaten to Shut Down…
- CDNN :: Palau President ‘Grounded’ after Refusing to Comply…
- Turmoil halts aviation pension rise
World fights with aviation’s climate change footprint
Times of India – Apr 3, 2008
More than 900 delegates flew into Bangkok this week for an
UN-led meeting on global warming, spewing about 4,181 tons of carbon dioxide
into the atmosphere, an official from the United Nations climate body estimated. Few would argue against holding such talks, which are vital to
crafting a new pact on battling climate change, but activists are urging the
world to include air and sea travel in any new accord. “Aviation and
maritime shipping are very big sources of emissions and they’re growing fast,”
said David Doniger, climate policy chief at the New York-based Natural Resources
Defense Council. “I think that one thing that’s not acceptable is to
leave those sectors uncontrolled on the theory that they don’t belong to
anybody,” he added. Industry and green groups estimate that air
travel accounts for between two and four per cent of the world’s emissions of
greenhouses gases such as carbon dioxide, which trap the sun’s heat and cause
temperatures to rise. Emissions from the sector look set to rise,
however, with the number of global travellers predicted to double by 2020. International aviation and shipping were excluded from greenhouse
gas emissions reductions targets laid out in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the
current global treaty addressing climate change… Industry and green groups estimate that air
travel accounts for between two and four per cent of the world’s emissions of
greenhouses gases such as carbon dioxide, which trap the sun’s heat and cause
temperatures to rise. Emissions from the sector look set to rise,
however, with the number of global travellers predicted to double by 2020. International aviation and shipping were excluded from greenhouse
gas emissions reductions targets laid out in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the
current global treaty addressing climate change. Delegates from more
than 160 countries are now in Bangkok trying to thrash out a work plan for a new
agreement on how to curb emissions when the Kyoto Protocol’s deadlines run out
in 2012. “I think everybody agrees that we have to find some way of
addressing emissions resulting from aviation and shipping,” said Yvo de Boer,
the UN’s climate chief. “The big question is how. Is that inside the
convention process or is it outside the convention process?” Bill Hare, climate
policy director with Greenpeace, said that airline emissions were tricky given
that many countries are involved in one flight — the departure point, arrival
point and the nationality of the operator.
Air Transport Association Comments on House Aviation Safety Hearing
Earthtimes – Apr 3, 2008
airlines, today released the following statement regarding the safety of the U. air transportation system:"Nothing is more important to the aviation industry than its firm commitment to the safety of all air travelers. The ATA member airlines are justifiably proud of their safety record, one that has not seen a fatal accident of a U. mainline carrier since November 2001. Today’s House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing sent a very clear message – as good as the airline industry’s safety record is, the safety oversight system that supports that record can always be improved.
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Nigeria: Privatisation – Aviation Workers Threaten to Shut Down…
AllAfrica.com – Apr 3, 2008
The workers under the aegis of National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) gave the notice yesterday during a three-hour protest at the premises of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. GA_googleFillSlot(“AllAfrica_Story_Inset”); The aggrieved workers who carried various placards marched from the domestic wing of the airport to the international wing chanting protest songs. The Minister of State for Air Transportation, Mr. Felix Hyat, had while receiving the report of the Presidential Committee on Airport Rehabilitation and Privatisation on Tuesday said the Federal Government would consult stakeholders including the workers before taking a final decision on the issue.
CDNN :: Palau President ‘Grounded’ after Refusing to Comply…
CDNN – Apr 3, 2008
on Thursday morning, more than eight hours after passengers started boarding the aircraft. Among the passengers aboard the delayed flight were all 11 members of Remengesau’s entourage including senior statesmen and Cabinet officials who willingly complied with the required “redundancy” check… Continental stood by its decision to forbid Remengesau and his wife from boarding its plane without first complying with required security procedures. “Continental employees explained the security requirements of the aviation laws of the US in detail to the president of Palau,” Continental said in a statement. “US aviation law requires that all customers comply with security procedures in order to board a flight. So unfortunately, [the airline] had no choice but to deny boarding of the president and his party to ensure the safety and on-time operation of the flight for other passengers on board,” it said. © CDNN – CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORKSCUBA FORUM.
Turmoil halts aviation pension rise
RTE.ie – Apr 3, 2008
Workers in all three firms have traditionally shared a pension fund – the Irish Airlines (General Employees) Superannuation Scheme. Pensions emanating from the fund are not formally index linked – but the cost of living increase applicable to the end of February of any given year has always been factored into pensions payable from the following April. Advertisement
But it is understood that at a meeting last week, trustees of the fund informed elected representatives of the Pensions Committee that they were not in a position to authorise the immediate payment of a cost of living increase estimated at 4.
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