CANSO members vote for new environmental code of conduct

ANSPs have an important role to play in mitigating the impact of aircraft operations on the environment, especially in the development of new ATM procedures aimed at reducing aircraft fuel burn, greenhouse gas emissions and noise. "While a new generation aircraft and engines will be developed over the next 15 years or so with substantially better environmental performances there is a need now for action, for making sure we are using today's aircraft in the most environmentally responsible way," said Alexander ter Kuile, Secretary General of CANSO. "This code is an important step. It will help improve the overall environmental performance of the air navigation sector, support harmonization of work in the environmental domain for ANSPs and identify and promulgate best practice."

Over the last year CANSO's environmental work group, comprising ATM environmental experts from around the world, has been building a database of ANSP initiatives which have demonstrated quantifiable savings in the amount of greenhouse emissions aircraft operators emit. The group is developing a practical guide to conducting environmental assessment for en-route airspace changes. "We know that introducing measures such as continuous descent approaches into airports and flexible routings (to allow aircraft to exploit jet streams, for example) have already delivered important improvements in many parts of the world," said Alexander ter Kuile. "For example, the recent trials of RNP (required navigation performance - a new, highly accurate navigation system) approaches by Qantas Boeing 737-800s into Brisbane have shown savings of 1,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission in 2000 trial flights. But we need to do much more. This code is an important step."