Around 3,500 airlines face being banned from European airports unless they meet European Union rules over their CO2 emissions.
The airlines, named earlier this week in the Official Journal of the European Union, have been ordered to submit details about their environmental credentials by the end of this month.
In response, the International Air Transport Association said airlines should submit their EU emission reports “under protest†but should first consult their legal departments.
It said airlines should comply with the EU’s requirements to avoid being penalised when the European Emissions Trading Scheme comes into force in 2012.
Penalties include a ban on operating within Europe.
Some EU-member states, including the UK, Germany, and Italy, have managed to postpone the deadline until next month.
By Bev Fearis
