Aviation expert calls for ATC quick fix

OXFORD – The quickest way to cut emissions from aircraft could be better flight management rather than new technology, an Oxford University study has found.

Better air traffic control and other measures determining how, when and where planes fly could cut aviation emissions by up to 95 percent, it found.

These include more direct flight paths to airports and less waiting to land, the BBC reported.

These are the “low-hanging fruit” compared to technology improvements and existing biofuels, said Dr Chris Carey, aviation expert at Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment.

“And they are measures that governments could make a condition of using their airspace,” said Dr Carey.

Airline industry bodies such as the International Air Transport Association and the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines have consistently argued that improving air traffic control is one of the keys to more efficient operations, fewer emissions and cost savings for airlines.

Dr Carey said better traffic control systems should also help aircraft reduce the time spent with their engines running while still on the tarmac, Dr Carey said.

At the same time, better flight control systems should help them spend less time flying.

“The inaccuracy of current control systems means planes must be given a wide berth to avoid collisions,” he said.

“If that was improved, landing and take-offs could be quicker, stacking would be reduced and planes could fly closer together by taking advantage of prevailing winds, just as Concorde did.”

Such improvements would be cheap to introduce quickly, Dr Carey insisted.

“They should be implemented as soon as possible if we are serious about cutting aviation emissions,” he said.

In contrast, technological advances, such as better engines or reduced weight, tend to take a long time before they have an impact, because aircraft have lifetimes of 30 years or more, he said.

In the long run, innovations that help reduce drag will help reduce emissions, as might a shift away from fossil fuels towards biofuels made from algae.

“But none of those measures can be introduced quickly and most new technology is not retrofitable,” said Dr Carey.

“These are all long-term innovations that we won’t see for at least 30 years.”

Moreover, investing in new technology is both expensive and risky, Dr Carey said.

“Major technological innovations are a massive financial risk because you could be making a plane that no-one’s going to buy,” he said.