CEO Calls On Aviation Industry To Match

Airbus President and Chief Executive Officer Louis Gallois outlined some ambitious environmental goals for the company Thursday ,and called on the aviation sector, suppliers and governments to share his vision of an eco-efficient aviation industry.

Airbus will be announcing proposals within the next couple of months. The Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Enterprise and Industry Günter Verheugen has urged the aviation industry to act now, according to the company.

Gallois (above) said his overall vision is to lead the aviation sector into becoming eco-efficient. He called on the industry to do what it possibly can to contain CO2 emissions from aviation that reportedly represents two per cent of the total man made emissions.

Gallois said Airbus is committed to an environmental life cycle approach to operations that will target a 30 per cent reduction in company energy consumption and 50 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020. He also committed to re-investing savings realized from environmental initiatives back into research into cleaner technologies.

Starting in 2008, Gallois said he will increase his Research and Technology budget by 25 percent so that all new Airbus aircraft entering the market would produce 50 per cent less CO2 and 80 per cent less NOx by 2020. Airbus will also revisit fuel cell and hydrogen technology to power ground operations at airports, the company said.

"Airbus' commitments will make a positive difference while also recognizing that people want and need to travel. They make environmental and business sense. I hope this leadership will foster increased research which I fully encourage and support," said Verheugen.

Gallois outlined his goals at a certification award ceremony in which the company received an ISO 14001 certification from certifying body Det Norske Veritas (DNV).

"We are delighted a large multinational company such as Airbus has in place eco-efficient growth at its heart," said DNV Chief Operating Officer, Peter Bjeråger.

FMI: www.airbus.com