Airlines

UK airlines' sustainable development objective is to meet the environmental challenges whilst maintaining the undoubted economic and social benefits of air travel. UK airline signatories are:

• Supporting the inclusion of aviation in the EU Emissions Trading scheme
• Implementing voluntary carbon offset schemes for airline passengers
• Upgrading aircraft fleets to reduce noise and emissions
• Working with manufacturers to develop new environmental technologies

Airports

UK airports have a range of economic, social and environmental impacts. Airports signatories are committed to a sustainable future through:

• Addressing local air quality issues
• Reducing their carbon footprint by implementing energy saving measures
• engagement with local communities and other key stakeholders
• sharing environmental management best practice between airports

Manufacturers

Meeting the technology challenge is key to achieving a sustainable future for UK aviation. UK aerospace is:

• delivering environmental improvements through research and development of new technologies
• actively promoting the uptake of environmental management systems
• leading major research and technology programmes across Europe
• strengthening the UK’s manufacturing base through training and development of highly skilled employees.

Aircraft Traffic Management

NATS is responsible for the safe and efficient management of UK airspace. NATS is actively investigating ways of mitigating the environmental impact of aviation through improved procedures, including:

• adoption of Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) procedures at UK airports
• proposals to identify more direct flight routing to reduce unnecessary fuel burn and emissions
• working to reduce or eliminate aircraft ‘stacking’ in UK airspace
• engagement at the European level in the EU Single European Sky (SESAR) initiative.