IATA signs four-pillar commitment

The Nation

The declaration was signed by 17 leaders from across the air-transport industry.

"This declaration is a great step," said IATA director-general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani.

"IATA's four-pillar strategy on climate change is now an industry commitment. This commitment will drive us forward, first to our 25-per-cent fuel-efficiency improvement target, and more importantly towards our vision of carbon-neutral growth leading to a carbon-emission-free industry," said Bisignani.

All the industry partners have a common goal - to keep aviation as a benchmark of environmental responsibility for others to follow - he said.

"Governments must play their part if we are to truly succeed. They must invest more effectively in environmental technologies - from alternative fuels to radical dynamics. They need to match our efforts at efficiency - such as implementing next-generation traffic-management systems globally. A single European sky could save 12 million tonnes of carbon dioxide at a stroke," said Bisignani.