Air France KLM voluntarily launches an initiative to limit the emission of carbon in the atmosphere

The announcement was made by Jean Cyril Spineta, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive President of Air France KLM, who indicated that the airline companies in the United Arab Emirates and the remainder of the Gulf countries would benefit from the European Union's plan concerning the inclusion of air traffic in their commercial plans with regards to the emission of polluting gases into the atmosphere, deeming that the proposal in its present form would not decrease the effect of carbon dioxide resulting from air traffic but that it could change the routing of air traffic between Europe and the Gulf countries.

These measures, which were announced during a press conference in Paris in the presence of over 200 mediapersons, will include the investment by Air France KLM in a new fleet which would be more effective in reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted.

These measures also include a project to reduce the weight of the instruments used on board, in addition to the adoption of a project for the massive reforestation of the island of Madagascar.

Spineta also said: Airline companies could change their routes between India and the United States, for example, to axes other than the European axis, such as Dubai, Doha and Kuwait, which would benefit the Gulf countries.

For his part, Pierre Henri Gorjon , the Executive Vice President of Air France KLM said: "The laws discussed by the European policy makers meant that airline companies whose flights passed through Gulf countries could carry their passengers to New York without having to pay any taxes related to gas emissions." He also added: "It's wonderful to enjoy the possibility of stopping in Dubai, unlike our competitors."

It is worth mentioning that the European Trading Scheme allots quotas to the European industrial sectors, regarding the emission of gases which cause an increase in the earths' temperature, particularly in the fields of energy, generation and distribution of electricity, water desalination, chemical industries and steel production.

However, companies which emit less than their allotted quotas of harmful substances, can sell their remaining quotas.

The European Commission had previously decided to include airline companies in this program by the end of 2006.

Therefore, these laws, which are expected to go into effect after 2012, will be applied to airplanes arriving to and departing from European airports.

Air France KLM approves the European project, and is considered to be one of its staunchest supporters on the condition it be applied gradually, practically, realistically and at low cost, asserted Spineta.

Air France KLM also considers the fact that the price of fuel having exceeded a third of the overall operating costs will not be a reason to increase the taxes for the sake of ensuring the continuity of the airline companies, and that the increase of taxes on travelers would hinder the investments necessary for the growth of the airline companies.

Spineta expounded and said: "The modernization of Air France KLM's fleet between the years 2000 and 2006 led to a 12 per cent decrease of the average fuel consumption, until it reached 3.95 liters per passenger per 100 kilometers."

He also added: "Yesterday, Air France KLM committed itself to further reduce this consumption to 3.7 liters by the beginning of the year 2012.

It is noteworthy that the new generation of airplanes such as the giant transport airplane, the Airbus A380 or the Boeing 787, need less than 3 liters of fuel per passenger per 100 kilometers.

Furthermore, the A380 can carry the same number of passengers with a fewer number of flights.

Air transport is considered to be responsible for 2.65% of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere or the equivalent of 760 million tons a year, and that according to the data of the Concerted Government Committee for Climatic Changes, specialized in the evaluation of matters related to climatic changes.

This data also indicates that the combustion of one ton of fuel releases 3.15 tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Furthermore, air transport is less harmful than land transport which is considered to be responsible for up to 15% of the carbon dioxide emissions.

However, the increasing number of low price commercial airline companies will increase the percentage of gas emissions by the former.

Gorjon also considered the set up of a network around the main flight axes as an additional solution to the problem of gas emissions. He explained: "At a time when hundreds of different secondary flight axes can be used, this number can be reduced by forming one main axis with six or seven different secondary axes. This development is truly the best method of giving priority to the big airplanes and at the same time reducing the percentage of gas emissions.


Reducing the weight of the airplane is considered to be yet another method for the decrease of carbon dioxide emissions, as lighter planes consume less fuel.

Therefore, Air France KLM is working on the installation of lighter seats on airplanes used for short distance flights in 2009, thus eliminating up to 650 kilograms of weight from an airplane equipped with a number of seats ranging from 140 to 210.

This would help to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emission from short distance transport airplanes belonging to Air France KLM, which number 58, by approximately 8 thousand tons a year.

Reducing the weight of the food and drink caddies from 35 to 26 kilograms will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a further 19 thousand tons a year approximately.

The regulation of flights will further contribute to the decrease of emissions; cutting one minute off waiting time before take-off and another minute off flight time would reduce the emissions by approximately 12 thousand tons of carbon dioxide a year.

Air France KLM is cooperating with the coordinator of flight operations in the Paris Airports Group, Aéroports de Paris, in order to implement the European Trading Scheme by the year 2010.

Air France KLM is also currently working on replacing the diesel operated land support equipment with electrical machinery. It is also donating the sum of 5 million Euros (28.5 million Dirhams) to the island of Madagascar to fight against desertification.

This sum will be paid over a period of three years through the World Wide Fund for Nature and Good Planet, in order to set up reserve areas in Madagascar as well as to help boost public awareness regarding continuous reforestation.