Global carbon emissions | what can airlines and airports in India do to offset them?

Air transport is an important marker of modern society and plays an integral role in the development of the economy. Ever since its advent in India in December 1912, the sector has grown in leaps and bounds.

The New Indian Express

The civil aviation industry in India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing industries in the country during the last three years. India has become the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world and is expected to overtake the UK to become the third-largest air passenger market by 2024.

However, with the phenomenal growth of the sector, its environmental impact has also intensified simultaneously-something which cannot be neglected. Carbon emissions from Indian airlines have increased by 64% in 2019 since 2012 and although it only constitutes about 1% of India’s emissions today, we must draw a blueprint to decarbonize the aviation sector and achieve a balance between economic growth and environmental degradation.

It has been said that one person flying in an airplane for one hour is responsible for the same GHG emissions as a typical Bangladeshi leading his life through a whole year.Source

How can airlines and airports in India do their part towards achieving aviation's sustainability goals?

airlines.org

When it comes to airlines, there's much that can be done to alleviate global emissions, some of which include:

Fleet renewal: Ever since the pandemic hit, focus has been on to renew existing fleet with newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft models than buying new ones. Almost 50% of India’s in-service fleet is A320neo and are 15%-20% more fuel efficient than the previous generation. Additionally, Indian operators now have an order book for over 850 A320neo and 737MAX aircraft.

IndiaTV News

Evolving propulsion systems : The race is always on to develop more efficient electric, hydrogen or a hybrid of both, propulsion systems. These systems are touted to slash carbon emissions by huge margins. Aerospace behemoths like Airbus and Boeing have joined the race to develop hydrogen powered aircraft with the former planning to launch "the ZEROe project" as early as 2035 .

Airbus ZEROe project | Fortune

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF): Touted to reduce carbon emissions by well over 90%, SAF has been used to power aircrafts since 2011. Although only a handful of flights have been completed in India, the country is well poised to develop a SAF industry, given the wide availability of feedstocks and low cost of renewable energy. IndiGo signed an agreement to investigate the possibility of using sustainable fuel in planes in July 2021.

Aviation International News

Optimizing existing infrastructure: Airports and Air Service Providers in the country can optimize the existing  runways and airspace, adopting fuel and weight saving measures. Delhi Airport features Fixed Electric Ground Power (FEGP) at all its stands in Terminal 3. FEGP can reduce airline emissions by up to 40% and also reduces noise on the apron. The Cochin International Airport in Kerala has set an example for the rest of the world by becoming the first ever fully solar powered airport with an inauguration dedicated solar plant. The airport has reduced the carbon footprint by over 3 lakh metric tonnes, which is equivalent to planting 3 million trees.

2.67 MW Solar Plant – Carport, Cochin International Airport Ltd | Tata Power Solar

Airports contribute a small proportion of aviation’s share of emissions but play an important role in sustainable growth

Airports and aerodromes, although not directly involved, make a key impact on overall emissions as they are the facilitator of passenger movements.

The largest share of an airport’s carbon footprint is from indirect emissions, namely- aircraft emissions, passenger and staff travel to the airport, and third-party operational vehicles. Over 80% of airport journeys in India are made by private cars or taxis. Ideally, airports have a lot of scopes to engage with the concerned government and department to optimise and improve public transportation, which will go a long way in offsetting carbon emissions.

Furthermore, environmental charges can be levied on airports to promote the use of quieter and newer aircraft by airlines, as is the case in some airports in Europe.

Airports Council International (ACI)

Airports Council International (ACI) launched the Airport Carbon Accreditation program in 2009 to provide airports with a common framework to manage and reduce their CO2 emissions.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata; Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar; Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi and Trivandrum International Airport have met all the requirements to upgrade to Level 2: “REDUCTION” by constituting Carbon Management Plan and reducing the carbon emissions at airports as per the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) Programme- Airports Council International (ACI).

Biju Patnaik International Airport gets Best Airport Award from Airport Council International (ACI) | Odisha News | Odisha Breaking News

The GMR consortium-AAI run Delhi Airport has become the first carbon-neutral airport in Asia-Pacific, to be accredited by the ACI on September 28, 2016.

Indira Gandhi International Airport | Down To Earth

In conclusion, aviation still has a long way to go before the intended climate goals are met.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: Inside Climate News

Microsoft is investing USD 50 million in a LanzaJet facility in Georgia that will produce jet fuel from ethanol next year, LanzaJet said.

The airline industry is considered one of the hardest to decarbonize. Renewable aviation fuel accounted for less than 0.1% of the current global jet fuel demand of about 330 million tonnes in 2019, investment bank Jefferies said in 2021. Governments and investors are trying to boost incentives to produce lower-carbon emitting jet fuel.

Microsoft Invests USD 50 Million in LanzaJet Alcohol-to-Jet Fuel Biorefinery.

LanzaJet, based in Chicago, said it has nearly completed on-site engineering at its Freedom Pines Fuels Biorefinery, with plans to start producing 10 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel per year from sustainable ethanol, including from waste-based feedstocks, in 2023.

Oil majors, airlines and other petroleum trading companies including Suncor Energy Inc., British Airways and Shell are also funding the company.

The White House said in 2021 that it wants to lower aviation emissions by 20% by 2030, as airlines face pressure from environmental groups to lower their carbon footprint.

The Biden Administration has touted tax credits for the production of sustainable jet fuel as part of its Build Back Better legislation, which is currently stalled in Congress. 

The European Union is aiming to increase the amount of SAF blended in petroleum jet fuel to 63% by 2050.

Microsoft created the Climate Innovation Fund in 2020 to invest USD 1 billion over the next four years to speed up the development of carbon removal technology.

SAF stands for sustainable aviation fuel. It’s produced from sustainable feedstocks and is very similar in its chemistry to traditional fossil jet fuel. Using SAF results in a reduction in carbon emissions compared to the traditional jet fuel it replaces over the lifecycle of the fuel.

Jet fuel packs a lot of energy for its weight and it is this energy density that has really enabled commercial flight. Today, there aren’t any other viable options for transporting groups of people quickly over very long distances, so we’re dependent on this type of fuel in aviation. A return flight between London and San Francisco has a carbon footprint per economy ticket of nearly 1 tonne of CO2e.

SAF gives an impressive reduction of up to 80% in carbon emissions over the lifecycle of the fuel compared to traditional jet fuel it replaces, depending on the sustainable feedstock used, production method and the supply chain to the airport. 

(With Inputs from Reuters)

The Indian aviation industry is full of surprises. Recently, Son of MLA cut water supply to International Airport after he was denied entry by airport officials.

Abhinaya Reddy allegedly cut off the water supply after the airport officials allegedly denied him entry to the airport. No official reaction was immediately available.

The Reddys are leaders of the ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP). Tirupati’s Renigunta airport is an international airport operated by the Airport Authority of India (AAI).

Abhinaya Reddy had gone to the airport earlier this week to welcome Andhra Pradesh minister Botsa Satyanarayana. His airport visit resulted in a heated exchange with the officials.

https://twitter.com/JM_Scindia/status/1481550248640413696

The Ministry of Civil Aviation will examine and take action on BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao's complaint that water supply to Tirupati airport was stopped by YSR Congress Party leaders after a few of the party members were not allowed to enter the terminal premises.

"We will examine the issue at our end and take necessary action," Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Twitter. Passengers and staff at the airport will not face any further inconvenience, he added.

The Tirupati Municipal Corporation had on Monday, January 10 stopped water supply to the Tirupati International airport and the residential quarters of airport staff, hours after a few YSRCP members were not allowed to enter the airport on Sunday, January 9, Rao alleged in his complaint letter.

Abhinaya Reddy allegedly cut off the water supply after the airport officials allegedly denied him entry to the Tirupati airport. (Image Courtesy - The Logical Indian)

"This highhanded, vengeful and thoughtless action has inconvenienced hundreds of passengers who travel to and from Tirupati airport and has caused serious hardship to the families in residential quarters," he noted.

Vengeful action did not stop at that, the BJP MP said in his letter dated January 13.

Roads leading to the residential quarters were suddenly dug up which prevented movement of vehicles, including private water tankers, he added. Rao said airport officials also confirmed the veracity of media reports on the incident.

"Though senior officials of the Tirupati Municipal Corporation claim that the supply disruption was due to repairs, this explanation is flimsy and everyone knows that this was done as a retaliatory measure by the local leaders of the YSRCP," he stated in the letter.

Roads leading to the residential quarters were suddenly dug up which prevented the movement of vehicles, including private water tankers.

The water supply to the airport and residential quarters were restored within a day after airport officials took up the matter, but the roads may take a week or longer to repair, as per district officials, Rao mentioned.

"Given the serious nature of the transgression and the essential nature of airport services, I am writing to request you to initiate a high-level, independent and time-bound enquiry into the Tirupati airport incident," he stated.

"I further request you to take up this matter with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to see that such incidents do not recur in the state and proper services to all airports operating in the state are maintained," the BJP MP added.

The resumption of flights involving bigger aircraft from Kerala’s Kozhikode airport may take longer, as reported by Gulf News. The restrictions on wide-bodied aircraft at Kerala’s third busiest airport were placed in 2020. The Kozhikode airport, which was earlier served by Emirates and Etihad Airways, placed a ban on twin-aisle aircraft after an Air India Express crash-landed in August 2020 which resulted in the death of 21 passengers.

The airport is run by the Airports Authority of India, a government entity that has been actively engaging with all stakeholders to resume wide-body operations at the airport.

Kozhikode International Airport (Picture Credit: Skytrax)

Ban on Wide-body aircraft

Wide-body aircraft like the Boeing 747 and Airbus A350 has a bigger fuel tank and can therefore travel longer distances in comparison with narrow-body planes like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.

The Boeing 737 jet of Air India Express, on a flight from Dubai, overshot and fell 50 meters off the end of the runway at the Calicut airport in treacherous conditions, killing 21 including the pilots, making it one of the deadliest commercial aviation disasters in the country in nearly 10 years.

The table-top airports have limited space at the ends of the runway, and several international airlines have stopped flying bigger aircraft into Kozhikode because of safety issues. Wide-body aircraft were permitted at this airport from 2019.

In 2021, the DGCA team had carried out the inspection. However, the decision to restore the operation of wide-bodied aircraft was put on hold as the Ministry of Civil Aviation waited for the report of a five-member team of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) which probed the Air India Express crash.

The AAIB submitted its report in September 2021, pointing out that AAI was permitted to recommence wide-bodied aircraft operations at Calicut airport after the installation of the transmissometer for the Runway Visual Range (RVR) system.

However, at the time of the accident, the RVR instrument had not been installed at the airport. The RVR can significantly enhance the accuracy of visibility reporting, leading to better situational awareness of pilots during low visibility.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Government of India

Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified on January 13, 2022, that the suggestion to reduce the length of the runway of Kozhikode International Airport is not final yet. Shrinking the runway could help in increasing the Runway End Safety Area.

The team attached to the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conducted an assessment of the facilities, including safety measures, at the airport. Although the Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials said that the visit of the team was a routine one, its report could be key to the resumption of wide-bodied aircraft operations.

Meantime, budget carriers such as flydubai and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi have begun operating between UAE and Calicut, offering flights for as little as Dh300. Even if the regulators were to give the green light, it remains to be seen if there will be enough demand for the high-cost options offered by the full-service carriers.

With Omicron cases surging, it looks like the resumption of a full roster of scheduled flights between UAE and India may take longer. India is targeting January 31 to end its ‘air bubble’ agreement policy, but aviation experts say that the government will most likely postpone the date again.

Previously, the DGCA had banned the operation of wide-bodied aircraft in the wake of the Court of Inquiry report on the Air India Express Boeing 737 crash in Mangaluru in May 2010. It was in July last year Saudia (Saudi Arabian airlines) resumed the operation of Haj flights. Then three airlines – Air India, Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airlines) and Emirates — had secured permission to operate wide-bodied aircraft.

The rise in Omicron cases and the need for home isolation for those healing from this highly infectious disease is making it increasingly difficult for airlines' staff. Singapore immigration authorities objected to a leading Indian airline rostering a cabin crew member on a flight before the member had accomplished home isolation for the required 14 days. This claim will be investigated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

About the Incident

According to a report in The Times of India, a cabin crew member had tested positive on December 31, 2021. He reported back to work on Sunday, January 9. He was rostered on a flight departing for Singapore on January 11 and landed there on January 12. On arrival, immigration authorities at Changi Airport detained him as he had not completed 14 days of home isolation.

They made him take a Covid test (the result of which was awaited till the time of going to press). The cabin crew member reached his hotel five hours after landing. The immigration authorities have objected and may take some action like imposing a fine on the crew member or the airline.

Singapore immigration has raised concerns after Indian airline fails to comply with COVID regulations.

Due to Omicron's high infectivity, airlines around the world are experiencing significant personnel shortages. According to ICMR guidelines for Omicron management, asymptomatic Covid positive airline crew members could be pronounced "fit for unrestricted flying" after seven days of home isolation, according to the Indian regulator earlier this week.

Mildly symptomatic crew members who recover after less than 14 days of home isolation may also be declared fit to fly. This was done to ensure that airlines have enough people to continue operating the rapidly falling number of flights.

This aviation ministry data revealed a significant decrease in air site visitors. On December 26, 2021, India saw the highest daily home flyer volume of 3.9 lakh passengers on 2,804 aircraft. By January 11, the number of passengers had dropped to 1.9 lakh on 2,061 scheduled domestic flights, a decrease of more than half.

Furthermore, the 2,061 domestic flights were nearly half-full, with occupancy ranging from 50.7% to 64.3%. US and EU carriers had cancelled 1000’s flights throughout this Christmas-New Year for this very cause.

Looking at the trajectory of new infections, many airlines have scaled back operations and are even allowing passengers free modifications to their bookings. IndiGo, Air India, and Vistara have announced that they are waiving flight date change fees for travel up to March 31, 2022.

The queues at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport begin when travellers are still in their vehicles, shortly after getting off the highway, at what appears to be a multi-lane toll booth. Instead of a toll collector, however, travellers are greeted by two security guards.- one asks where they’re coming from, and another stands nearby with a finger on the trigger of a machine gun.

Ben Gurion International Airport, or Lydda Airport as it is sometimes referred to, is the largest international airport in Israel. Before 1973, the airport was known as Lod Airport when the name changed to honour David Ben Gurion who was Israel’s first prime minister. The airport is operated by the Israel Airports Authority (IAA), a government-owned corporation that manages all public airports and border crossings in the State of Israel.

Aerotime Hub

Ben Gurion Airport is one of the world’s most secure air travel hubs. No one has been killed or even injured as a result of terrorism at the Tel Aviv airport for the past 44 years. Nor has any departing plane been attacked during that time.

The airport has multiple layers or “rings” of security and the entire process from arrival at the gates to departure is an ordeal in itself.

ARRIVAL

The entry checkpoints are heavily guarded by Uzi-armed soldiers and inspectors who review documents of all cars, taxis, buses and trucks that enter these points. In case of any slight suspicion, the vehicles, including the passengers are searched further.

Middle East Eye

Plainclothes armed personnel patrol the area outside the building, and hidden surveillance cameras operate at all times

Passenger Interview

All passengers are interviewed by security personnel trained by the Israel Aviation Authority in conjunction with Israeli intelligence and security agencies. Interviewers, who often are students with some military combat experience, look for such warning signs as nervousness; lack of a concrete reason for travelling into, out of, or through Israel; and suspicious travel history. "Risky" passengers may be sent to private rooms for questioning and searches. Employees are regularly tested by undercover colleagues.

Passengers are asked standard questions like, "What do you do for a living?", ''Why did you come to Israel?'' , "Did you pack your own bags?", all this while the security agent checks for the passenger's reactions. Additionally, further odd questions like reasons of the visit to various countries stamped in the passport or higher/secondary education details might be asked.

The checks wouldn't just end there. There's a possibility that the officials might ask you to open your Email or Facebook pages for inspection. Several Palestinian-Americans and known Palestinian sympathizers have been subjected to this new type of search, and have been refused entry to Israel.

Dubbed as "ethnic profiling"- the Israeli officials deem it to be a necessary evil to maintain security through such extreme methods have been strongly refuted by the western world.

On completion of the interview, a barcode is stamped at the back of each passport that starts with a number from 1-6. If the number starts with ''1''- the passenger is deemed ''very low risk''. Number ''6'' deems the passenger to be a ''high risk'' and would be subjected to further stringent screening.

A level-6 threat | Tumblr

The Supreme Court once said democracy should protect itself. Aviation should protect itself. If you don’t profile, you’ll lose aviationNerri Yarkoni, the former head of Israel’s Aviation Authority and an expert on aviation security

UNATTENDED BAGGAGE

Unattended baggage(s) are immediately dealt with and if not identified, are destroyed right away.

INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES SCOUT THE AIRPORT

The airport, in collaboration with intelligence agencies and  Israel's military operations, monitors terrorist cells, bombs and external threats and check flight manifests as well.

The Times Of Israel

WASTE DISPOSAL

Innovative trash cans, made of impact-resistant plastics are placed at various places that explode upward in the event of an explosion.

ON-BOARD

In all El Al flights, "sky marshals" in plain clothes patrol the entire aircraft and can prevent suspicious passengers from boarding. Additionally, cockpit doors have two sets- the outer one made of steel—are secured once pilots have taken their seats, and remain so throughout the flight.

Sam Chui

What sets Israeli airport security apart form the rest of the airports around the world?

Israeli airport security is considered to be the best in the world. As ironical as it may sound, the airport hardly uses any super-advanced technology they use the same metal detectors as the ones used in the US and Europe. Israel has figured out that despite the several advancements in technology, it still is unfortunately possible to get weapons through by bypassing airport security. Hence they started focussing on the one main thing that others seemed to have neglected- human factors. Rather than focus on the objects that could be used as weapons, they started profiling people who could use them. And that explains the high level of scrutiny the passengers have to go through right from the entry checkpoints.

We can’t afford an attack. We aren’t a superpower. A terrorist attack at an airport is more than an attack, it’s a hit on the reputation of the entire country.You can’t have 100 percent protection of privacy and human rights and not have terror attacks.It doesn’t go together.Pinni Schiff, a former security chief for Israel’s Airport Authority

The Ben Gurion Airport is a testimony to the fact that 100% fool-proof safety protocols are possible in aviation. Here's the question though- Is it practically possible to implement worldwide at other major airport hubs like Dubai or Heathrow, that handle thrice the amount of passenger traffic? Perhaps not.

In Israel, passengers arrive at the airport three hours before departure, just to clear the stringent security, whereas, on the other hand, in some places in Europe, passengers are encouraged to arrive a mere one hour before travel- the latter reportedly improving travel efficiency.

In conclusion, to have a fast, efficient and secure system, elements of the strictest security system has to be integrated with those of the fastest.

The New York Times

Did you know? El Al, the national carrier of Israel, is the only commercial airline to equip an anti-missile defence system in its planes to protect them from surface-air missiles and is considered as one of the safest airlines.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: ET TravelWorld