IATA calls on G8 to act on Single European Sky

The G8 Summit should commit to the delivery of a Single European Sky within five years to save 12 million tonnes of carbon emissions, according to air travel professionals.

A SES would combine all of Europe's navigation service providers and result in fewer delays and better routes, leading to lower levels of carbon being emitted into the atmosphere, claims the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

In a letter to German chancellor Angela Merkel, who is hosting the summit of political leaders, IATA chief executive Giovanni Bisignani said that taking action could make a difference in the fight against climate change.

"Air transport must become an industry that does not pollute - zero emissions, but we can only achieve that if politicians replace empty promises on the environment with real results," he said.

Environmentally-conscious passengers can currently negate the impact of their air travel by taking up a carbon offsetting scheme, which involves a donation being made to a climate change charity which will action a project to offset the carbon produced by the traveller's flight.

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