Despite efficiency improvements, CO2 emissions in the aviation industry have increased, due to the growing number of passengers. The new airline index published by "Atmosfair" shows that with an above average growth in CO2 emissions of about five percent, the aviation industry is not on a path that would help to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius.
According to the new figures, 14 out of 180 airlines tested fly in efficiency class B. These are two companies more than in the previous year. There is still no airline that makes it to the highest efficiency class A. Among German airlines, TuiFly and Condor reach class B at ranks 2 and 6. At rank 12 we find AirBerlin as the best German scheduled airline (class C). In the overall ranking, Lufthansa reaches rank 67 (efficiency class D). On long-haul routes, Lufthansa has been using more efficient aircraft, Atmosfair explains. At the same time, as compared to the previous year, the rate of capacity utilisation as fallen for both passengers and cargo.
For the first time, Atmosfair also compares the airlines in group ratings of the different continents and shows that it is of hardly any consequence whether airlines are from developing or developed countries. Atmosfair concludes that less ambitious mitigation targets for airlines from most of the developing countries, as enforced in October 2013 under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) with reference to development gaps, are not justified.
Further information: www.atmosfair.de/airlineindex
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(TW 73, December 2013)