Trade.Information

EasyJet promotes new "green" aircraft design

British low-cost airline easyJet (EZJ.L) has unveiled its vision of a short haul aircraft that it hopes will generate 50 percent less CO2 than its current planes and can be delivered by 2015.

The narrow-bodied plane would have two open rotor engines above a wide tail fin, with a lightweight body constructed of carbon composites.


News Inside News:

"This is not Star Trek technology," easyJet Chief Executive Andy Harrison told reporters on Thursday.
"This is technology that is well within our reach. We are talking to Boeing and Airbus. We are working with manufacturers to get this aircraft delivered in 2015."
"We are currently spending 4 billion pounds ($7.88 billion) on aircraft -- they are listening to us," he added.
His remarks came as the head of European plane maker Airbus (EAD.PA) separately proposed a top-level gathering of aerospace groups, including its U.S rival, Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA - news), to step up efforts to cut air travel pollution.
EasyJet's plans would put the airline five years ahead of CO2 cuts targeted by aviation body ACARE of 50 percent by 2020, although it plans to more than double its fleet size by then.
Easyjet said 25 percent of CO2 emissions would be cut by using open rotor engines, which must be placed above the tail due to their size, while 15 percent would be cut by using the lighter airframe and 10 percent by air traffic control improvements.
"We don't see biofuels as being the big step forward," Harrison said. "This (design) is the big step forward, and it's at our fingertips."
The aircraft design would also cut noise by 25 percent and damaging nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 75 percent.
Harrison said he thought Airbus was capable of building EasyJet's vision by 2015 despite the time Airbus has taken in developing its new A350 aircraft.
"Boeing is ahead with the production routes, but Airbus has got the capability," he told Reuters. "What we're saying is -- make sure you're ahead in the battle for the short haul narrow body aircraft."

Commitment of Environment of Airbus-
In an aerospace industry first, Airbus has received International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 14001 environmental certification that covers the entirety of the company’s 16 production sites, as well as all of its airliner products throughout their lifecycle.
The highly respected Det Norske Veritas (DNV) company issued the certification to ISO 14001 standards following an Airbus-wide audit in December 2006. This is a recognition of Airbus' application of a robust environmental management system (EMS) to continually monitor and minimize the environmental impact of its production processes and the company's products throughout their lifecycle. The life cycle covers design, procurement, manufacturing, transport, in service operations including maintenance, aircraft end of life and recycling.

Airbus President and CEO Louis Gallois said in becoming the world's only aerospace company to receive such broad certification, Airbus underscores its commitment to taking environmental considerations into account for all of its decision-making. It is a testament to Airbus' commitment to the environmental concerns of today, and is vital to ensuring the sustainable development of the global aviation business over the long term, he added.

Environmental innovations pursued by Airbus in the production process include the pioneering use of a greener, chemical-free milling process for fuselage panels; more environmentally friendly painting processes; and steps to minimise energy and water consumption during the production cycle.

For its aircraft product line, Airbus continues to work on quieter and more fuel efficient jetliners. Its A380 is a new benchmark for fuel efficiency and low noise levels, and aircraft such as the A350XWB will push this envelope even further.


Mental and physical health, occupational safety and the respect of the environment are integral parts of Airbus' fundamental performance.

Airbus maintains a commitment towards sustainable development through the involvement and contribution of all stakeholders, the continuous optimization of its product-portfolio, and the establishment of advanced formal management systems for EHS.

Commitments

We go beyond the mere fulfilment of the legal obligations, which concern EHS. We identify and aspire to meet other EHS related requirements to which our organization voluntarily engages, and are committed to the continuous improvement of our performance in all areas of EHS.
We endeavor to evaluate the impact and risk of every aspect of our activities and products on EHS.
We commit to the prevention of pollution in all our activities.
We set targets for EHS improvements and measure achievements in order to continually improve our performance and face future challenges by all reasonably practical means.
We research, develop and promote innovative solutions with the aim of improving our EHS performance over all phases of the product life cycle for the benefit of all our stakeholders.
We promote and uphold a high level of care for the health and wellbeing of our employees and we involve our employees and staff representatives in the layout of their workplaces and other EHS activities.
We design work systems, products and services according to health, safety, ergonomics and environmental requirements in all phases of the product life cycle.
We assess potential actions for improvement and engage in appropriate legislative review processes and actively participate in stakeholder forums.
We make our stakeholders, all people working for or on behalf of our organisation and the public aware of our EHS Policy and provide comprehensive information about the protection of EHS.

Implementation


All Airbus Functions, National Entities and Subsidiaries are responsible for the consistent implementation of this policy.
They guarantee the establishment of appropriate implementation directives and the availability of the necessary resources, especially with regard to personnel and the suitability of their skills for the job.
Periodic assessments will be performed on a worldwide basis to monitor the implementation of the EHS policy.
This policy will be reviewed regularly in accordance with the Airbus Strategic Plan, including repercussions on the cascaded requirements.

Release link: http://www.airbus.com/en/