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Etihad Airways hopes to inspire all airlines
July 18, 2011, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. - Etihad Airways flight EY450 took off for Sydney on Saturday and by doing so took part in an initiative intended to revolutionize the aviation industry.
July 18, 2011 By Carey Fredericks
Operated under the auspices of the Indian Ocean Strategic Partnership to Reduce Emissions (INSPIRE), the flight, which originated in Abu Dhabi, will utilise technology that could see significant reductions in fuel use and carbon emissions by all aircraft.
Flight EY450 is one of four long-haul flights from the UAE for which the route has been determined by airlines rather than by the various air traffic control centres of jurisdictions on the ground. The result will be considerably more direct and more fuel efficient flights.
James Hogan, Etihad Airways CEO, said: “By allowing airlines to plan their routes based on aircraft capabilities, for example to take advantage of prevailing jetstreams, the savings in terms of emissions and fuel used would be enormous.
“In recent years the advances made in aircraft navigation systems technology have been impressive. Aircraft are no longer reliant on ground-based navigation systems. At Etihad, for the sake of the environment, we strongly advocate industry modernisation that will allow aircraft to fly to the capabilities they now have.”
It is hoped INSPIRE flights operated between the UAE and Australia by Etihad, Emirates and Virgin Australia between July 15 and 22 will provide best practice environmentally sustainable statistics against which the industry can be benchmarked.
INSPIRE is the result of a partnership between the Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP) of the Arabian Gulf, Southern Africa and the South-West Indian Ocean. The initiative is an off-shoot of the successful Asia and South Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE).
His Excellency Mohamed Hareb Al Yousef, Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, said: “The collaborative efforts of governments, industry and airline companies to work together through INSPIRE to reduce aviation emissions is to be applauded.
“The INSPIRE partnership helps airline companies in their quest to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, an initiative that is in synergy with fulfilling the UAE’s vision for sustainable aviation.”
The INSPIRE initiative is also supported by Abu Dhabi International Airport Air Navigation Service (ADAC ANS) which manages the Abu Dhabi International Airport TMA Airspace and provides approach services to all flights. The INSPIRE flights will allow the ANS team to calculate the optimum flight profiles for flights going to Australia.
Abu Dhabi Airport Services will provide the best possible operational support on the ground in terms of ground handling, tug, fuelling and catering operations so that no delays are incurred on the ground. The gate allocation for this flight will be planned to minimize the taxiing time to the runway and also allow use of ground power. In addition, fuelling will be conducted at the last possible moment so as to allow the airlines to take the exact fuel required for the flight after making final adjustments.
James E. Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) commented: “We are proud to see the first ‘Green Flight’ taking off from Abu Dhabi International Airport, as it marks ADAC’s commitment towards operating in an environmentally conscious manner to reduce the airport’s ecological footprint, and our support of Etihad’s continued excellence in environmental responsibility. We see this is as another positive and exciting step towards improving modern aviation.”
The stated aims of INSPIRE partners include accelerating the development and implementation of operational procedures to reduce the aviation industry’s carbon footprint, capitalising on existing technologies and best practices, and developing shared performance metrics.
Etihad took part in the INSPIRE initiative in conjunction with partners the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, the Abu Dhabi Airports Company, Dubai Airports, Dubai Air Navigation Services, the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, DGMAN Oman, the Airports Authority of India, Maldives Airport Company, Sri Lanka Airport and Aviation Services, Air Services Australia, ATNS South Africa, Melbourne Airport, Sydney Airport, Perth Airport, Canberra Airport, South African Airways, Virgin Australia and Dubai-based carrier Emirates Airline.
Etihad Airways is the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates.
