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Tiefensee: Emissions-based take-off and landing fees - Important signal for climate protection
Pilot project at Frankfurt and Munich airports
Speaking today in Berlin, Federal Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee announced a pilot project for the introduction of emissions-based take-off and landing fees at Frankfurt and Munich airports. The pilot project was developed in close cooperation with the Air Transport Initiative.
Tiefensee:
"Combating climate change has been an important issue in air transport for some time now. With this in mind, I have proposed the introduction of emissions-based landing and take-off charges. This is a significant step towards making air travel cleaner and more climate-compatible. I am delighted that Frankfurt and Munich airports, which account for about 50% of Germany's total air traffic, will be taking this step on 1 January 2008. This gives airlines clear incentives to use modern, more environmentally compatible aircraft. Deutsche Lufthansa, the largest German air carrier, is demonstrating that it takes environmental protection seriously. This pilot project will help reduce global warming and protect the many people who live in close proximity to airports".
The project aims at significantly improving air quality in the areas surrounding airports. This will not increase overall airline costs. The use of more environmentally compatible aircraft will be rewarded in the future and higher fees will be charged for planes with that produce more emissions.
The fees will only apply to nitrogen oxides (NOx) and unburnt hydrocarbons (HC), which are generated during take-off and landing and therefore primarily have an impact on the local area.
Commenting further, Tiefensee said:
"This measure is an important signal for climate protection".
"We will carry out an initial analysis review after a year. Air carriers are now challenged to use engines with low NOx emissions. I urge research institutes and the supply industry to promote the development and production of environmentally compatible engines".
