IATA's Director General Giovanni Bisignani says that nations locking airspace out to commercial aviation is a significant cause of pollution. He goes on to say "Every minute of flying time that we can save reduces fuel consumption by an average of 62 liters and CO2 emissions by 160 kilogrammes."

That is the first time we have seen these numbers. In the current mania over "global warming" it will interesting to see how communities that are worried about warmed atmosphere (these very people are likely now bundled up in heated homes and offices but never mind) and the trade offs with increased aviation infrastructure.

So you want less airplanes in the sky? Make more place for them on the ground. How many flights circle while trying to land. Passengers hate this more than airlines do. And they both hate this more than the tree hugger looking up with a scowl at the contrails.

The public policy of picking on aviation for its pollution is a joke and everyone in the aviation and travel world knows this. But somehow the message has not been conveyed to the political chattering class. Reduction in pollution is in everyone's interests. For aviation to pollute less requires a number of other public policy issues to be resolved – like better ATC and less NIMBY interference when airports need to expand.

Until we can optimize the entire air travel system, there will only be marginal improvements, at best. Airlines already cut fuel burn by taxiing on one engine where they can. Airlines are eager to cut pollution because it costs them hard money in fuel burn. Its simply asinine to point at the industry and accuse it of polluting when public policy does not enable the industry to have access to the resources it needs like better ATC and bigger airports.

IATA's Director General Giovanni Bisignani says that nations locking airspace out to commercial aviation is a significant cause of pollution. He goes on to say "Every minute of flying time that we can save reduces fuel consumption by an average of 62 liters and CO2 emissions by 160 kilogrammes."

That is the first time we have seen these numbers. In the current mania over "global warming" it will interesting to see how communities that are worried about warmed atmosphere (these very people are likely now bundled up in heated homes and offices but never mind) and the trade offs with increased aviation infrastructure.

So you want less airplanes in the sky? Make more place for them on the ground. How many flights circle while trying to land. Passengers hate this more than airlines do. And they both hate this more than the tree hugger looking up with a scowl at the contrails.

The public policy of picking on aviation for its pollution is a joke and everyone in the aviation and travel world knows this. But somehow the message has not been conveyed to the political chattering class. Reduction in pollution is in everyone's interests. For aviation to pollute less requires a number of other public policy issues to be resolved – like better ATC and less NIMBY interference when airports need to expand.

Until we can optimize the entire air travel system, there will only be marginal improvements, at best. Airlines already cut fuel burn by taxiing on one engine where they can. Airlines are eager to cut pollution because it costs them hard money in fuel burn. Its simply asinine to point at the industry and accuse it of polluting when public policy does not enable the industry to have access to the resources it needs like better ATC and bigger airports.