Airlines turn on EU over aviation carbon trade

The European commission’s draft proposal to incorporate aviation in the EU emission trading scheme is "overly ambitious and self-defeating", British Airways has warned.  The comments, made this week by chairman Martin Broughton, reflect rising unease in the industry over parts of the plan.

BA and other airlines have supported bringing the sector into the ETS.  But they have insisted on a "simple" and "practical" scheme that would only apply to intra-EU flights (EED 12/04/06).  Antagonising non-European airlines could simply lead to delays in getting the sector into the ETS, BA argues.