editorial/ cover story - Air World

AVIATION NEWS
strong northerly winds found at
Chinggis Khaan International
Airport in UIaanbaatar, where
Eznis is based.
The Q400 aircraft has been
certified for gravel runway
operations that predominate in
rural Mongolia, which enables
Eznis to fly mining charter
customers directly to mine sites,
while the aircraft's large baggage
compartment allows ample
storage of mining provisions.
Bombardier has booked firm
orders for 460 Q400 and Q400
NextGen turboprops, and
delivered aircraft are in service
with more than 40 operators in 33
countries, on six continents.
These aircraft have transported
more than 243 million passengers
and have logged more than 3.7
million flight hours and over 4.0
million take-offs and landings.
NBAA Joins
Other Groups
in Calling for
Legal Filing
Against EU-
ETS
Washington, DC, – The National
Business Aviation Association
(NBAA) has joined with 18 other
aviation organizations in an
appeal for President Obama to
take legal action against the
European Union Emissions
Trading Scheme (EU-ETS).
In a Sept. 17 letter, the coalition
asks Obama to file an “Article
84” proceeding with the
International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO), to
challenge the EU's inclusion of
international aviation operations
in its regulation on carbon
emissions, arguing that only
ICAO has the authority to
regulate such matters on a global
scale. Article 84 of the Chicago
Convention allows the ICAO to
resolve aviation-related disputes
among member states if prior
attempts at reconciliation prove
futile.
“Standing up against the
application of this unilateral
scheme on U.S. airlines and
general aviation aircraft operators
is necessary to protect U.S.
sovereignty and jobs,” the letter
states. “The United States must
answer, and an Article 84 action
is an appropriate and critical part
of that answer.”
Review the coalition’s letter.
Under EU-ETS, carbon credits
would be available to be bought,
sold and traded on the open
market.
The aviation industry has
opposed the proposal because it
has been developed as a
unilateral, regional dictate that
does not promote harmonization,
and instead sets in motion a
patchwork of separate and
potentially conflicting
regulations. Additionally, the EU-
ETS violates international
agreements and U.S. sovereignty
by taxing emissions on even the
portion of flights to the EU that
take place over U.S. airspace.
Finally, the proposal does not
demonstrably advance
environmental objectives,
because revenues collected
through the scheme are not
required to be invested in
emission-abatement initiatives.
The coalition’s letter to Obama
notes the industry’s ongoing
concern about aircraft emissions,
and the important work being
done, appropriately, through
ICAO to develop a global
approach to emissions policy.
"Our organizations continue to
support the global framework for
addressing aviation greenhouse
gas emissions as agreed to at the
2010 ICAO Assembly," the letter
states. "Work is going on now to
further flesh out that agreement
and to put it into operation.
However, the EU-ETS has been a
roadblock to reaching full
agreement and it must be
removed."
The coalition’s letter comes
amidst significant government
and industry activity on the EU-
ETS.
For example, in June, NBAA
President and CEO Ed Bolen
testified before the Senate
Committee on Commerce,
Science and Transportation that
“as badly as commercial airlines
are treated, non-commercial
aviation is treated even worse”
under EU-ETS, and appealed to
Senators to support legislation
barring U.S. participation in the
scheme.
Also recently, China has
threatened to pull orders for
Airbus commercial airliners if the
EU takes action against Chinese
operators, prompting
representatives from the four
partner nations of the Airbus
consortium to ask for suspension
of the international provisions
under EU-ETS.
Conviasa Takes
Delivery of its
First
EMBRAER
190 Jet
São José dos Campos, – Embraer
(NYSE: ERJ; BM&F-
BOVESPA: EMBR3) recently
delivered the first EMBRAER
190 jet to Venezuelan Airline
Conviasa, Consorcio
Venezuelano de Industria
Aeronáutica e Serviços Aéreos
S.A. The companies signed a
contract last July for the
acquisition of six E190, including
an option for an additional 14
units of the same aircraft model.
The contract also includes a flight
simulator and a logistics package
to support operations for the next
five years.
The total value of the deal, at list
price and January 2012 economic
conditions, is USD 271.2 million,
and could reach USD 904 million
should all purchase options be
converted into firm orders. The
delivery ceremony was attended
by Brazil´s Vice minister of
Development, Industry and
Foreign Trade, Ricardo Scheafer,
representing the Minister
Fernando Pimentel, the
Venezuelan Minister for Air &
Aquatic Transportation, Elsa
Gutiérrez Graffe, Ambassadors
and other officials from both
countries, besides Embraer and
Conviasa executives.
“We are certain that the E190 will
have an extremely important role
in the development of Conviasa
and Venezuela’s air
transportation, due to its
versatility, comfort and low
operational cost”, said Paulo
Cesar Silva, President of
Embraer, Commercial Aviation.
“Additionally, Conviasa’s entry
into the E-Jet family of customers
strengthens our leadership in
Latin America and the Caribbean
where we have over a 70% share
of the commercial aviation
market in the 120-seat jet
segment.”
“In compliance with the
determinations of our
Commander President Hugo
Rafael Chávez Frías, and the
implementation of the air
transport policies by Minister
Elsa Gutierrez, the new Embraer
aircraft will allow us to
interconnect national and
international destinations at a
regional level, with much more
quality”, said César Martínez
Ruiz, President of Conviasa.
“Thus, we position Venezuela as
an air transport provider with
modern and efficient aircraft for
the rendering of public service to
all Conviasa passengers.”
The Venezuelan airline’s E190s
are configured with 104 seats in
economy class, in the traditional
and comfortable seat
AIR WORLD October 2012-11