DIRECT FLIGHTS MORE ECO-FRIENDLY

Finnair wants to be a responsible world citizen that takes the environment into consideration in everything it does. Finnair is supporting The International Air Transport Association IATA's target towards zero emissions in air transport. Decreasing the environmental burden of the industry enables further growth of air travel in the future.

The cornerstones of Finnair's environmental operations are a modern, low-emission fleet and the shortest routes. Finnair is ready to support an open, global emissions trading scheme that does not distort competition. Customers can impact the amount of emissions their flight creates by choosing an airline with a modern fleet and direct routes.

Finnair offers its customers the most direct flights between Europe and Asia, via Helsinki. Helsinki's geographical position makes this possible. All airlines operating between Europe and Asia fly over Finland since the shortest great circle route between the continents passes over Finnair's home land. Should you fly from Berlin via Frankfurt to Beijing, you have been flying for over an hour in the wrong direction. Fuel is wasted and unnecessary emissions created.

Finnair's home hub, the comfortable and functional Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, is known for short distances and connecting times between flights. And what is most important, you are flying in the right direction. For all cities in Europe that don't have direct flights to Asia, Helsinki is always on the way.

Young aircraft are environmentally friendlier
Finnair has been conscientiously renewing its fleet for years. The airline made the decision to install eco-efficient engines to its Airbus A320 fleet ten years ago already. Finnair's European and domestic fleet has an average age of under three years.

The age of an aircraft tells us a lot about its consumption and emissions. Each new generation of jet aircraft use up to a quarter less fuel than the previous generation. The amount of emissions created decrease in the same proportion. Finnair aircraft today consume a fourth less fuel than in 1999.

And the renewal continues. Finnair is replacing its Boeing MD-11 fleet with new Airbus A330 aircraft by the end of March 2010. At the same time the airline has acquired new Airbus A340s. The A330s release 20 per cent less emissions than the MD-11. For the A340s the figure is 10 per cent less. The greatest leap will be taken in 2014 when the first new technology Airbus A350XWB joins the fleet. Its emissions are up to a third smaller than those of current wide-bodied aircraft.

Emissions trade should not distort competition
In Finnair's opinion, the principal means of decreasing emissions should be investment in new technology, infrastructure and development of operative methods. For its part, Finnair is concentrating on these. A good example is our ongoing fleet renewal.

The European Union can also take the initiative to improve the use of European air space to allow direct flight and approach routes and to avoid keeping aircraft in holding patterns over airports. These measures can decrease fuel consumption by up to ten per cent.

Aviation must do its utmost to decrease the negative effects it has on the environment, but at the same time it is important to remember that aviation industry is an integral part of the economic infrastructure of each country, including the EU. Air transport plays an essential role in the competitiveness of each country and helps ensure regional equality. The development of air transport and that of the economy, including employment, go hand in hand.

Due to the global nature of air travel, equality between airlines can only be ensured in a global emissions trading scheme. Finnair considers it essential that a solution for emissions trading be sought on a global level in the UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation ICAO. Finnair feels that in emissions trading aviation should be treated the same way as other areas of industry and that it should be part of a general emissions trading scheme. The system must not distort competition between airlines.

The share of EU air traffic in global carbon dioxide emissions is 0.5 per cent (Eurostat). On a global scale, air transport's share of global CO2 emissions is two per cent and is expected to grow to three per cent by 2050 (IPCC).