Clean Sky project takes off
February 5, 2008Aviation industry leaders have joined representatives of the European Union to create the Clean Sky project, which aims to produce more environmentally friendly aircraft.
With an estimated budget of €1.6bn (£1.2bn) companies such as Airbus, Saab and Rolls Royce will work with the EU in an attempt to speed up new developments so they can be used day-to-day situations quicker.
Tom Enders, Airbus president and CEO, said: "The environmental challenges facing aviation today are global and will require multinational and collaboration for the best solutions. Innovation, alternative fuels, research and technology are some key enablers and air traffic management is another."
Clean Sky will look at a range of technical issues, from engines to overall aircraft design, and hopes that by 2020 it will have helped cut emissions of carbon dioxide by 50 per cent, as well as set up an eco friendly life cycle for products from design through to the manufacturing, maintenance and recycling process.
The one problem area the public-private partnership might face is a challenge from US aircraft manufacturer Boeing, although an EU representative said the World Trade Organisation should not find it a problem as the research was about developing technology rather than a product.
© Cheapflights Ltd Craig McGinty
