Aviation: Air Pollution

(asked on 14th December 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possible (1) technological, and (2) regulatory, solutions available to help prevent the formation of aircraft contrails.


Answered by
Baroness Vere of Norbiton Portrait
Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
This question was answered on 22nd December 2020

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recently produced a report titled “Updated analysis of the non-CO2 climate impacts of aviation and potential policy measures pursuant to EU Emissions Trading System Directive Article 30(4)” for the European Commission, which identified three policies that could be implemented to prevent the formation of aircraft contrails: a reduction in aromatics in jet fuel; mandatory use of sustainable fuel; and avoidance of ice-supersaturated airspace.

The UK is pushing internationally for investigation of how to reduce aromatics in jet fuel and plans to consult domestically on a sustainable aviation fuel mandate. However, significant uncertainties remain meaning that policies which risk increasing aviation CO2 emissions, such as rerouting aircraft, cannot be taken forward with confidence that aviation's total climate impact would be reduced.

The Government will continue to keep this issue under review and adjust its policy where necessary.

I will place a copy of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency report in the libraries of both Houses.

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