New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme covers transport fuels from today

It would be remiss of me not to note that from today, 1 July 2010, the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) covers all domestic modes of transport, including aviation, that use liquid fossil fuels.

Once again New Zealand is leading the world.

Australian Infrastructure Minister addresses IAC in Washington DC

On 30 June 2010 the Australian Minister for Infrastructure, Hon Anthony Albanese, delivered an address on aviation policy to the International Aviation Club (IAC) in Washington DC.

Some of the very good points he makes about the implications of Australia's geographic location in terms of air services arrangements, particularly the critical importance of fifth freedom rights, apply equally to New Zealand.

WTO makes public its Air Services Agreement Projector

On 14 June 2010 the World Trade Organization (WTO) made available its Air Services Agreement Projector (Flash application) based on its QUASAR database (see previous post).

I know that this is the culmination of considerable hard work by a small dedicated team at the WTO Secretariat, as well as the work of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Secretariat in Montreal who maintain DAGMAR.

The database is only as good as the information feed into it and this is primarily reliant on ICAO member states fulfilling their obligations to deposit copies of their air services agreements.

Already this data is being used for economic research (see previous post).

The Economist on Aviation in the Gulf

On 3 June 2010 The Economist published a briefing on Aviation in the Gulf "Rulers of the new silk road" and related editorial "Super-duper-connectors from the Gulf", focussing on the rise of network airlines Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, and their hub airports.

These airlines and airports, as well as enjoying the active support of their governments, are just about in the perfect geographic location for serving international air transport needs with ultra-long-haul aircraft. This is illustrated in a range chart centred on Dubai for the Boeing B777 family of aircraft.

On 10 June 2010 Airbus announced that Emirates had ordered a further 32 Airbus A380 aircraft to take its total order to 90 of these giant airliners. Jon Ostrower, in his excellent weblog FlightBlogger, on 10 June 2010 commented: "With RPK - the measurement of actual passenger traffic - set to double in the next 20 years, makes you wonder whether or not Emirates is hoping to carry it all themselves." Jon was joking wasn't he?

WTO report on US complaint against Airbus

On 30 June 2010 the Geneva-based World Trade Organization (WTO) released its massive report on the United States complaint about subsidies given to Toulouse-based aircraft manufacturer Airbus.

Media statements in response have been released by:

• Airbus
• Boeing
• European Commission Trade
• Office of the United States Trade Representative

Regardless of the final outcome it seems highly desirable that there continue to be at least two global-scale manufacturers of large airliners driving innovation through competition.