A Guardian letter, helicopter noise in Manhattan, and new government loans for Airbus

21st August, 2009

A letter from AEF board member Jeff Gazzard on the shortcomings of aviation’s treatment under the emissions trading scheme has been published in the Guardian, under the heading Free ride for airlines on CO2 emissions.

Otherwise, the last fortnight has seen us focussing primarily on membership and internal issues. We’ve been responding to member inquiries arising from our latest newsletter, improving some of the printed materials we send to new subscribers, and working on how to make documents easier to find on our website.

We’ve also written to Defra with some questions about the implementation of the Environmental Noise Regulations, and we’ve posted comment on our website on the news that even in recession-hit Britain, new pots of taxpayers’ money are being allocated to the aerospace sector.

External inquiries during the last two weeks have come from journalists and members of the public, and have included a request for help tracking down an academic paper on aviation’s environmental impacts, and questions about helicopter noise in Manhattan, low-flying aircraft near Biggin Hill, and the planning history at Carlisle Airport.