With aviation sector experiencing a phenomenal growth rate especially in Asia-Pacific region and more importantly in India and China, environmentalists say the industry is becoming fastest growing contributor to global warming. Airline manufactures however refute the charge.
"Last year people took more than two billion journeys on scheduled airlines world-wide, up four percent over 2005, according to International Civil Aviation Organisation.
IATA, International Air Transport Association, predicts another 500 million passengers will take to skies by 2010. With jet aircraft emitting 23 kilograms of CO2 per 100 passenger kilometres, that's a lot of carbon dioxide being dumped into the atmosphere," says Eurorail group in a release.
Environmentalists argue that since aeroplanes travel at very high altitudes, impact on global warming is more.
"The logic being that since emission of CO2 in huge amounts and at such high altitude will have a direct impact on green house effect leading to increase in global warming," says K Srinivas, Climate Campaigner, Greenpeace, an international NGO working against global warming.
Others NGO's also point out that boom in aviation market is a major concern since global warming is on increase. "Average plane releases close to one tonne of carbon dioxide for each passenger it carries from London to New York.
Scientists say high-altitude emissions are more damaging to environment. "Nitrogen dioxide from airline engines leads to formation of ozone and they are worried about impact of cirrus clouds formed because of airline travel, which they believe in turn contribute to global warming."
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