The European Union and the aerospace industry launched on February 05 a project to pump 1.6 billion euros (2.3 billion dollars) into less polluting aviation technology over the coming seven years.
The so-called Clean Sky programme aims to encourage innovations in technologies such as wing design, quieter engines, fuel consumption and developing routes that cause less pollution.
The money, half of which is to come from the EU's research budget, will be dished out over the next seven years, with individual research projects due to be selected by a tender process in the first two years.
"The next generation of airplanes will be out in 12 years. It's the right time to be looking at the technology," said Marc Ventre, who heads the aerospace propulsion division of French conglomerate Safran. He said that the new generation of aircraft would have 12 to 20 percent lower emissions of greenhouse gases and make 10 percent less noise.
The president of Swedish group Saab, Ake Svensson, said: "The carbon footprint aviation leaves behind is seen as not being acceptable and Clean Sky is an excellent way of addressing the challenges we face in developing more sustainable aviation." The European Commission noted that US public investments in the aviation sector were three times greater than in Europe.