Emission Trader Schemes

The European Commission’s Emissions Trading System calls for all flights within the EU to abide by emission quotas by 2011. Commercial airlines will get a carbon credit based on their emissions during the previous few years and if an airline has unused emission credits, they can trade them to airlines that are not as clean. Under this system, the UK hopes to reduce CO2 emissions by 2012 by 20 percent below 1990 levels. However, profiteering may contaminate this pure concept.

The regulated market for carbon credits is expected to generate more than $68 billion by 2010 and the unregulated voluntary sector will rise to $4 billion during that timeframe. According to a Financial Times investigation, already there are widespread instances of organizations buying worthless credits that do not yield any carbon emission reductions; industrial companies that are already "clean" are gaining carbon credits and benefiting financially; companies are being overcharged for the EU credits since the value of those credits have fallen; and companies are overcharging consumers to help eliminate the companies carbon output. There are concerns over credibility and fraud.

The International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) responded to the investigation by emphasizing that there are two types of offsets: well-regulated, environmentally credible offsets that fall under the Kyoto Protocol and are regulated by a UN agency; and the emerging voluntary market, which is largely unregulated and therefore open to abuse. The IETA is currently creating a Voluntary Carbon Standard for the latter group.

In the meantime, "Buyer Beware" should be in place for all interested parties. The concept of neutralizing the environmental mess industrialized nations are making is ideal, but there are those that will try to financially profit regardless of the harm it may do to a worthy cause.

British Airways Allies With Heico Aerospace

HEICO Corporation and British Airways have announced that they have entered into a long-term alternative parts supply, development and management agreement.

The strategic partnership is HEICO’s seventh such relationship with a major international airline. HEICO has partner positions with Lufthansa, American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Air Canada, JAL and now British Airways.

Under the new agreement, HEICO will exclusively manage British Airways’ alternative parts program.

British Airways operates a fleet of more than 250 Airbus and Boeing aircraft and has extensive, state-of-the-art maintenance capability with repair and overhaul facilities at several locations throughout the UK.

British Airways General Manager materials management & component overhaul, Raj Mehta stated, "BA is delighted to be working with HEICO Aerospace on developing our replacement parts program into the future. This strategic partnership forms a key element of our business strategy, whilst continuing to maintain the highest levels of safety and reliability."

MNG Technic Signs Agreements

The agreements, with Best Air for TC-TUA registered MD-82 type aircrafts’ maintenance and with Egypt operator Air Memphis for SU-BME registered MD-83 type aircrafts’ maintenance, began last month. All the work will be completed at MNG Technic’s maintenance center in Istanbul Ataturk Airport in Turkey.

Runway Safety

Dr. Paul Foster, a flight standard representative with the FAA, presented "Runway Safety for Mechanics" (see AM May 2007, page 8) during a PAMA seminar. Dr. Foster is retired Air Force and a mechanic and his seminar emphasized that maintenance technicians should be aware of everything from avionics to runway safety.

During his lecture, Dr. Foster stressed that open, on-going communication is essential to safety. As a one-time runway mechanic, Dr. Foster sometimes misunderstood what air traffic ground control was talking about when they spoke too quickly and too technically. To ensure the safety of maintenance personnel, the FCC gave the FAA a waiver in July 2002 saying that maintenance personnel can use the identification word "maintenance" when talking with the tower if they spoke too quickly or too technically. This waiver, used only for aircraft that are being moved by maintenance personnel from one area to another, ensures that the ground crews readily understand all communication because it slowed down the tower’s communication.

Dr. Foster also discussed the two areas of runway safety, movement and non-movement, and within the movement area there are four categories of severity: D – little or no risk of collision; C – ample time and distance to avoid collision; B – significant potential for collision; and A – barely avoid collision. There were 178 maintenance surface incidents between 1998 and 2004, including taxi, tow and tug events and the majority of these occurred because of a lack of communication. For example, a mechanic will tow the aircraft across the runway and will talk with air traffic on the way, but on the return trip, the mechanic failed to communicate with air traffic, thus causing an incident.

In all areas, communication is the key and when A&Ps are trained, they must be taught about airport regulations and also be very familiar with different airport surface areas in order to avoid any incidents.

For further information on maintenance and ramp safety, attend the 19th FAA/ATA International Symposium, September 5-6, 2007 in Orlando, Fla.