Carbon emissions per passenger has declined more than 50% since 1990, says IATA chief

Carbon emissions per passenger have more than halved since 1990 because of an annual fuel efficiency improvement of 2.3 per cent over the period since 2009, some 0.8 percentage points ahead of target, IATA has said.

This progress is due to a combination of investment in better aircraft and operational efficiencies, Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director-General and CEO, said.

“Cutting per passenger emissions in half is an amazing achievement of the technical expertise and innovation in the aviation industry. But we have even bigger ambitions. From 2020, we will cap net emissions. And by 2050, we will cut emissions to half of 2005 levels. Accomplishing these targets means continued investment in new technology, sustainable fuels, and operational improvements,” he added.