Aviation faces hurdles to hit goals for cutting emissions

By DAVID KOENIG and KELVIN CHAN
Associated Press

FARNBOROUGH, England (AP) — Airplanes are a minor contributor to global greenhouse-gas emissions, but their share is sure to grow as more people travel in coming years. That has the aviation industry facing the prospect of tighter environmental regulations and higher costs. At Monday’s opening of a huge aviation industry show near London, discussion about climate change replaced much of the usual buzz over big airplane orders. The industry has embraced a goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050. Experts who track the issue are skeptical. Today’s aircraft engines are the most efficient ever, but improvements in reducing fuel burn are agonizingly slow — about 1% a year on average.