OREANDA-NEWS. July 02, 2013. The European project IAGOS (In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System) aims to monitor the climate and atmospheric pollution on a global scale. EASA*-certified, on-board instruments are used to measure the levels of several types of greenhouse gas, cloud particles, etc.

The Air France A340 equipped with these instruments will display the inscription “Monitoring for Climate Research” and will serve among other destinations, the Caribbean and West Africa, areas of the world that are not widely served by the other airlines supporting this project.

Long-haul passenger aircraft are particularly suited to this type of research as, unlike traditional observation methods (probe balloons or satellites), these aircraft fly for extended periods at cruising altitude. The numerous flight frequencies make frequent and diverse data collection possible. Air France had already taken part in a similar project** between 1994 and 2004.

The measurements will subsequently be automatically transferred to the CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research) via a mobile phone integrated in the system. The resulting data, made available to international weather centres and scientists around the world, will notably be used in the study of carbon cycles and to check CO2 emissions (in accordance with the Kyoto Protocol protocol).

* European Aviation Safety Agency

** MOZAIC (measurement of ozone, carbon monoxide and water vapour at high altitude program)

Air France, committed to sustainable development

For many years, Air France has been committed to reducing its environmental footprint, with an aim to achieve neutral growth in CO2 emissions as from 2020. Air France is also fully committed to research into sustainable biofuels. Furthermore, it is continuing the integration of sustainable development in its products and services by recycling on average 80% of articles used for in-flight service.

For the eighth year running in 2012, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index index (DJSI), the main international index evaluating companies on their performance in terms of sustainable development, once again ranked Air France-KLM leader in the air transport sector. For the fourth consecutive year, the Group ranked top of the wider “Transport and leisure” sector. This distinction is presented to the 19 most environmentally-aware companies worldwide, each in their own sector of activity.