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  • Sci. & Tech.
    New software to track carbon footprint of air travellers

    New Delhi (PTI): Are you a frequent flyer and aware that everytime you board a plane, even for short distances, you are contributing to global warming?

    A new software 'Travelport Carbon Tracker' launched by leading automated aviation ticket reservation systems company Galileo GDS will tell "your contribution" to carbon emission when you take a particular flight.

    The software will also suggest to the passenger that he could select a particular flight instead of his chosen one to reduce carbon emission.

    "It will help in discovering routes, travellers, departments and modes of travel that contribute to total emission. This will allow corporates and individuals to decide the flight that emits less carbon per passengers," President and CEO of Galileo GDS, Bruce Hanna said .

    There are a number of flights which have high load factor during a certain time in the day. This software can compare the amount of carbon emitted during a flight from one destination to another, he added.

    At present, air travel contributes about two per cent of carbon dioxide emissions. But its contribution, in release of Green House Gas (GHG) is set to increase as 33 per cent of travellers prefer to travel by air.

    About 28 per cent of air travel is by corporate people for business purpose and it forms about eight to ten per cent of the corporate budget, Hanna said.

    Through proper travel planning, Hanna said, the corporates can accumulate carbon credits and get benefits of carbon trading scheme.

    The Carbon Tracker would be helpful for large travel agencies and corporates who acknowledge the concern over global warming and are ready to invest for a good cause, Hanna said.

    According to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) method of calculation, a Delhi-Mumbai flight operating on A320 or Boeing 747 aircraft with a seating capacity of 176, covers the distance of 1,139 km with 4,876 kilogramme of precious Air Turbine Fuel.

    The amount of carbon dioxide emitted per passenger comes to about 122.63 kilogramme in economy class in this flight.

    Similarly, carbon emission per passenger on Delhi-Kolkata sector is about 140.43 kilogramme while on Delhi-Chennai it is 165.38 kilogramme.

    Every passenger on the Delhi-Srinagar sector, a distance of 641 kilometres, leaves 93.34 kilogramme of carbon footprint.

    On a Delhi-London and Delhi-New York flight, about 931 kilogramme and 875 kilogramme of carbon dioxide is emitted.

    Indian travel industry comprises of about eight million outbound passengers, 43 million domestic travellers and about 365 million reserved train passengers.

    Over 5,000 travel agencies are generating a revenue of about USD 6.6 billion with ticket booking and ventures.

    "The software presently will be available with the travel agents, who by paying some charges can use it for the benefit of their customers," Hanna said.

    The software will also inform the passenger through an e-mail about the amount of carbon produced during the particular trip and also the flight options that could have emitted less carbon dioxide, he added.


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