Our Priorities

The member airlines of NACC are committed to conducting their activities in an environmentally responsible manner. As part of this effort, the NACC has continued to support the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on June 19, 2005 between the previous Canadian industry association to which the members belonged and Transport Canada. The voluntary agreement was based on the Template and Guidance on Voluntary Measures from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). By increasing fuel efficiency, our member airlines can reduce the emissions of GHG from flights in Canada and abroad.

The NACC strongly supports the objective of the 2005 voluntary Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to reduce emissions of greenhouse gas per unit of output from aviation in Canada. The NACC's members continue to work to improve the fuel efficiency of their fleets and collectively reduce their greenhouse gas emissions on a per unit basis. The fuel efficiency improvement specified in the MOU is the reduction of litres of fuel per revenue tonne-kilometre (Litres/RTK) by an average of 1.1 percent per annum with a cumulative improvement of 24 percent in 2012, compared to the 1990 base case scenario. At the time of the signing of the MOU, the 1.1% reduction target was consistent with the approach being taken by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), of which some of the NACC carriers are members. The IATA carriers had committed to achieving a fuel efficiency goal of 41.50 litres of fuel per 100 revenue tonne-kilometres by 2012.

For the period 2005 through 2008, NACC's members have achieved an efficiency improvement in Litres/RTK of 3.2% or an average 1.07% per year. The NACC's members exceeded the 2012 target for efficiency improvement in 2005, putting them seven years ahead of schedule, and in 2008 members had exceeded the MOU target for 2012 by 6.1%. This represents an overall improvement of 28.6 % from the Canadian baseline year 1990.

The NACC's members have employed a number of methods to make fuel efficiency improvements. NACC members continue to invest in their respective fleet renewal programs, which will continue to introduce new more efficient aircraft into their fleets. The carriers also continue to institute policies and procedures that impact their operations by either improving efficiency or reducing fuel burn. These usually fall into the following categories:

• Aircraft modifications and maintenance
• Aircraft operation
• Cargo and Baggage Operations
• In flight/catering
• Ground equipment operations.