FAA, China Sign Environmental Pact
from Aircraft Maintenance Technology
With the stroke of a pen, the FAA agreed to work in cooperation with China to share best environmental practices at airports in the two countries. The agreement was reached at the U.S.-China Aviation Symposium in Beijing. While the environment is an important part of the symposium, officials also concentrated on air traffic and safety. More

Airport Offers About 200 Acres of Grass for Baling to Farmers
from Jackson Citizen Patriot
The Jackson County Airport in Jackson, Mich., is getting back to its agricultural roots. Airport officials are asking area farmers who are willing to cut about 200 acres of grass surrounding the runways to name their price for the trimmings. Airport Manager Kent Maurer said the proposals to sell the cuttings were made in an effort to keep costs and the plant life down at the airfield. More

California's San Jose Airport Goes Green
from Airwise
Efforts to green Mineta San Jose International Airport in San Jose, Calif., are already paying off. So says the airport and some of its major vendors in the project. Deployment of high-performance energy efficiency software to manage the airport's HVAC system, coupled with an addition and an upgrade to the facility's array of chillers, have yielded more than $35,000 in savings from utility costs in the first five months of operation. More

Washington Enters Fray on Aviation Cap-and-Trade Debate
from Aviation Week
The movement to cap emissions of greenhouse gases may have had a head start in Europe, but the debate is now shifting to Washington, where two powerful lawmakers are aiming to fast-track legislation that could have a costly price tag for the airline industry. More

Airport Refines Garage Plans
from The Burlington Free Press
Voters rejected Burlington International Airport's request to bond nearly $50 million to expand its garage last month. Undeterred, airport officials are proceeding with the project and are scrambling to find the funding. The expansion, which would be built in several phases, adds 1,400 additional parking spaces and a "green roof," originally estimated at $12 million. The roof features solar panels and wind turbines, which are expected to cut the airport's annual electric bill in half. The existing garage has 2,100 spaces, 250 of which are used by rental car companies. More

Proposal Would "Green" Rochester Airport in New York
from WXXI-TV
Legislation being introduced in the Monroe County legislature could lead to the "greening" of the county's airport. County Executive Maggie Brooks is proposing to install wind turbines and solar panels on the terminal building, to reduce energy costs. The bill is being introduced by Republican county legislator Steve Tucciarello of Gates and Chili. He says the proposal will cut costs for airlines, and hopefully entice them to add more services to and from Rochester, N.Y. More

Star Alliance Consolidating at Heathrow
from Aviation Record
With more space available at Heathrow Terminal 1, Star Alliance is implementing the next stage of its "Move under One Roof" strategy, which will see current Terminal 2 carriers (Austrian, Croatia Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss and TAP Portugal) relocate to Terminal 1. Passengers on these five carriers will find their travel experience substantially improved once the relocation takes effect within the next few month, says the alliance. More

Biofuels Edge Closer to Takeoff
from ATW Daily News
The potential and timeline of biofuel came under intense scrutiny in late March with Boeing's self-confessed "born again" biofuel expert, MD-Environmental Strategy Billy Glover, talking up the prospects and stating he was "very confident" about plant-derived biofuels after recent flights. "We think it is quite reasonable that there will be commercial availability of some type in the next 3-5 years," he said from Geneva, where he attended the Aviation and Environment Summit. More