LFV plays a key role in the environmental challenge facing aviation

“The environmental challenge of aviation is also a question of accessibility within Sweden, as well as to and from Sweden.  As experts on airspace management and air traffic control, and with the use of best available technology, LFV can create the conditions for sustainable aviation. We shall become the world leader in sustainable aviation,” says Niclas Gustavsson, director of business development at LFV. LFV has high environmental objectives. Our ambition is to contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by at least 1,000 tonnes each year over the next four years. In 2014 the reduction was 1,185 tonnes.

“That was the result of four measures: LFV introduced harmonised descent velocities and a shorter, curved approach at Gothenburg Landvetter, work at the control centre in Stockholm was streamlined and we trained our air traffic controllers in green air traffic control,” says Lars Rappich, airspace strategist at LFV.

Cooperation between LFV and Danish air traffic control, Naviair, which was established  in 2012, has also proved to be environmentally sound. Flights in joint Swedish-Danish airspace have the shortest paths in Europe at only just over 1% longer than the absolute straightest paths. This can be compared with British-Irish and Spanish-Portuguese airspace, where the corresponding figure is about 3.5%.

Much has been done and is being done in the field of environmental protection, but there are large reductions in carbon dioxide still to come: “We are now working with other players in aviation to modernise Stockholm’s airspace. Each individual reduction may appear to be small, but in cumulative terms we are talking big numbers. If we can only reduce fuel consumption for each flight at Stockholm Arlanda Airport by 5 kilograms, that would mean a reduction of 3,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year,” says Niclas Gustavsson. For more information click here.