Japan has become the latest partner in the Asia and Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (Aspire), joining the FAA, Airservices Australia and Airways New Zealand as full members of the program. Established in February 2008, Aspire identifies and shares procedures that produce environmental benefits, quantifies so-called “green” enhancements in the region over the last decade and establishes fuel and emissions benchmarks for current and future operations.

“This is an important milestone in our collective effort to lessen aviation’s environmental footprint,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, who signed the agreement along with Ryuhei Maeda, the Director General of the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), today in Osaka. “We have all pledged to adopt and promote best practices that will benefit the environment.”

A Japan Airlines flight from Honolulu to Osaka that preceded the signing ceremony marked the latest Aspire flight demonstration to reduce emissions and to save time and fuel. Technologies and procedures used include so-called just-in-time fueling, preferred routes over the ocean, speed and altitude optimization and tailored-arrival approach to the destination airport.

Three previous Aspire demonstration flights included an Air New Zealand Boeing 777 flying from Auckland to San Francisco last September, a Qantas Airbus A380 flying from Los Angeles to Melbourne last October and a United Boeing 747 flying from Sydney to San Francisco last November.  

The Air New Zealand 777 saved 7,700 pounds of fuel and 27,700 pounds of carbon dioxide; the Qantas A380 saved 19,600 pounds of fuel and 61,700 pounds of carbon dioxide; and the United 747 saved 10,500 pounds of fuel and 33,100 pounds of carbon dioxide.