MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands’ air-bridge Air Seychelles begins to comply with EU emissions rules

The Boeing 767 chartered to fly to the Falklands

Air Seychelles which currently covers the Falkland Islands/United Kingdom air bridge is in the process of meeting the European Union’s emissions’ monitoring and reporting requirements, reports Global Travel Industry News.

The European Union (EU) emission trading scheme has been a challenge to airlines flying into European airspace, and foreign carriers have progressively started to comply and “Air Seychelles is also now on board and has instituted measures and procedures to meet the European Union’s requirements”, based on which continued traffic rights into the EU are anchored.

The Seychelles’ national airline is expected to buy carbon credits if necessary but may also take advantage of free carbon credits once the first schedule of reports has been submitted to the EU and reviewed by their experts, points out GTI news.

Air Seychelles operates scheduled flights to Italy, Britain, and charters among others as and where required from mainland Europe and in the case of Britain to Falkland Islands (twice weekly service since January 24th) on a contract with the UK Defense Ministry, “all of which fall under the EU new regulations”.

Apparently the reporting and data processing was outsourced to Aviation Footprinter as a result of doing in-house trials first, a decision Air Seychelles took to promote accuracy and full compliance with a variety of rules and to obtain added data relevant to aircraft and engine maintenance.

Air Seychelles has also confirmed that they expect to take delivery of their first Boeing B787 Dreamliner by 2013, when the replacement of the current fleet of B767 aircraft will begin in earnest.