On June 18, the European Union and the United States launched a transatlantic initiative to cut airline emissions by modernizing air traffic control infrastructure.

"The future of the aviation industry depends on its ability to combat climate change through innovation and greater efficiency, and this initiative will enable us to speed up the application of technologies and procedures having a direct impact on greenhouse gas emissions," said Jacques Barrot, European Commission Vice-President responsible for transport.

The joint initiative, called Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to Reduce Emissions or AIRE, fits in with the cooperation protocol signed by the EU and the United States to coordinate two major programs on air traffic control infrastructure modernization, the European Commission said.

AIRE will facilitate quick application of new technologies and operational procedures, which will have a direct impact in the short and medium term on greenhouse gas emissions. The measures include a system that will enable noise and exhaust gas emissions to be reduced during landing.

The initiate is the first large-scale environmental initiative bringing together aviation players from both sides of the Atlantic. The aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing, the operators Air France-KLM, SAS, Delta and FedEx, and providers of aviation navigation services will get involved.

However, the transatlantic emission-reduction initiative will not affect the EU's separate plan to introduce emission trading system into the aviation industry.

The EU wants all airlines that fly within the bloc to trade emission allowances as from 2011, and all airlines flying to the EU would be required to join the program a year later.

"Our AIRE initiative is only one part of our three measures to make aviation greener. It supplements our proposal to include aviation in the emission rights trading system," Barrot said.

The United States has voiced opposition to the EU's plan which will include non-EU's airlines under the cap-and-trade program.