55 major European airports join carbon scheme

BRUSSELS (AP) - Airports Council International says that 55 major European airports accounting for over half of all passenger traffic on the continent are now part of a scheme aimed at cutting carbon emissions.

The industry group said on Tuesday that participating airports include Gatwick, Heathrow, Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam, Brussels, Zurich, Geneva, as well as both airports in Paris and Milan.

The group says the airports have pledged to get vehicles that run on electric or hybrid power, and install solar panels to generate their own electricity.

It says specific taxiing techniques are used to reduce fuel burn, and ground power is provided to parked airliners instead of having them leave their engines running.