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Flights reach record levels despite climate warnings

Less than a week after scientists warned we may have just eight years to act to avoid the worst of global warming, the aviation industry has announced record increases in the number of flights worldwide, the Guardian reported on Wednesday.
The number of global take-offs scheduled for this month has reached more than 2.5 million for the first time.

Duncan Alexander, managing director of aviation analyst firm OAG, said: "From an industry perspective this healthy growth bodes very well for the future."

But climate experts were less pleased. Kevin Anderson, a global warming researcher at the UK’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, said: "While this might be good news for the aviation industry and its shareholders, it’s bad news for the climate and ultimately it’s our children that will pay the price."

The largest year-on-year rise is within China, with nearly 23,000 more domestic flights scheduled this month than in May 2006, a rise of 18%. Demand also soared within India, up 10,000 flights, or 25%, to 43,000 flights.
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