Aviation chiefs seek an end to carbon row

European aviation bosses have urged political leaders to stop an escalating global row over an EU carbon levy, warning it is seriously threatening their industry.

European aviation bosses have urged political leaders to stop an escalating global row over an EU carbon levy, warning it is seriously threatening their industry.

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Airbus CEO Tom Enders said that China - at the forefront of opposition to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) - had suspended orders for aircraft worth $12 billion, putting at least 2,000 positions at risk.

Alongside Enders, the eight CEOs mentioned in the letter include the heads of airlines British Airways and Iberia, owned by International Airlines Group, Air Berlin, Air France, Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic. The CEOs wrote to the leaders of Britain, France, Spain and Germany that they expected "suspensions, cancellations and punitive actions to grow as other important markets continue to oppose ETS".

"The aim must be to find a compromise solution," they wrote.