Seven leading European aviation companies have written to political leaders complaining about a recently introduced EU carbon tax, BBC reported. The signatories, which include Airbus, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, argue that the pollution levy threatens jobs and trade.

They are concerned about trade-related retaliation by countries not complying with the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). China and the US both oppose the tax.

"The measure is threatening more than 1,000 jobs (at Airbus) and another thousand through the supply chain," Airbus CEO Thomas Enders is quoted as saying.

China is blocking orders for at least $12 billion worth of Airbus jets to protest the European Union's emissions trading fees, the plane maker said Thursday, AP reported.

Airbus spokesman Stefan Schaffrath said 35 orders by Chinese airlines for A330 planes are on hold because China's government is refusing to approve them. He said orders for another 10 A380 super jumbos are also under threat, and that the combined list prices of the aircraft is $12 billion.

Louis Gallois, CEO of Airbus parent EADS, urged the EU to reconsider the carbon pricing plan, saying that "we are worried that this conflict is becoming a commercial war."

The emissions trading system went into effect at the start of the year. Airlines flying to or from Europe must obtain certificates for carbon dioxide emissions.

They will get free credits to cover most flights this year but must buy or trade for credits to cover the rest.

The United States, China, Russia, India and many other countries are opposed and say the bloc cannot impose taxes on flights outside its own airspace.

Airlines in China have been disallowed to join the European Union's Emission Trading Schemes (ETS) that aimed to cut carbon emission since February, BBC reported. Chinese airlines have also been banned from increasing fares or adding new charges for the scheme.

ETS, implemented from Jan. 1, levies a charge on flights in EU airspaces, a practice that China and other countries such as the U.S. and Canada have severely criticized on ground of increasing costs.

(China.org.cn March 13, 2012)

据英国广播公司报道，近日，空中客车公司、英国航空公司、和英国维珍大西洋航空公司等欧洲七大航空公司联名写信给欧洲政治领导人，表达对新近实施的欧盟碳排放税政策的不满。他们表示，执行这一排污收费制度将使就业岗位及与相关国家的贸易受到威胁。

他们担心中国和美国等反对排放交易机制的国家可能会采取贸易报复行动。

空客首席执行官托马斯恩德斯称：“该机制会使空客1000多个就业岗位以及供应链中的1000个岗位受到威胁。”

据美联社报道，空客公司周四透露，中国搁置了与其达成的价值至少120亿美元的飞机订单，以此来抗议欧盟征收碳排放税。

空客发言人斯蒂芬·施法拉斯称，来自中国航空公司的35架A330客机订单以及10架A380大飞机订单因为中国政府拒绝批准而搁置，总价值达120亿美元。

空客母公司欧洲宇航防务集团首席执行官路易斯·加洛瓦敦促欧盟重新考虑碳税征收事宜，并表示：“我们担心该争端会发展成为一场商业战。”

欧盟碳排放交易体系于今年年初生效。往返欧洲的所有航空公司必须获得二氧化碳排放许可证。

据悉，今年的大部分航班会获得免费优惠，但必须购买或兑换剩余的航班优惠额以便为其余航班支付税金。

美国﹑中国﹑俄罗斯﹑印度以及其它许多国家都对该做法持反对态度，因为欧盟无权向其空域以外的航班征税。

据英国广播公司报道，中国自今年二月起禁止所有国内航空公司参与欧盟旨在减排而推出的“碳排放交易机制（ETS）”。国内航空公司还被禁止因ETS而提高票价或向乘客征收其他费用。

ETS今年1月1日起实施，征费对象为所有进入欧盟领空的飞机。ETS遭到了包括中国、美国和加拿大在内的其他国家猛烈批评，理由是该做法增加了运输成本。