A UN body tasked with cutting global aircraft emissions is covertly meeting this week for discussions dominated by airline industry observers. The environment committee of the ICAO meets Monday in Montreal behind closed doors to discuss measures to reduce emissions from international aircraft. Domestic and international flights emitted 895m tonnes of CO2 last year – 2.4% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, according to Carbon Brief. In terms of emissions, if aviation were a country it would be the sixth largest in the world. But the body in charge of reducing the carbon footprint of international aviation has little or no public scrutiny. Its agenda and discussion documents are not released to the public or the international press, and the meetings are not open to the media. Anyone who leaks documents being discussed faces “unlimited liability for confidentiality breaches”, according to ICAO rules. Key observers at Monday’s meeting of the committee on aviation and environmental protection (CAEP) are a number of industry bodies. The only non-governmental body not linked to the airline industry allowed into the meeting is the International Coalition for Sustainable Aviation, made up of a small group of international environmental NGOs. Story has more detailed background.<br/>
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A 16-year-old boy was arrested after he briefly took control of a small plane during a short commercial flight over western Alaska, authorities said. The teen was in the front passenger seat of the Piper Cherokee Six on a recent Yute Commuter Service flight from Napakiak to Bethel, KYUK-AM reported last week. The flight between the two remote communities usually takes about four minutes. The teen grabbed the aircraft controls shortly after takeoff, causing the "plane to enter a steep climb and then a dive toward the ground," Alaska State Troopers said. A woman sitting behind the teen grabbed him around the neck, pulling him away from the controls, authorities said. The pilot stabilized the aircraft and returned to Napakiak. An agent for the regional airline contacted the village public safety officer to detain the teen. He slipped away before the officer could take him into custody, but was arrested the next day in Bethel. The aircraft model used in this flight does not have a mechanism to lock out passenger flight controls, said Keith Henthorn, the airline's business manager.<br/>