In October 2021, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This may seem like a long wait, but it’s not. The responsibility also extends to supporting industries that must collaborate to curb aviation’s global environmental impact. From engineers and manufacturers to the airlines themselves, a huge amount of buy-in is needed to reach this green goal. However, with the rise in conscious consumerism and the increased focus on sustainability, it’s a move in the right direction.
How exactly is the aviation industry using green technology? What steps can make flying a more sustainable option? Here are a few examples of changes made and what’s coming.
Electric and Hybrid Engines
While electric cars have already made significant inroads, the aviation industry hasn’t been as quick off the mark. However, according to Phillip Ansell, the Center for Sustainable Aviation director at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, “the electrification of aircraft has been on a steady rise.” Now, with significant advancements in technology, the possibilities of electric-powered engines for passenger aircraft are being realized.
In Europe, a project funded by the EU saw the development of the AXTER AEROSPACE SL’s prototype AX-50. This smaller passenger aircraft has a hybrid setup using an internal combustion engine powered by biofuels. This and other hybrid electric aircraft (HEA) have the potential to greatly reduce the impact of aviation’s enormous carbon footprint.
An electric jet engine, which is required to power larger commercial jets, is also currently being researched and engineered. A team of engineers at MIT has begun designing and testing a 1-megawatt-powered hybrid engine that uses an electric source coupled with a gas turbine.
Biofuels
Plants or waste materials such as algae, waste oils, fats, or non-food crops make up biofuels. Biofuels are better known as Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs). SAFs have the potential to replace traditional jet fuel entirely or blend with jet fuel to create a bio-based fuel.
Using sustainable fuels significantly reduces environmental impact. Why? They produce fewer toxic emissions and gasses. In contrast, traditional jet fuel (fossil fuel) adds to carbon dioxide emissions and creates a significant amount of harmful greenhouse gas.
Lightweight Materials and Manufacturing
More weight equals higher fuel consumption, right? The industry introduced new lightweight materials like carbon fiber composite in aircraft construction. This reduces the weight of the plane and, subsequently, the amount of needed fuel. This concurrently reduces the environmental impact of flying. The production of certain airplane parts is also affected by 3D printing. This helps as it’s lightweight, less resource intensive, and reduces waste when manufacturing parts.
However, it’s not just the aircraft construction materials that make a difference. Construction methods, such as welding, contribute too. Industry expert Tony Caceres from ProWelding explains, “Welding plays a crucial role in the aviation industry’s pursuit of green technology by contributing to the design, manufacturing, and maintenance of aircraft. It’s used to join lightweight materials like titanium and aluminum alloys, reducing the overall weight of the aircraft, leading to improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.” Welding also contributes to the sustainability and maintenance of an aircraft and extends its lifespan. This is in line with minimizing the environmental impact associated with manufacturing new parts.
Air Traffic Control – Route Planning
The advancement in air traffic management systems plays a critical role in helping the IATA achieve its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Improvements in communication technologies, new surveillance, and improved processes and procedures all contribute to the industry’s ability to reduce the environmental impact. These technologies and processes allow for better planning of routes, avoiding congestion and, in turn, reducing carbon emissions by lowering fuel consumption. This has a positive impact on the environment but also improves the efficiency of airlines overall.
Cutting-Edge Aerodynamic Design
The more aerodynamic an aircraft design, the more it assists with the reduction of drag. Less drag means lower fuel consumption and fewer harmful emissions.
Currently, airlines are exploring the use of technologies like laminar flow control to assist with the aerodynamic designs of aircraft. Laminar flow control aims to maintain the laminar boundary layer over the wing by removing the existing turbulent boundary layer of air through perforations in the wing. The result is a single, smooth-flowing layer of air that’s not interrupted. This ultimately reduces drag over the wing and increases aerodynamics.
Redesigning Ground Operations
The pursuit of a greener future for aviation goes beyond the aircraft itself. There are additional support services, such as ground operations, that are a critical part of the airline industry. These services provide support by loading and off-loading baggage and cargo, refueling aircraft, and ensuring the safe transfer of passengers to and from the airplane. Automating and electrifying these service vehicles removes the need to rely on fossil fuels and, as a result, minimizes CO2 emissions, making airports a more environmentally friendly space.
Predicting Demand With Passenger Data
In the aviation industry, changes in demand can be sudden due to many external factors. From inclement weather to natural disasters and political instability, sudden surges or reductions in passenger numbers are commonplace.
Having access to advanced AI-powered analytics tools provides airlines with valuable real-time data that offers instant insight into current situations and allows for informed decisions. Airlines can then optimally schedule their flights and maximize aircraft capacity, thus reducing CO2 emissions based on the per-passenger CO2 emissions calculation.
A Greener Future In Flight
The development of greener technology plays an integral role in achieving a sustainable aviation industry. However, achieving all of this comes at a considerable financial cost and requires extensive planning. Yet, there’s plenty of progress and effort being made to reshape aviation.
There’s already competition between airlines as to who can be the greenest, and soon, this is going to play an integral role in marketing campaigns (if it isn’t already!). After all, conscious consumers will want to support the airlines investing in going green and becoming increasingly more sustainable.