Taking cues from the automotive industry, airlines are developing next-generation aircraft technologies that will replace traditional carbon-emitting jet fuel with other types of power, such as electric, hybrid, and hydrogen, as well as new technologies that utilize them. I bet big on planes. Even earlier, companies are embracing clean, low-carbon, sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), a range of biofuels derived from renewable biomass and waste. Both initiatives will have to meet critical deadlines set by UN scientists to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or risk losing a ‘liveable climate’. It will help the industry achieve the pledges made by many of its most important members last fall.
“The airline industry needs to make a fundamental change,” says Jane Ashton, director of sustainability at easyJet, a low-cost European airline with one of Europe’s largest fleets. “We believe the SAF is an interim solution and will reduce emissions before short-haul aviation transitions to zero-carbon emissions flights.”
So far, the development of commercial electric aircraft is limited by the size and weight of current battery technology, limiting it to smaller aircraft flying shorter distances. But these aircraft can also open up new flight paths for travelers, allowing them to easily and quickly reach places accessed by car or train. Such short-haul routes may connect places for the first time and open up new destinations entirely.
Swiss bank UBS predicts that by 2035, about a quarter of commercial aircraft will be hybrid or fully electric. But Dan Rutherford, aviation director of the nonprofit International Clean Transportation Council, said new alternative fuel technologies like hydrogen (currently being developed by companies such as Airbus) could have a wider long-term impact on the industry. It points out that there is a high possibility of promoting a zero-emissions strategy. For now, SAF remains prohibitively costly and in short supply, and he accounts for less than 1% of current global aviation fuel use. Expanding the supply of these alternative fuels will take time, and as a result of their increasing costs, government support, including financial incentives for airlines like tax credits, will help them take hold. “Decarbonizing the aviation industry is a generational challenge,” says Ashton. “But we know it is possible and must be done.”
Hawaiian Airlines
In May, Hawaiian Airlines announced a partnership with Boston-based REGENT (Regional Electric Ground Effect Nautical Transport) to design a 100-passenger electric “sea glider” by 2028. , covering distances of up to 180 miles.
united airlines
By 2026, United plans to fly 100 19-passenger electric planes from Swedish startup Hart Aerospace on short-haul domestic flights. It is also the first U.S. airline to sign a purchase agreement with supersonic startup Boom Supersonics for 15 of its Overture aircraft if they meet United’s safety and sustainability standards. I have. Expected to hit the market in 2029, it will be fully powered by SAF.
easy jet
A popular European airline hopes to fly passengers on zero-emission planes by the mid-2030s. To achieve that goal, it has forged partnerships with Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Wright Electric and others. Meanwhile, the company is eyeing his SAF. In the fall, it became the first airline to depart from London’s Gatwick Airport using his SAF blend of 30%.
Air New Zealand
New Zealand’s national airline, which launched one of the world’s longest flights between New York and Auckland this month, is focusing on sustainability with a goal of achieving zero emissions by 2050. Airbus and ATR plan to diversify their fleet over the next decade, eventually replacing turboprops entirely with alternative energy aircraft.
Singapore Airlines
Earlier this year, Singapore became the first airline to sign the Global SAF Declaration, a commitment to promote the adoption of alternative fuels. The airline, which has been experimenting with SAF since 2017, launched his year-long pilot program in July using blended SAF mixed with refined jet fuel for takeoffs from Singapore’s Changi Airport. This was around the same time when we started selling CO2 for passengers. – Reduced SAF credits.
This article was published in the September/October 2022 issue Condé Nast Traveler. subscribe to magazine here.
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