The aviation industry is doing a great deal to limit its environmental impact
New technologies on the horizon have the potential to significantly decrease greenhouse gas emissions from aviation, and solutions that are being implemented today also promise other savings. Even small savings here and there offer significant benefits in total.
Being able to operate efficiently is critical to the future of the aviation industry, not just for environmental reasons but also for financial ones, especially since fuel is one of the industry’s most costly expenses.
Aircraft operations are already over 20% more efficient than 10 years ago, but the industry is aware that much more needs to be done.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner (left) uses composite in its construction, while the Airbus A380 (right) makes extensive use of lightweight aluminium. Both help achieve significant weight reduction over previous airframe construction methods, ultimately improving fuel consumption and reducing emissions.
Consequently, the quest for further efficiency continues on a number of fronts, including:
• Technological innovation improves the efficiency of aircraft to reduce the level of emissions per passenger or over the distance flown.
• Operational efficiency makes each flight as efficient as possible, for instance by reducing the weight on board, employing alternative power units where possible and using new landing procedures.
• Infrastructure improvements in air traffic management systems reduce the amount of fuel wasted through inefficient routing and flight patterns. It is a fact of modern aviation that the route from A to B is not always as direct as it could be, so there is scope for improvement.
• Economic measures provide incentives for the industry to reduce emissions through buying more efficient aircraft, funding research and development, and emissions trading.
Find out more about the aviation industry's track record with technology »