Did you know that by shifting the load of bags and cargo in the hold of an aircraft can reduce fuel use in the flight by as much as half a percent? Or that one airport has saved 33,000 tonnes of CO2 each year by installing fixed electrical ground power? Or that the Wright Brothers' first flight in 1903 travelled around 37 metres, but that aircraft today are built to fly over 15 million metres without much effort?

These facts all demonstrate the progress that has been, and is being, made in fuel efficiency by the aviation sector. They can all be found in a new publication that we have produced called the Beginner's Guide to Aviation Efficiency.

It is a follow-up to the very successful publication Beginner's Guide to Aviation Biofuels that we released last year. As our Executive Director, Paul Steele says: "The progress on achieving greener flights has been extraordinary. For aviation, efficiency is at the very heart of what we do on a daily basis. Fuel is expensive and heavy to carry, so airlines have long focused efforts to reduce the amount of fuel they use and aircraft makers spend a majority of their research development budgets on reducing fuel use."

It is important to point to the vast array of projects being undertaken across the industry. We try to provide a snapshot of them here on enviro.aero, but it is really quite extraordinary to discover just how many different parts of the aviation experience are focused on operational efficiency, infrastructure efficiency and, importantly, new technologies.

As Paul points out, "The technology being used today is amazing. Most passengers don't think about it, but even just looking at the engines on a modern aircraft you have some of the safest, most efficient, high-technology machines on earth... but built to withstand daily use, huge differences in temperature, lightning strikes, hail storms and the massive forces in play during flight."

When you put it that way, I think we're doing a pretty good job.

The Mitsubishi Regional Jet – the aircraft that it is expected to ‘revolutionise short-haul flying when it enters into service in early 2014 and the first passenger aircraft to be built by a Japanese company since the mid-1970s. Currently the aircraft is only a model in the Mitsubishi Aircraft corp. Office, yet reports on its progress in the press this week are suggesting this aircraft, thought to be one of the most environment-friendly aircraft in the world, is well on its way to becoming a reality. The jet features new Pratt & Whitney PurePower engines which burn 20% less fuel than other engines, and boasting  significantly lower nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide and smoke emissions, as well as reducing to less than half the noise of the aircraft on take-off. Not only is the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions kinder on the environment, but the cut in fuel consumption also lowers operators’ costs significantly savings it.  Japan’s All Nippon Airways is set to be the first airline planning to fly the Mitsubishi Regional Jet in 2014 and has already ordered 15 of the $40 million jets.

Elsewhere this week, Finnair has become the first to commit to the new design for the Airbus A321s equipped with the fuel-saving "sharklet" wing tip devices. The eco-efficient A321s are expected to reduce Finnair's fuel consumption by 4% compared to its present fleet, corresponding to an annual CO2 reduction of more than 700 tonnes per aircraft.

Keeping on the subject of aircraft, the ‘zero-emission’ Solar Impulse has been preparing this week for its first ever night flight which will take place sometime at the end of this month. The Solar Impulse, designed by Andrew Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard, is the first ever aircraft propelled solely by solar energy and whilst the concept is far from being conceivable for commercial aircraft, the project demonstrates some exciting possibilities for the future of flight. The project aims to prove that a solar-powered craft is able to fly day and night without any fuel, thereby demonstrating the potential of the renewable energies and the technologies that will enable the aviation industry to cut fuel usage and lower its carbon emissions.

Climate change negotiations have kicked off again in Bonn this week, as representatives from across the globe continue in their constant efforts for an agreement on how the world should move forward in the battle against climate change. So whilst industry representatives are busy in Bonn, explaining their commitments to collective efforts in combating global warming and how exactly they plan to meet the united industry targets, aviation companies back at home have been giving a real live demonstration of the progress that is being made.

In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai Airports have launched their ‘silent airport’ scheme, a project aimed at reducing noise pollution both inside and outside the airport, lowering their environmental footprint as well improving the ambiance of the airport. To reduce emissions and cut down on noise outside the airport, Dubai Airports will begin a phased withdrawal of older generation aircraft that do not conform to international noise and emission standards set by ICAO. As the fleet of aircraft becomes newer and more efficient, fuel consumption will be cut significantly, resulting in reduced carbon emissions from the aircraft using the airport. Inside the airport, the scheme involves the elimination of unnecessary announcements, creating a quieter and more pleasant atmosphere for travellers!

Elsewhere, Heathrow Airport has completed the installation of Vokes Air pocket filters on air handling plant – a new air filtration arrangement developed by the Vokes-Air Group who has been working in partnership with Heathrow Airport to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The British Airports Authority is predicting that the new air filters could lead to savings of more than £1 million and reduce CO2 emissions at the airport by 6,000 tonnes per year.

And finally, as proof that the work taking place across the industry does not go unnoticed, Auckland Airport has been recognized this week by EarthCheck – the world’s leading sustainable travel and tourism certification organization, for its commitment to sustainable business practice. Auckland Airport was awarded Bronze Benchmarked status by The EarthCheck Programme, which measures key environmental indicators such as energy and water consumption, total waste production as well as community commitment.

Whilst China shows increasing commitment to the global efforts in the battle against climate change, the Chinese aviation sector has been forging ahead with developments in biofuels and air traffic control, both vital pillars to the industry’s strategy for a sustainable future for flight.

This week, an announcement came from Honeywell’s UOP LCC for plans to collaborate with aviation and refining leaders including PetroChina, Air China and Boeing, to evaluate and demonstrate sustainable aviation biofuels in China. The team, which includes government agencies and associations along with aviation and biofuel companies, will be looking into feedstock harvesting and processing, the establishment of refining capacity for commercial production, and the development of the infrastructure to store, deliver and dispense biofuels. Their aim: develop a complete supply chain for affordable, safe and domestically produced aviation biofuels in China, which will in turn result in a substantial reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation industry. UOP has also signed an agreement to work with PetroChina, Air China and Boeing to evaluate and plan a biofuel demonstration flight in China. The flight will run on a 50:50 blend of petroleum-based jet fuel and ‘Green Jet Fuel’ – a sustainable, non-food feedstocks, which offers a reduction of up to 80% in GHG emissions!

Elsewhere in China, the Civil Aviation Authority is planning an upgrade of Chek Lap Kok's Air Traffic Control system to support ADS-B technology – a next generation air transportation system which gives pilots and navigators a better sense of its position compared with the present radar-based system, easing congestion and as such minimising both the time that aircraft spends taxiing and circling airports whilst waiting to land. Such measures are expected to save around 1,655 tonnes of jet fuel each year at an airport, which translates into savings of US$1.17 million in fuel costs for the airlines using Hong Kong International Airport and a reduction of 5,230 tonnes of CO2 a year.

This week, the JAL Group was awarded the "Eco-First" title by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan for the airline's various environmental conservation initiatives. These initiatives include fleet renewal, engine washing, the use of ecological, advanced flight operation methods such as User Preferred Route and Continuous Descend Approach, and the development of commercially-viable biofuel. What’s more, JAL has been spreading its environmental efforts further afield through its contribution to projects such as forest-fire surveillance, atmospheric air research and environmental education. So with the “Eco-First” must come an "Eco-First Pledge”; for JAL, this means achieving a 23% reduction in CO2 emissions in the year 2020, compared with levels in 2005.

Elsewhere, the South-African airmotive company ADEPT has stepped up the plate with the launch of their new light aircraft engine at Virginia Airport this week. The new liquid-cooled aircraft engine can operate on either biofuel or liquid petroleum gas, resulting in an engine with significantly lower lead, Nitrous Oxide and CO2 emissions, as well as reduced noise levels.

Innovations such as this are a reflection of the hard work that has been taking place throughout the aviation industry in the collective efforts to combat climate change – a subject that is now present in all discussions within the industry. An ICAO Colloquium on Aviation and Climate Change held last week brought together stakeholders from across the aviation industry as well as key government representatives to discuss the impact of aviation on the environment, what measures are being taken and what more can be done. The event provided a great opportunity for players from across the industry to demonstrate their own initiatives, providing a platform to share best practices and incentivising other businesses to follow suit. One example comes from Qatar Airways who, at the Colloquium, announced plans to be the first airline to be operating with 100% synthetic jet fuel by 2014 – a fuel made from a mix between gas-to-liquid and biomass-to-liquid blends, reducing the consumption of non-renewable petroleum based fuel and as such reducing the airline’s emissions of CO2.

This Wednesday, representatives from airports across the U.S. came together for a ‘Green Airports’ seminar, hosted by South Carolina’s  Department of Health and Environmental Control and launched under the Green Airports Initiative. The seminar educated airports on how they can become more environmentally friendly and reduce their operating costs through the promotion of alternative fuels, recycling initiatives and energy efficiency.

Dallas/Fort Worth International made a timely demonstration of how airports can make an impact in this way by moving up the rankings on the American EPA Top 20 Local Government list of large green power purchasers. The airport was recognised by the EPA for its commitment to protecting the environment by proactively choosing to switch away from traditional sources of electricity generation and support cleaner renewable energy alternatives. The airport currently purchases 60 million kilowatt-hours of green power annually, which is enough green power to meet 20% of the airport's electricity use, and resulting in significant savings both in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Alice Springs Airport in Australia has launched their own energy project, with works underway building a solar power station. The power station will deliver approximately 600 megawatt hours of electricity directly to the airport's internal electricity grid, making up roughly 28% of the airport's electricity demand and reducing the airport's carbon emissions by around 470 ton of CO2 per year.

Elsewhere, South America’s TAM Airlines has been busy preparing for non-commercial demonstration flight later this year, marking the continent’s progress in biofuel development. The flight will take place on an Airbus A320 equipped with CFM56-5B engines and will run on a mixture of aviation biofuel produced using jatropha oil. According to research from Michigan Technological University, a flight of this kind can achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of between 65 and 80% compared to petroleum-derived jet fuel.

Out in the Swiss countryside last week the Solar Impulse made its virgin voyage, where it cruised for 87 minutes at an altitude of 1,200 metres, demonstrating conclusive proof that an airplane can fly without any emissions. This solar-powered airplane is designed to fly day and night without fuel or emissions as it relies solely on the energy absorbed from 12,000 solar cells, built into its wings of the aircraft. The energy absorbed is saved in high-performance batteries and is used to power the four electric engines the plane runs on. Key to the design of this zero-emission aircraft is its weight – the body is made from carbon fibre meaning in total it weighs just 1,600 kilograms- that’s about the same as a mid-sized car!

The objective of this particular mission was to verify that the plane’s flight behaviour is in line with the calculations and simulations done using the flight simulator. Given that such a large and light plane had never been flown before, the behavior of the plane under real flying conditions remained unexplored, yet the test showed extremely positive results. The test pilot, Markus Scherdel, reported a stable and controllable ride from the outset and project leaders confirmed that all objectives had been reached. The Solar Impulse project, initiated by Bertrand Piccard in 2004, had been designed as a prototype for an aircraft intended to fly around the world without fuel in 2012. Of course this plane is not the passenger-carrying type, yet the model has proved very useful for testing new technologies that could potentially be used for driving some aircraft systems in the future.

Last week was also witness to two successful test flights coordinated by AIRE (the Atlantic, Interoperability Initiative to Reduce Emissions). The door to door flights were undertaken by Air France and American Airlines on the Paris – Miami route, and represented the first ever transatlantic flights whose objective was focused entirely around the reduction of greenhouse gas emission and noise pollution. The flights involved the cooperation of the air traffic control centres of France (DSNA), the UK (NATS), Portugal (Nav-Portugal) and the USA (FAA) along the route. Procedures adopted by Air France included shorter taxiing times at both airports, continuous climb, optimum altitude and speed during the cruise phase, and a continuous descent approach on arrival into Miami. The American Airlines’ flight included single-engine taxiing, continuous climb-out and descent, optimized routing over water and a tailored arrival. The results announced showed CO2 emissions reductions of 6-9 metric tons and fuel savings of 2-3 metric tons!