![]() ![]() ![]() The improvement comes as a result of the fact that the SAF production process itself absorbs CO2, according to a recent report from consultancy McKinsey. The key word in SAF is sustainable – because this fuel is not pollution free. SAF plants are identical to conventional oil refineries The World Economic Forum November 2020 report, Clean Skies for Tomorrow, concluded that “there is no ‘silver bullet’ overarching approach for aviation’s decarbonisation, but SAF is a necessary asset in the transition”. In its November 2020 report Blueprint for a Green Recovery, aviation environmental coalition the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) describes a rapid and worldwide scale-up of SAF as “perhaps the single largest opportunity to meet and go beyond the industry’s 2050 goal”. Most agree that the only realistic alternative power source, especially for heavier aircraft, is sustainable aviation fuel. Hydrogen fuel is another much-discussed candidate, but that is thought unlikely to become viable until well into the 2030s. This technology offers the potential to deliver sustainable short-haul flying using aircraft with up to 50 seats in the second half of this decade. ELECTRIC AVENUEĪircraft powered wholly by electricity are gaining prominence. Carbon offsetting is one option – and although this does something, many see this approach as no more than a temporary sticking plaster. Today, the only fuel source is fossil-based and there is no obvious way of quickly slashing emissions. The problem for aviation is this is easier said than done. ![]() And we’ll get there not with flashy, empty gestures, but by taking the harder, better path of actually reducing the emissions from flying.” In a LinkedIn post in December, he said: “We’re embracing a new goal to be 100% green by 2050 by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions 100%. Scott Kirby, the chief executive of United Airlines, is prominent and outspoken on this topic. The industry’s common target is to reach net zero emissions by 2050, with many airlines having announced their commitments to achieving net zero, and many more set to follow. Most estimates say aviation produces about 2% of total global greenhouse gas emissions – but this may be magnified by other factors, with research pointing toward the significance of the non-CO2 climate impact from aviation, such as NOx, soot and contrails. Fuel is turning into a strategic asset as the aviation industry, with varying degrees of enthusiasm and reticence, joins the global movement to lower its carbon emissions and play its part in tackling climate change. It is also a volatile cost, skyrocketing and plummeting in response to wars, global crises or, as we are seeing today, a pandemic.īut that is changing. Historically, fuel has not been a big strategic issue for commercial aviation – it is simply a costly essential, representing 30% or more of an airline’s total cost base. KLM 737 engineering pilot Jeroen Kok, KLM chief executive Pieter Elbers and Shell Aviation fuel operator Roland Spelt Airline Business special: CEOs to watch in 2021.FlightGlobal Guide to Business Aviation Training and Safety 2021.EDGE: A new global force in aerospace and defence.Shell Aviation: What will it take to Decarbonise Aviation?.What does the future of aviation look like in 2022?.Guide to Business Aviation Training and Safety 2022.What will it take to Decarbonise Aviation?.Airline Business Covid-19 recovery tracker. ![]()
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