A one-minute reduction in every flight's time could reduce global carbon emissions by 4.8 million tonnes a year. Efficient air traffic management (ATM) and more flexible routes could shorten flying times by 10 minutes per flight worldwide and save 750,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
This might be small compared to the world's total annual carbon emissions, but could help to contain the damage being done to the environment.
The aviation industry represents two per cent of the total global man-made carbon dioxide emissions. This year, the industry is expected to carry 2.83 billion passengers, which will result in 650 million tonnes of carbon emissions, according to projections by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global aviation watchdog.
Although airlines are not the biggest polluters, the industry has recently come under severe attack from environmental lobbyists. It has responded to the criticism by trying to reduce its carbon footprint through technological innovation.
Recently, Air France and Airbus completed the world's greenest commercial flight by combining the latest fuel and air traffic management technologies. The flight from Toulouse-Blagnac to Paris-Orly using an Airbus A321 was able to cut carbon dioxide emissions to half those of a conventional flight.
The commercial flight AF6129 combined for the first time the use of biofuels (50 per cent in each engine), optimised air traffic management (ATM) and efficient Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) to minimise CO2 emissions.
Combining these technologies helped cut the overall carbon dioxide emissions to 54 grams per passenger per kilometre. This is equivalent to a fuel efficiency of 2.2 litres of fuel per passenger and 100km.
Two days prior to this, Virgin Atlantic announced the development of a low carbon aviation fuel with just half the carbon footprint of the standard fossil fuel alternative.
Virgin Atlantic's partnership with LanzaTech represents a breakthrough in aviation fuel technology which will see waste gases from industrial steel production being captured, fermented and chemically converted for use as a jet fuel. The fuel production process recycles waste gases that would otherwise enter the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
New fuel
"Within two to three years, Virgin Atlantic plans flights with the new fuel on its routes from Shanghai and New Delhi to London Heathrow as LanzaTech and partners develop facilities in China and India," the firm said in a statement.
The technology is currently being tested in New Zealand. A larger demonstration facility will be commissioned in Shanghai this year, and the first commercial operation will be in place in China by 2014. Following successful implementation, a wider roll-out could include operations in the UK and the rest of the world.
LanzaTech estimates that its process can apply to 65 per cent of the world's steel mills, allowing the fuel to be rolled out for commercial use. "With oil running out, it is important that new fuel solutions are sustainable, and with the steel industry alone able to deliver over 15 billion gallons of jet fuel annually, the potential is very exciting," Richard Branson, President of Virgin Atlantic, said. "This new technology is scalable, sustainable and can be commercially produced at a cost comparable to conventional jet fuel."
Last month, Boeing delivered the first Dreamliner 787 — 50 per cent of which is made of composite materials so it weighs less than an aluminium fuselage. It thus requires less thrust on takeoff, which means less fuel is needed to operate the aircraft per flight.
"A one per cent fuel saving efficiency translates to one per cent reduction in carbon emission," Bill Glover, Boeing Vice-President of Environmental Strategy and Aviation Policy, said at a briefing in Dubai.
"Sustainable aviation biofuel based upon conversion of alcohol to jet fuel is the next type of biofuel which will be under consideration for approval for use in commercial aviation."
A Boeing 787 is 20 per cent more fuel-efficient than its predecessor, the B767, and has a 60 per cent smaller noise footprint. Similarly, Airbus' end-to-end double-decker A380 superjumbo is a highly fuel efficient and quieter aircraft and carries more passengers per tonne of fuel burnt than any other models.
"Let's put some numbers to that so we can understand the magnitude of the challenge we have set for ourselves. This year airlines will emit about 650 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. We will do that while carrying 2.8 billion passengers and 46 million tonnes of freight. And this activity supports 33 million jobs and facilitates $3.5 trillion of global business," Tony Tyler, IATA's Director General and CEO, said.
By 2050, the industry aspires to carry 16 billion passengers and 400 million tonnes of cargo per annum. However, the industry target is to reduce annual carbon emissions to 320 million tonnes.
How?
Simply put: By undertaking a carbon-neutral growth strategy.
"Airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and manufacturers are committed to improving fuel efficiency by 1.5 per cent annually to 2020, capping net carbon emissions from 2020 with carbon-neutral growth and cutting net emissions in half by 2050, compared to 2005," the IATA said in a recent report.
But how will that be possible? Could one fly an aircraft without carbon emissions?
Biofuels
Alternative fuels, particularly sustainable biofuels, have been identified as one of the key elements in helping achieve this goal. Biofuels derived from sustainable oil crops such as jatropha, camelina and algae or from wood and waste biomass can reduce the overall carbon footprint by around 80 per cent over their full lifecycle.
Test flights carried out by seven airlines have shown biofuels work and can be mixed with existing jet fuel. At least six airlines have carried commercial passengers on flights powered by biofuels.
The industry is now working on finalising technical certification so biofuels can be used for passenger flights. The first commercial flights using biofuels are expected before the end of this year.
"Biofuels could be a game changer. But despite the quick progress to date, some major hurdles still remain, such as bringing big oil on board and getting the policy framework of fiscal and legal incentives to encourage their commercialisation. We need positive economic measures that result from strategic government decisions to support the growth of green economies — including aviation," said Tyler.
No major alteration of aircraft is needed to use biofuels. They can be blended with existing jet fuel in increasing quantities as they become available. Assuming availability of a 6 per cent mix of second generation (sustainable) biofuels by 2020, this would reduce aviation carbon dioxide emissions by a further 5 per cent. This would require investment of $100 billion (Dh3.68 billion). The IATA has set a target of 10 per cent alternative fuel mix by 2017.
Fuel costs are expected to rise to more than $200 billion next year, which will be 32 per cent of the aviation industry's overall costs.
Fuel savings, which go hand in hand with emissions savings, are critical to the business, Tyler says. "A simple calculation illustrates a strong economic motivation that is perfectly aligned with our commitment to environmental responsibility," he says.
"If we can reduce our 2012 fuel cost by 1 per cent, that's $2 billion. For an industry that is only expecting to make a $4.9 billion profit, with a 0.8 per cent margin, that constitutes a very significant saving. So green business is good business."
Technology and innovation are keys to making this happen.
Technology
Technology will be an even bigger driver of reduced emissions. Today's aircraft and engines are over 70 per cent more fuel-efficient and 90 per cent quieter than the first jet aircraft.
Each new generation of aircraft brings about improvements in the order of 15-25 per cent. And airlines are investing $1.3 trillion in new aircraft that will join their fleets in the next decade.
However, that's not enough. The move needs a strong will and collective push by industry stakeholders — airlines, aircraft manufacturers and governments.
So far, the industry has agreed on a four-pillar strategy to achieve emissions reductions that has also been endorsed by governments through the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). These are: (1) investments in technology, (2) more efficient infrastructure, (3) more efficient operations and (4) positive economic measures.
While efforts from the first three will go a long way to achieving the goal of carbon-neutral growth from 2020, it won't be quite enough, at least not initially.
"To close the gap, we will need to deploy the fourth pillar — economic measures. About 90 million tonnes of carbon dioxide will need to be offset in 2025 to maintain emissions at 2020 levels and thus achieve carbon neutral growth," IATA says.
By 2025, this will cost an additional $7 billion per year to achieve. Overall, this puts the airline capital expenditure for achieving carbon-neutral growth from 2020 at $1.6 trillion. The industry is advocating a global sector-wide approach to reducing emissions.
"The industry's value chain is united around ambitious targets and a clear strategy to reduce its carbon footprint. To achieve the positive economic measures, technology improvements, more efficient infrastructure and better operations necessary to meet our targets, governments need to be much more proactive stakeholders and real partners," Tyler said.
Challenges
Aircraft manufacturers, however, are facing a number of challenges in trying to reduce carbon emission and noise pollution further.
For example, reduced noise results in increased bypass ration that further increases aircraft weight and drag which influences range and operating costs.
On the other hand, reduced fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions increase overall pressures ratios and temperatures that results in increased nitrogen emissions.
"There is no free lunch, there are consequences," says Boeing's Bill Grover. "For example, production of composites requires higher carbon emission.
"But if you look at the carbon emission savings over the life of the aircraft, it is a clear winner. We are driving to make these choices to better fuel efficiency and noise efficiency without much penalty."
And things are becoming tough as manufacturers pushes for greater efficiency.
Recycling
Aircraft recycling could help reduce waste. Earlier, a large portion of aircraft interiors ended up in landfills. However, things have changed a lot. A larger proportion of an aircraft now could be recycled, re-used for other applications. "Now, 50-80 per cent of an aircraft could be fully recycled. However, the industry target is to recycle 90 per cent of an aircraft by 2016," Glover said.
Members of the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA) has recycled 6,000 commercial, 1,000 military aircraft and re-marketed 2,000 airplanes. The number is growing every month.
Recently, two important developments took place in the global aviation industry — successful completion of the world's greenest commercial flight and the development of the world's first low carbon aviation fuel that captures waste gases from industrial steel production — that will go a long way to helping reduce carbon footprint of the industry that will carry 2.83 billion people this year to support $3.5 trillion worth of business.
What are the UAE carriers doing to reduce carbon footprints?
UAE flag carrier Etihad Airways has started an engine upgrade programme for more than half its Airbus A330 fleet. Scheduled to last two years, the programme will see all 15 of the airline's A330 aircraft featuring Trent 700 engines, delivered prior to 2010, being retrofitted with enhanced performance kits.
The Trent 700 enhanced performance engine upgrade incorporates changes to the design of the compressor blades and turbines, resulting in significant improvement in the overall efficiency of the aircraft.
Captain Richard Hill, Etihad Airways Chief Operating Officer, said: "We are constantly looking for opportunities to further improve the environmental performance of our aircraft to reduce unnecessary emissions and fuel burn."
The modification process now under way at Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies will save over one million gallons of fuel for the airline on completion, and reduce Etihad Airways' carbon footprint by more than 10,000 tonnes per year, he said.
"This means less fuel burn which at current fuel prices should equate to fuel savings of approximately $170,000 per aircraft, equivalent to $2.6 million per annum for the retrofitted A330 fleet," he added.
Emirates burns about 5.5 million tonnes of fuel a year. And this is growing every month as it receives more than two aircraft a month.
Emirates is now part of an IATA initiative called iFlex. IATA worked with ICAO, CANSO, ASECNA, at least four civil aviation authorities and two airlines — Delta and Emirates — to deliver shorter flights, improved fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions — of course without compromising safety.
Tests conducted from end-June to end-August on flights from Johannesburg to Atlanta achieved an average 8-minute savings per flight. That equates to savings of 900kg of fuel and 2.9 tonnes of carbon.
Biofuels research in the UAE:
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MI), the Boeing, Etihad Airways and Honeywell's UOP have completed a Sustainability Assessment of the Integrated Seawater Agriculture System (ISAS) for production of aviation biofuels and other bio-resources.
This study makes a significant contribution to current knowledge of the viability of using salt-tolerant plants irrigated with seawater as a sustainable feedstock for biofuels.
The researchers confirmed the potential of ISAS to yield high value fuels and resources, including aviation fuel, biodiesel, electricity, aquaculture products and others without competing for freshwater resources and arable land used by conventional agriculture.
"We see the use of sustainable biofuels as a major positive step change for our industry and we are proud to be involved with the Masdar Institute, Boeing and Honeywell's UOP on a project that makes use of the resources of this region and supports the sustainability strategies of Abu Dhabi, including key research and development," James Hogan, CEO of Etihad Airways, said.
The study also identified key research needs that can be addressed in order to increase the likelihood of success in large-scale commercial deployment.
Bill Glover, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice-President of Environment and Aviation Policy, said: "No initiative is doing more to stimulate action to help develop and commercialise sustainable forms of energy for aviation within the Gulf region. Aviation connects the people, goods and services of this region to the world and our project with Masdar, Etihad Airways and Honeywell's UOP will ensure that linkage continues well into the future."
