Aviation Industry Going Green?

Filed in archive Aviation News on June 22, 2007

Make no mistake; green is in. Everyone from Oprah, the movie industry, and the travel industry has jumped on the environmental wagon. And the air travel industry is not excluded.

It seems a number of airlines, including Boeing, are committed to producing few fumes by changing arrival approaches and organizing flight plans. But, is it possible with an industry known for noise and air pollution?

So far, though, growth in worldwide air travel is outpacing industry progress in reducing aircraft emissions. And it was chiefly high fuel costs and fear of government-regulated emissions cuts - not concerns about global warming - that inspired the sector's efforts to pollute less.

Air travel is growing at about 7 percent each year, according to industry trade groups. Meanwhile, technological developments are boosting airplanes' fuel efficiency by about 1 to 2 percent a year. Also, since airlines keep aircraft for decades, tomorrow's "clean planes" will be flying alongside fuel-guzzling craft of a generation ago.

Environmental groups say the only solution is to fly less - an alternative no one at the air show was eager to discuss.

"Not flying is simply not an option," said Airbus chief operating officer, Fabrice Bregier.

Instead, manufacturers are racing to make engines that burn less fuel more slowly, experimenting with ways to dilute fuel and reduce leakage, and trimming weight of hulking jets by using lighter composites instead of standard steel.

Nearly every major exhibit at this year's show at Le Bourget, from Rolls Royce engine designers to Russian fighter jet maker Sukhoi, included references to protecting the environment. One strategically located stand, of France's CGM Group, had its walls and floor coated in artificial grass.

The race to make the world's cleanest jets resembles the trans-Atlantic battle over plane orders, as Boeing Co. and Airbus jockey to stay in the forefront. Experts disagree on who's winning, since emissions calculations depend on how full the aircraft is and how airlines configure their planes, among other variables.

Source