“The business aviation industry is in a unique position, it's adaptable, it’s nimble, it is an early adopter of innovation, but it’s also in the crosshairs of many environmentalists,” said Sky News anchor Jonathan Samuels, who moderated a panel on sustainability and industry perception yesterday at the EBACE newsmakers press luncheon.
Leading off the discussion, which featured the heads of several OEMs—including Chadi Saade, president of Airbus Corporate Jets; Joe Benson, president of Boeing Business Jets; Carlos Brana, executive v-p for civil aviation with Dassault Aviation; Michael Amalfitano, Embraer Executive Jets president; and Ron Draper, Textron Aviation president and CEO—Samuels described the industry’s goal of net zero by 2050 as “a moon shot.” But his question to the panel of whether it was achievable was met with unanimous agreement.
“I think a few years ago, the aviation sector was commonly being described as quite difficult to decarbonize, but things have changed in recent years,” said Saade. “If you ask me what’s behind it, I would mention three things: first is technology, second is collaboration, and the third thing would be regulations.”
He pointed to technology developments that have led to a 25% fuel burn reduction in his company’s aircraft due to engine advancements; the use of sustainable aviation fuel; and investment into hydrogen research. In terms of collaboration, he explained that no single company can take on this challenge by itself, and everyone must work within an ecosystem that includes airports, energy producers, and engine makers, all of whom have a role to play. He also called for international regulations to incentivize production and uptake.
Textron’s Draper stated that the goalposts are more than 25 years away, and he expects the rapidly growing pace of investments to yield benefits. “This industry just over the past few decades has reduced emissions 40% just by trying to drive a little more fuel efficiency and aerodynamics, and in jet engine propulsion, without the amount of investment that is going into the industry today.” He believes the technology that will mature over the next two decades is going to accelerate that change and added, “Even if we don’t achieve [net zero] but get very close, wouldn’t that still be successful for the industry and the world?”
“It does take a while to design and test new technologies and then implement them into your products and services,” said Benson, adding that Boeing last year was selected by NASA to be its sustainable flight demonstrator, with its X-66 the first of the X-series to specifically support the industry’s net-zero ambitions. The aircraft uses radical design architecture, is expected to fly in 2028, and could provide up to 30% gains in fuel efficiency.
While noting that there is no single solution to the carbon emissions problem, Embraer’s Amalfitano explained: “Investing in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the creation of additional pathways to bring that fuel to market is going to be what makes the biggest difference between now and 2050.”
The Brazilian airframer last week announced a new deal with fuel supplier Avfuel, which will increase deliveries of SAF to its U.S. headquarters in Melbourne, Florida, to one truckload a week, enough to account for 25% of its jet fuel needs. Heading to EBACE, the company’s aircraft used book-and-claim to purchase SAF credits for its display aircraft and filled up on SAF on arrival in Geneva.
Amalfitano said the cost of SAF is coming down, with it now being about 1.5 times the retail price of jet-A. He expects that price to continue to decline to improve that equation.
Amalfitano added that each OEM and its suppliers must do their part to make real investments so that their customers, policymakers, regulators, and stakeholders see the progress they are making toward decarbonization.
It’s not only in the air that improvements in emissions can be realized, according to Brana. “For example, when they land, they have time to be towed electrically to their [parking spot]. He noted that more use could be made from electric APUs to power aircraft on the ground, and that is something Dassault is assessing with the Paris Airport Authority.
“What you are seeing over the course of this week is the depth, the breadth, and the imagination that is being brought to bear for us to do something that is really audacious—net-zero emissions by 2050, but we’re an industry that has a track record of that,” concluded NBAA president Ed Bolen.