At the NBAA-BACE media breakfast on Tuesday, a panel of aviation leaders shared insights into the industry's progress and challenges as it pushes toward a net-zero future. The discussion highlighted how the business aviation community continues to navigate uncertain political landscapes while advancing technological innovations.
NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen opened the discussion by emphasizing the importance of defining the industry's identity during a time of political and economic unpredictability. "It was a year ago today that we launched ‘Climbing Fast’ to tell the world the societal benefits of business aviation,” he said.
Bolen emphasized that the industry’s commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 remains paramount, particularly given the potential policy shifts that may arise following the 2024 U.S. elections. "Our ability to define ourselves, who we are, where we are, and where we are going is going to be fundamental," he added.
Meanwhile, GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce addressed the parallel changes occurring in Europe. With a new European Commission and leadership shifts at EASA, he stressed the importance of refreshing the industry’s economic impact study in both the U.S. and Europe.
“We’ve...said, ‘What can we do in both continents to look at what our industry brings to society?’” Bunce said. He also noted the global nature of this collaboration, with a united effort across associations such as NBAA, GAMA, and EBAA to present a cohesive message.
Jean-Christophe Gallagher, executive v-p of aircraft sales and Bombardier Defense, provided context on the industry's sustainability journey by recounting how the business aviation community set aggressive carbon reduction targets in 2009. “We came together, beyond all competitive pressures, to set targets for the future of sustainability,” he said, highlighting Bombardier’s role in pushing those targets even further by 2021.
Gallagher also touched on the technological advancements driving sustainability, particularly the development of Bombardier's EcoJet blended wing body program, which aims to significantly reduce emissions through next-generation aerodynamics and engines.
Joby Aviation CEO JoeBen Bevirt shifted the conversation to electric propulsion and advanced air mobility. He spoke about the promise of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, which can provide more sustainable, efficient transportation within cities.
"With battery electric propulsion, we can move people around cities, bringing aviation into people's daily lives," Bevirt remarked, noting the potential for hydrogen-electric propulsion to deliver further gains in efficiency and climate impact.
“With hydrogen-electric propulsion, that pathway starts with hydrogen, which has three times the specific energy of jet fuel,” he explained. “And then we convert it into propulsion twice as efficiently as a small turbine can convert jet fuel and propulsion. Taking a three-time gain and a three-time gain and you multiply them together, you get a six-time gain. What that means is that we can build smaller, more affordable aircraft that can fly further and faster and do it all with 99% reduction in climate impact.”
Michael Amalfitano, president and CEO at Embraer Executive Jets, underscored the importance of disruptive innovation in driving sustainability. He discussed how Embraer’s advancements in fly-by-wire technology and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are shaping the future of their operations. “We have targets for our operations—a goal that by 2030, everything's off the grid, 100% renewable,” Amalfitano stated.
“These technologies and advancements are bringing the safety first,” he added. “That is the most important driver, and we then have to start thinking about how to advance those technologies to more sustainable solutions.”
Jeff Marootian, head of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, meanwhile, outlined the U.S. government’s strategic approach to decarbonizing transportation, praising the collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors, accelerated by the Inflation Reduction Act.
“We know this is an effort that requires collaboration,” Marootian said, highlighting the importance of SAF, hydrogen, and other enabling technologies. “There’s not one approach, there’s not one strategy that’s going to work. It’s got to be a combination of all of those.”
“Our level of collaboration with the FAA, with NASA, with the Department of Agriculture when it comes to SAF in particular, has been higher than ever before,” he added. “Another core component of our strategy is a shift in thinking about commercialization. Historically, we have thought about commercialization as the end point to years and years of research and development. We now realize that that commercialization strategy has to be baked into the R&D at the very outset.”
The panelists echoed a clear message: despite the uncertainties ahead, the business aviation industry is united in its efforts to achieve net-zero emissions.