Back to news | 26th September 2024
Rising fuel prices, labour shortages, and the need for sustainability efforts remain significant challenges for the commercial airline industry. As a result, operators are investing in more fuel-efficient aircraft, exploring sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), and adopting digital technologies to enhance the customer experience.
Looking forward, the industry is expected to focus on innovation in air mobility, including electric and hydrogen-powered planes, to meet environmental goals while navigating regulatory changes and evolving passenger expectations for more flexible and personalised services.
Rewarding sustainability efforts
The commercial aviation industry is at a crucial stage in its pursuit of sustainability. Airlines are focusing on operational efficiencies, sustainable (green) fuel, and electric or hybrid propulsion to reduce noise pollution, and improve their carbon footprint.
Major aircraft manufacturers, like Boeing and Airbus, are innovating and developing new models with light weight and high strength materials, advanced aerodynamics, and more efficient engines, such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350. These aircraft reduce fuel consumption and, consequently, carbon emissions by between 20-30% compared to older models.
Airlines, like United and Lufthansa, are actively integrating sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) into their operations, with some flights partially powered by these fuels. Derived from renewable sources, such as agricultural waste, algae, and used cooking oil, SAFs can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80% and are a popular alternative to conventional jet fuel.
Better flight planning, more direct routes, and optimised flight speed and altitude are also helping to reduce fuel consumption, along with single-engine or electric taxiing and improved air traffic management systems, that reduce fuel burn and emissions, for example.
Furthermore, electric and hybrid-electric propulsion is being explored, particularly for short-haul flights. Though still in its infancy for large commercial aircraft, companies like Airbus and Rolls-Royce are investing in developing electric and hybrid aircraft, with small electric planes already being tested. These aircraft could dramatically reduce carbon footprints and could be commercially viable for short-haul flights by the 2030s.
A green focus
The commercial airline industry is undergoing significant transformation as it integrates emerging technologies. These include using blended SAFs to power aircraft and digital technology to improve fuel efficiency.
While SAFs are creating an exciting pathway to net zero, there remain significant barriers to scalability, such as high production costs, limited feedstock availability, infrastructure challenges, and regulatory hurdles. Furthermore, conventional jet fuel is currently considerably cheaper and with airlines operate on thin margins, this makes it difficult to justify the higher costs of SAF without strong incentives. Nevertheless, scaling the technology is a priority for the industry and may include using more sustainable sources, like e-kerosene – generated using hydrogen and CO2 – to help support demand.
Hydrogen engines offer another solution to reduce emissions. These engines come in two forms: fuel cells that convert hydrogen into electricity to power electric motors, and internal combustion engines that burn hydrogen directly, similar to conventional engines. Both hydrogen combustion and fuel cells produce near zero carbon emissions, making them promising options for decarbonising aviation, particularly for medium to long-haul flights.
Emerging technologies
Artificial intelligence (AI) powered chatbots and virtual assistants, like Air France-KLM’s BlueBot (BB), are enhancing customer service by handling bookings, answering queries, and providing real-time updates, while AI and machine learning (ML) can predict equipment failures before they occur, reducing downtime and maintenance costs. Airlines like Delta are already implementing predictive maintenance on their fleets.
These features also overlap or connect with synergistic Internet of Things (IoT) applications, such as sensors for smart maintenance and devices to enhance passenger experience. For example, sensors installed on aircraft parts monitor performance in real time, sending data to maintenance teams for quick action. This leads to more efficient aircraft management.
The integration of emerging technologies in commercial aircraft promises to revolutionise air travel, making it safer and more efficient.
Evolving safety standards
There is an increasing effort to harmonise safety standards across countries and regions to ensure transparency and universal conformity to best practise.
- Regulatory and collaborative efforts:
Organisations like the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are working together to develop internationally recognised safety standards for sustainable aviation technologies. The industry is also seeing more collaboration between manufacturers, airlines, and regulatory bodies to ensure safety standards evolve in step with new technology. This includes joint research initiatives, standard-setting organisations, and public-private partnerships.
- Certification and compliance:
Traditional certification processes are being adapted to accommodate new technologies. This includes faster pathways for the certification of sustainable aircraft and fuel, while still ensuring that all safety criteria are met.
Safety standards for sustainable aviation are not static; they are continuously updated based on new research, operational data, and technological advancements. Continuous monitoring ensures that emerging risks are identified and mitigated.
Breakdown of supply chain challenges
The aviation industry faces a complex web of supply chain challenges, both in the present and the future, in response to environmental concerns, technological advancements, geopolitical issues, and shifts in global economic patterns.
- Supply chain disruptions:
While demand for air travel is recovering since Covid, the supply chain has struggled to keep pace, particularly for aircraft production and maintenance. In addition, issues such as labour shortages, shifts in demand, and delays in the delivery of critical avionics and aircraft components have impacted production schedules and operational efficiency. These disruptions also extend to delays in implementing new technology required for sustainable, next-generation aircraft.
- SAF scalability:
One of the most critical challenges is the limited scalability of SAF. While SAF is central to reducing aviation’s carbon footprint, its production is currently constrained by feedstock availability and the lack of large-scale production facilities. Competing demands from other sectors, such as marine and road transport, further strain the supply of sustainable feedstocks.
- Infrastructure limitations:
The deployment of alternative propulsion technologies, like hydrogen and electric aircraft, is hindered by inadequate infrastructure. Hydrogen requires new storage and refuelling facilities at airports, which are costly and complex to implement. Similarly, electric batteries and charging infrastructure for aircraft is inadequate for widespread roll-out.
- Regulatory uncertainty:
As different regions implement varying policies and incentives for decarbonisation, the aviation industry faces uncertainty in planning and investment. For instance, differences in regulations between the EU and the US in response to policies like the Inflation Reduction Act can lead to fluctuating costs and affect the competitiveness of SAF and other sustainable technologies.
- Long-term investment risks:
Implementing sustainable technology often requires long-term investment that does not always align with the typical short-term financial planning cycles of airlines. This mismatch can slow the adoption of necessary innovations, as companies may hesitate to invest heavily in technologies with uncertain returns.
- Competition for resources:
As industries across the globe move toward sustainability, the competition for renewable energy sources and raw materials necessary for SAF and other green technologies will intensify. Experts suggest this competition could drive up costs and limit the availability of essential inputs, further complicating the scale-up of sustainable aviation.
These challenges underscore the need for coordinated efforts across the industry, from policy support and infrastructure development to innovation, to enable the aviation industry to meet long-term sustainability goals.
Future of commercial aircraft sustainability
As production scales up and costs decrease, SAFs are expected to become a mainstay of aviation fuel. Indeed, the IATA has its sights set on 65% market penetration by 2050 to significantly cut carbon emissions.
Equally, electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft are viewed as a potential game-changers for aviation. Airbus, for instance, is working on developing hydrogen-powered aircraft with the goal of having them in service by 2035. Future aircraft may feature radical new designs with significant aerodynamic efficiency improvements. Overall, achieving a sustainable future for aviation will require continued innovation, investment, and collaboration across the industry.
While many new technologies are already in use, the full impact will unfold over the next few decades as they become more advanced and widely adopted. The future of air travel will likely be shaped by a combination of these innovations, leading to a transformed experience for passengers and a more sustainable industry overall.