How a variety of innovations is key to reducing CO2 emissions in aircraft
If the aviation industry is to significantly reduce the CO2 emissions of current and future aircraft, a “one-size-fits-all” approach is no longer enough. Today, innovative aircraft design, new engine technology and improved air traffic management are collectively contributing to the industry’s long-term decarbonisation strategy.
For many, “sustainable aviation” is synonymous with “sustainable aviation fuel,” or fuel produced from recycled materials such as waste by-products. This is because sustainable aviation fuel has the potential to significantly reduce CO2 emissions across the lifecycle—by up to 80% in some cases—compared to fossil jet fuel, depending on the sustainable feedstock used, production method and airport supply chain. But while sustainable aviation fuel can provide an immediate solution to reduce CO2 emissions in the short term, industry experts agree that other solutions will be needed to tackle the environmental performance of aircraft over the long term.
Today’s aircraft are lighter and more fuel-efficient than they were 50 years ago. In fact, improved fuel efficiency in aircraft has helped to save billions of tons of CO2 since 1990.
And innovation—notably in aircraft design, engine technology and air traffic management—is showing real promise in this respect. In fact, improvements in these areas have already helped to improve fuel efficiency by 2.1% annually between 2009 and 2020. As the aviation industry embarks on the path towards sustainable aviation, innovation across a variety of areas will undoubtedly play an even greater role in improving aircraft efficiency and performance.
Rethinking aircraft design
Today’s aircraft are lighter and more fuel-efficient than they were 50 years ago. In fact, improved fuel efficiency in aircraft has helped to save billions of tons of CO2 since 1990. However, the architecture of commercial aircraft has remained largely unchanged, so adapting new technologies to existing configurations has been a real challenge. But what if aircraft design could be completely revisited? Unveiled at the 2020 Singapore Air Show, the MAVERIC aircraft demonstrator is doing just that.
The “blended wing body” design—featuring a wide cabin layout—could reduce fuel consumption by approximately 20% compared to current single-aisle models with the same engine. The integration of various other types of propulsion systems is also a possibility thanks to the spacious configuration, which opens up the design space in new and exciting ways.
Although MAVERIC is currently a small-scale, remote-controlled demonstrator, the project will accelerate understanding of new aircraft configurations that could help deliver real environmental benefits.
Airbus release
