The aviation sector will need to transform towards sustainability with the challenge of staying at the forefront of European travel at an affordable price
Air transport represents almost 4% of total CO2 emissions to the atmosphere in the European Union, double that of rail. Aviation is responsible for 14% of the sector’s emissions, only behind road transport (72%) and well above rail (1%), according to figures from the European Environment Agency (EEA), meaning that if it were a country are among the top 10 emitters of global pollution. The European Green Deal even establishes the need to reduce transport emissions by 90% by 2050 and aviation is key to achieving this goal.
The sector knows it needs to transform its model and become more sustainable, not only because of Brussels’ demands – which demand that 2% of all fuel used in aviation be less polluting by 2025 – but also because of the travelers themselves. The major flight search websites already indicate, along with the number of stopovers or the price of the ticket, which journeys emit fewer tons of CO2.
The fundamental problem is that the demand is increasingly asking for more sustainability, but they would not assume that this would lead to price increases, so the sector is looking for technological solutions, but also asking governments for help to finance them. .
The European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Valean, emphasized a few weeks ago at the ‘Connecting Europe by Air’ event, organized by the European Commission in Lyon (France), that “the EU must keep the current connectivity, the same level of movement but with a good service, more sustainable, but without a price increase.» Valean is confident that the sector has the capacity to fulfill its obligations and “optimize flights and air traffic”.
“I have a lot of confidence in the industry and the flights with SAF fuel that are already being tested are an example that there is a real opportunity to do it, the airports, industry and airlines are prepared, we are on the right way”, he emphasized in his speech together with representatives of the sector.
But what is the SAF? The acronym stands for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, ie sustainable aviation fuel, a type of alternative fuel generally obtained from the waste generated by the industry, but also from CO2 itself. This biofuel can reduce net CO2 emissions by 80% compared to traditional fuels used in the aviation sector.
So why isn’t SAF already used on all flights? Because of the high cost and low production. Currently a liter of SAF costs three times more than the kerosene used by airplanes, but tripling the price of tickets is not affordable, so the industry is demanding government support to adapt and generate a smaller carbon footprint with not too much high cost. .
Therefore, these sustainable journeys are anecdotal for now, although they are intended to be generalized in the medium term. Iberia recently launched the Madrid-Washington route with the first long-haul plane to use biofuel, reducing CO2 emissions by about 40 tons, and a few weeks later, Vueling flew on the Barcelona-Lyon route with an aircraft powered by 50% by SAF that reduced emissions by 72% compared to the usual flight, about 8.5 tons less CO2.
In fact, the IAG group – which includes both airlines mentioned above – has been the first to commit to achieving zero net CO2 emissions by 2050. To this end, it will invest $400 million in sustainable aviation fuel over the next 20 years. In addition, it is the first to declare that 10% of its flights will be operated by SAF by 2030, when the target set by the EU is 2%.
Government incentives would mainly serve to increase production – which would currently only cover 0.01% of international demand – leading to a reduction in costs.
Franc Sanmartí, Sustainability Director at Vueling, explains to this newspaper that even if the airlines had the economic capacity to operate all their flights with SAF, there wouldn’t be enough. The EU mandate is that 2% of fuel will be sustainable by 2025 and that there are countries like the UK and US that give “much more incentives” to the use of SAF than Spain, Sanmartí claims.
Since 2005, according to figures from Brussels, the amount of fuel burned per passenger has been reduced by 25%, but this environmental benefit is outweighed by the continued growth of air traffic, with currently 60% more passengers than before. For example, a passenger flying back and forth from Lisbon to New York generates roughly the same level of emissions as an EU citizen by heating their home all year round, Commission sources indicate.
The European Commission is convinced that when countries can integrate their airspace into the so-called Single European Sky (SES), flights will be much more direct and organizational and logistical problems will be solved. For example, this new system avoids unnecessary waiting for ships on airport runways and creates more direct routes that reduce pollutant emissions.
Specifically, Europe calculates that approximately 10% of the current CO2 emissions from air transport can be reduced, which translates into 18 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. In addition, the optimization of route plans to be more efficient also reduces the need for emergency fuel (spare fuel) by up to 50,000 liters per flight, allowing aircraft to fly lighter, resulting in a reduction in CO2 emissions, European Commission sources say.
The problem now is how long it will take the countries to agree on the creation of this single sky. Few now dare to set a specific date for this unification, it is a question of “medium or long term”, says Pere Suau-Sànchez, professor of air traffic management at the UOC. The interest of the aviation sector is great, although the major stumbling block of political will is missing.
But there are dates marked on the calendar. For example, in 2027, European legislation will force some airports to coordinate to share information with network operators, which will already greatly improve flight efficiency. The underlying political problem comes from the side of the transfer of power, of sovereignty over the air of each state, an idea that the Commission is trying to appease.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
