Air transport : Cap emissions, not growth

Subhas Menon

IN AN endless endeavour to fly faster, further, and ever more fuel-efficiently, the air transport industry has repeatedly delivered on its promise, since the Wright brothers’ first flight almost 120 years ago. It bears repeating that the sector was amongst the first to zero in on sustainability, long before ‘net zero’ became a buzz phrase. The most recent gamechanger is the twin-engine ultra-long-range flight that slashes fuel consumption on transcontinental journeys by eliminating intermediate stops.

Continuous progress on fuel efficiency has been made through business-as-usual transformations in infrastructure and operations. Energy efficiency improvements from using lightweight materials on aircraft; operational changes to flight separation, planning, taxiing; as well as from the enhancement of fuselage, wing, jet engine designs; and the pivot to biodegradable inflight products, may appear mundane. Yet their contribution to carbon abatement tells a very different story, for which the industry can be very proud.