Airlines could cut emissions in half by 2050, researchers suggest

US airlines could reduce their emissions by up to 50 per cent over the next 35 years by making cost-effective changes, according to researchers from University College London, the University of California, and MIT.

Airline companies reportedly account for approximately 2 to 3 per cent of the global total carbon dioxide emissions. In a study that appeared in the journal Nature Climate Change, the team describes the changes they believe major airline companies could implement, which would result to curbing emissions and savings.

For the research, the team looked at information from airline industry sources, papers written by academics and other studies that have been conducted about the topic. After analysing the information, they came up with a number of recommendations for airlines to cut their emissions.

According to the researchers, airline companies could concentrate efforts on narrow-body aircraft, since these accounted for nearly 75 per cent of gas usage.

The team also suggests keeping planes at the gate until their turn comes to take off instead of making them idle on the runway. They say airlines could also use fewer engines or electric motors when taxiing, clean engines more often, reduce weight by lowering the amounts of contingency fuel used or replacing seats with those made from lighter materials.

In addition, airlines may also fly with more passengers, retire older planes, replace brakes with those made from lighter materials and add blended winglets, which are little upturns on the ends of the plane’s wings.

Airline companies could also reduce emissions by making changes in the air, such as updating flight paths so that planes could fly more direct routes and adjusting altitude and speed to avoid turbulence that causes drag. There is also the possibly of switching to synthetic fuels if it becomes feasible.

The researchers note that their ideas are based on the current price of jet fuel. These changes, they say, could result to shorter flights, less waiting on the ground and perhaps even lower ticket prices.

Last month, a group of 28 aviation industry chief executives and association leaders called for a joint approach to help deliver maximum carbon dioxide, or CO2, emissions reductions in the aviation sector. While acknowledging the progress they made so far, the industry recognises that more needs to be done.

In an open letter, the aviation industry has reaffirmed its commitment to climate change action and urged the approval of a meaningful market-based measure to help curb airline emissions. Their goals include improving the fuel efficiency of the world fleet by an average 1.5 per cent per annum and capping net CO2 emissions from 2020 through carbon-neutral growth. They also set a longer-term target to reduce net CO2 to half of 2005 levels by 2050.

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