It is often asked: What is sustainability in aviation?
In simple terms, sustainability is all about maintaining positive outcomes for a long time. So, why is this so important in the aviation world?
Well, the aviation industry has experienced incredible growth and continues to evolve rapidly. This progress is great, but it’s also crucial to focus on how the aircraft is flying efficiently and responsibly. Nowadays, we’re all about achieving high efficiency, using less fuel, and reducing our environmental impact. That’s why discussions around sustainability in aviation often center on carbon footprints and innovative system developments. It’s an exciting time to be part of making air travel more sustainable!
Let’s talk about this more,
After looking through some reports from aircraft manufacturers, airlines, and regulators, it’s obvious that everyone is on the lookout for ways to cut down on fuel consumption. This interest has really picked up speed since the Paris Agreement, which aims for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
When we think about an aircraft’s total lifespan, which can last around 30 to 40 years, it’s fascinating to see that a whopping 99% of its pollution happens during its operation phase. This means that the manufacturing and decommissioning of aircraft have a much smaller impact on the environment. If we dig a little deeper, we can break down aircraft operations into two main parts: in-flight operation and on-ground operation. We’ll explore these topics more in our future articles! The important takeaway is that it’s the in-flight operation—from takeoff to landing—that contributes the most to pollution, mainly because of the fuel burned during flights. This produces combustion products (Direct Emissions) such as CO2, H2O, N2, O2, NOx, CO, HC, soot, and SOx.
If you want to understand how aircraft fly, it’s great to start with Bernoulli’s principle and Newton’s laws! Lift is the magic upward force that keeps the aircraft in the sky by countering its weight, which is the downward pull of gravity. Imagine thrust as the engine’s power that pushes the aircraft forward, while drag is the resistance that tries to slow it down. When lift is greater than weight, the aircraft can take off, and when thrust is higher than drag, it can keep moving forward. So, it’s all about balancing these forces to make flying possible!
When considering how to reduce the environmental impact of aircraft operations during flight, two key challenges are the weight of the aircraft and drag. Over the years, there have been exciting advancements in aircraft design. The materials used in aircraft construction have evolved from wood, fabric, and metal to composite materials. This shift significantly reduces the weight of the aircraft, allowing it to fly at higher altitudes and ultimately leading to lower fuel consumption.
Aircraft design has also progressed through various research efforts aimed at understanding aerodynamics. However, the focus is not solely on aerodynamics. If we take a closer look, we can observe how various factors are interconnected, including aerodynamics, propulsion, energy consumption, materials, and aircraft structure.
Refer to the Venn diagram below for a clearer illustration of these relationships! We will discuss these elements separately in the next articles.
Fig: Venn Diagram for sustainable Aviation (Afonso et al., 2023)
