All industries are under pressure to lower carbon emissions, but few have received the level of attention in this regard that the aviation sector has.
With the commercial aviation industry accounting for 2 per cent of carbon emissions, the sector is under pressure to be carbon neutral by 2050. While that’s a couple of decades away, the time will fly if moves aren’t made now to hit the target.
“The journey to net zero is neither straightforward nor obstacle free,” says Annabel Fitzgerald, senior vice-president, sustainability and corporate affairs, at SMBC Aviation Capital. “And progress requires immediate, co-ordinated and harmonised action from all stakeholders across the aviation value chain.
“Net-zero aviation by 2050 is ambitious but technically possible,” she continues. “It requires a concerted industry effort to progress a number of decarbonisation pathways, including development, deployment and scaling of SAF [sustainable aviation fuel]; technological advancements; operational efficiencies such as improved air traffic management; and carbon removal assuming a supportive and stable policy environment.”
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That’s a lot to address but it is achievable, according to Elizabeth Bowen, director of Ibec industry body Aircraft Leasing Ireland.
“A combination of transformative changes are under way across the entire aircraft life cycle, and Irish-based lessors are playing an important role in supporting the industry’s collective ambition,” she says.
“Over the coming years the aircraft leasing industry will continue to improve its sustainability performance, support airline customers’ desire to lower their emissions and invest in the new technologies that will prove progress is possible.”
The next decade will prove critical in the industry’s efforts to meet its decarbonisation goals and SAF is set to play a huge role in that.
“Sustainable aviation fuel is the current most viable decarbonisation lever available to the sector. SAF is a ‘drop-in’ alternative to conventional jet fuel, which means it can be used in existing aircraft and engines, resulting in a reduction in the life cycle CO2 emissions of flights by up to 70-80 per cent,” says Fitzgerald.
“Advances in scaling production, supply chains and policy supports put in place today will ultimately determine how much SAF use the sector achieves over the next decade,” she adds. “While SAF is not the sole solution to aviation’s decarbonisation, it is critical in achieving net zero emissions by 2050.”
On top of what fuels aircraft, the machines themselves are also being optimised to lower carbon output.
“New-technology aircraft are significantly more fuel-efficient, leading to lower CO2 emissions and reduced environmental impact. At SMBC Aviation Capital we aim to own at least an 80 per cent new-technology fleet by 2030,” says Fitzgerald.
The combined impact of new-technology aircraft, which can reduce fuel burn by up to 20 per cent per seat, and SAF makes the 2050 target realistic for the sector.
“While fleet renewal improves efficiency, SAF adoption is critical for meeting climate targets because it addresses emissions at source rather than relying solely on incremental efficiency gains,” says Donal Moriarty, chief corporate affairs officer at Aer Lingus.
For all the ambition of making flying cleaner, there’s the small matter of paying for all of these changes. Even parsed out over the next 24 years, the total cost of these changes could prove enormous.
“As regards new-technology aircraft, manufacturers and lessors have a critical role to play and are already playing it, as their order books demonstrate. On SAF, governments and policymakers will have a very important role to play both via investment but also policies that create the conditions needed for SAF production to scale,” says Bowen.
“Lessors and their airline customers will embrace the sustainability challenge while continuing to enable connectivity and economic growth. Providing the best value affordable transport to customers is what aviation is about and this will remain the case.”
At a local level, Moriarty wants to see a greater priority placed on securing Ireland’s access to the tools needed to hit these targets.
“Ireland currently imports all jet fuel and SAF but has significant offshore wind potential to support eSAF production. Implementing a national SAF roadmap and leveraging EU and national funds could create a domestic advanced fuels industry,” he says. “Irish-based carriers need to continue investment in fleet renewal by prioritising next-generation aircraft.”
Ireland’s role, of course, extends far beyond flights to and from these shores. The nation’s role in the aircraft leasing sector puts it at the heart of the need for decarbonisation.
“Ireland is a global hub for aircraft leasing and indeed more broadly aviation. Today, more than 50 per cent of the world’s leased aircraft are owned or managed from Ireland, positioning the state at the heart of a vital global industry,” says Fitzgerald.
“While no single action solves aviation emissions as aircraft lessors, we can accelerate our customers’ transition to newer more fuel-efficient aircraft, reducing global emissions faster than individual airlines could alone.”
Bowen says that while there is a responsibility on Ireland to act, this should also be viewed as an opportunity for the sector.
“Aircraft Leasing Ireland’s member firms are investing in research across a number of areas, including projects that could lead to more radical decarbonisation of aviation through hydrogen and electric-powered flight,” she says.
“Several ALI members are funding a new research project on SAF production in Ireland in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin and University of Limerick. The Irish leasing sector is engaging close to home and internationally and is working with aviation stakeholders across the world on this vitally important issue.”
