Aviation Technology
Article | July 26, 2022
Can the aviation industry have a net zero-carbon emissions? Can technology assist in achieving net-zero emissions?
Presently, customers are taking more flights than ever as the industry is set to grow post-pandemic effects. Data from IATA shows that the UK aviation industry alone ejected thirty-seven million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere in 2020. That’s an average of 9% more in tonnes of emission the industry recorded in 2018.
The warnings are transparent. In the latest reports of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the effects of global warming are escalating.
“We know the challenges of climate change the world is facing. It has only continued to intensify,”
-Nicholas Calio, president and CEO of Airlines for America
Airlines are subsequently embracing their actions towards the recovery of their business. There is a need to take even braver, more momentous steps to address this challenge.
Airlines have been focused on carbon offset programs for years. It has previously invested in projects and organizations that assist in reducing the impact of CO2 emissions.
In March 2021, the U.S. airline industry announced that its market leaders are committed to achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The aviation industry is currently rising at between 4% and 5% a year. And the number of passengers will double every 15-20 years. How will the industry let fly with zero emissions? Certain plans strongly focus on the increasing use of sustainable aviation fuel and jet fuel. These fuels are produced from sources such as plant oils, municipal waste, agricultural residue, fossil fuels, and other interim steps.
The blog accumulates some of the best ways that aviation has unveiled on the grounds of zero carbon emissions.
Escalating the Use of Alternative Fuel
The escalating use of alternative fuels is perhaps the most significant proposed carbon reduction initiative for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) usage. Sustainable fuel is going to be created from plant or animal material. One of the examples is waste oil.
It is studied that SAF has the potential to cut life-cycle emissions from aviation by 80%. It can be blended with conventional jet fuel without making major changes in aircraft designs. But, as technology is concerned with SAF usage, it can be eight times more expensive than conventional jet fuel. SAF currently values less than 0.1% of the almost 300 million tonnes of fuel that commercial airlines use every day.
some companies are taking regulatory incentives in joint efforts with aviation after looking at the costs and ensuring that more SAF is used in the future. Let’s see which corporate companies are setting commendable aviation-related commitments.
Microsoft partnered with Alaska Airlines. Together, they are working to cover CO2 emissions to make their employees’ travel safe by introducing SAF credits.
FedEx has committed to purchase 13 million liters of sustainable aviation fuel from Red Rock Biofuel. It is a part of their long-term net-zero emission strategy.
Express GBT created an alliance to help in increasing supply SAF to under carbon reduction initiative and become zero carbon-emitting by 2050.
Industry-Wide Efforts
The path to climate recovery with zero airline emissions will require a collective effort from all industries. This also includes governments. They must take responsibility for the impact of certain activities, products, and policies have on the environment. The production of fossil fuels is one of them. So, the aviation industry must reduce its dependency on fossil fuels for air travel.
Industries such as energy, road transport, infrastructure, manufacturing, and finance are being collectively responsible for creating a risk-free airline emission. For example, policies of energy transition must include a change in the production plan. Road transport efforts should be advanced by designing electric vehicles. Manufacturers should bring in new technology to support the creation of lightweight engines and aircraft parts. All of them should join hands for a sustainable future for aviation.
The Role of Government Investments
Government bodies play a crucial role in heading up carbon reduction initiatives. The initiative will have solutions such as new aircraft technology and more efficient infrastructure and operations. It also includes the development of zero-carbon energy sources like hydrogen and electric power generation.
According to IATA, 1.8 gigatons of carbon will be required to sustain the aviation industry in 2050. The prediction can achieve 65% of carbon for sustainable aviation fuels.
What are other solutions in demand to commit to addressing a zero-emission environment? It includes:
Fuel-producing companies are to bring large-scale, cost-competitive sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to the market.
Governments and air navigation service providers (ANSPs) eliminate inadequacies in air traffic management and airspace infrastructure.
Aircraft and engine manufacturers produce more efficient aircraft engines and propulsion technologies.
Airport operators provide the required infrastructure to supply cost-effective SAF.
Airline Firms Decarbonizing Aviation
Presently, aviation is driving towards a new chapter of growth. And the pillars of growth are the firms that are continuously making efforts to make aviation a risk-free industry.
Let’s see how aviation firms are contributing to making a zero-carbon emission sky for safe air travel for the future.
Delta Airlines
Delta and Aviation Climate Taskforce are initiating technological innovation and accelerating the research and development of emerging technologies. Emerging technologies refer to reducing CO2 footprint production. They are focusing on their approach towards medium-term solutions, near-term solutions and long terms solutions.
The mid-term solutions include synthetic fuel. The near-term solutions focus on emerging bio-based Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) pathways. And long-term solutions include hydrogen technologies. ACT will aim to support the advancement of these technologies through two crucial pillars:
An Innovation Network
A Collaboration Forum
JetBlue
JetBlue went carbon neutral for all its flights. It went through carbon offset programs in partnership with the CarbonFund.org Foundation. The investment included solar, wind, and hydrogen-energy project initiatives.
Apart from this, JetBlue also invested in hundreds of global carbon offset programs to support renewable energy efforts.
“views carbon initiative as a platform for other industry-wide environmental improvements that support lower emissions.”
-JetBlue
The best part is that JetBlue also invested in sustainable aviation fuel on flights. They are currently operating from San Francisco International Airport.
American Airlines
American Airlines changed its strategy of using traditional jet fuel. The airline has committed to purchase 9 million gallons of SAF to lower CO2 emissions in the next three years.
Southwest Airlines
On Earth Day 2021, Southwest Airlines announced it would continue to support the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). NREL works to develop cost-effective low-carbon aviation fuels that are generated from waste.
The airline SAF will play a vital role in getting the atmosphere carbon neutral and will be able to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. On this, NREL estimates that wet waste typically produces enough energy to provide about 20% of jet fuel consumption.
How Will the Industry Embrace Greener Air Travel Once It Returns to the Sky?
There is a buzz that travelers are now becoming more conscious of the environment. Inspired by Greta Thunberg, a Swedish climate change activist after the pandemic, a growing wave of eco-conscious travelers are choosing to fly with more environmentally friendly airlines. They are also opting for other means of transportation.
As the aviation industry accounts for 2.5 percent of global carbon emissions, travelers now want to be associated with greater environmental awareness. They are taking some essential steps such as:
Asking whether a flight is necessary for travel
Booking a flight that travels nonstop
Keeping a check on airlines that promote carbon reduction goals
On the other hand, airline companies today are opting to monitor themselves. They are doing it within the parameters of emissions, manufacturing, and embracing technological aspects.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can air travel become more environmentally friendly?
You can follow some travel tips such as:
Opt for a direct destination flight
Find alternatives to travel other than flight (if not necessary)
Carry lesser or lighter luggage
Try to produce lesser waste
Choose a sustainable flight
How are airline firms reducing emissions from their flights?
Airline firms are continuously working towards reducing emissions in several ways. They are:
By retiring old aircraft
By updating air traffic routes to reduce fuel consumption
By investing in newer technologies in the manufacturing process and other fields
By participating in electricity generation and other sources of fuel generation
Which are the most eco-friendly airlines?
The most eco-friendly airlines are:
Air France
United Airlines
JetBlue
Delta Airlines
Virgin Airlines
Alaska Airlines
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Business Aviation
Article | January 7, 2022
The aviation industry has allowed people to connect the world in unimaginable ways. Due to this, it has contributed massively to social and economic development globally.
However, the aviation sector produces nearly 1.8% of annual carbon emissions. It is almost half of the total growth in carbon dioxide emissions in the last twenty years due to the expansion of flights, increasing routes, and airline sizes.
In the loop, the commercial aviation sector has also been affected by climate change. The change is due to increased noise levels, air pollution, and waste production.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the industry recorded 2.8% of global CO2 emissions in 2019. But now, the industry has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050 through a focus on a critical low-carbon strategy, says IATA. By looking at this futuristic development, airline businesses are becoming more and more optimistic.
The Action Plan
The aviation industry has taken steps to reduce rising carbon emissions. The industry had framed targets that included carbon-neutral growth before the pandemic. But the pandemic compelled the industry to make some critical decisions. One of them is to fasten the action plan for low-carbon development.
McKinsey recently studied the industry’s emissions. According to the report, the industry's aviation emissions would be reduced by 18 to 35 percent by 2030. However, as the aviation industry’s growth is recorded from Asia, including India, China, and Southeast Asia, decarbonization can only work if airlines from these nations actively participate in the development.
“For aviation, zero-carbon is a bold, audacious commitment. But it is also necessary.”
-IATA Director General Willie Walsh
Airlines and other businesses are under pressure to make rapid progress towards lower emissions. It is because breakthrough technology like hydrogen-powered planes has started manufacturing.
For example, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Inc., and United Airlines Holding Inc. have already made net-zero commitments by introducing hydrogen-powered planes. Similarly, JetBlue Airways Corp has set a target of 2040 to introduce low-carbon planes in no time.
So, by looking at above comitments, how will aviation progress in terms of low-carbon development? What are those fundamental ways that’ll guide the industry to see a sustainable future in real life?
4 Ways Aviation will Look Forward to Reducing Carbon Emissions
Green Fuel
Aviation considers green fuel as one of the quickest paths to low carbon development. Green fuel can be a game-changer in lessening carbon emission impacts. But, furthermore, it can lead to drastic climate change. Green fuel, also known as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), is made from renewable sources such as plants or waste.
As per IATA, SAF can cut carbon emissions by nearly 80%.
But specific concerns like cost and availability are equally essential to think about. For example, the United States and other countries consider subsidies to decrease prices and increase supplies. They are practicing this due to limited availability. Also, some airlines are blending small amounts into the fuel they buy for their aircraft.
Other concerns, such as planes running properly on pure SAF, are also highlighted. In addition, flight engines based on petroleum fuel rely on their oily qualities to lubricate parts and function appropriately. So, it's unclear if green fuels offer that amount of strength in their engines to fly a flight.
Despite so many heated concerns (that are valid), the industry still looks good as Boeing (BA.N) studies the above issue. It has even committed to ensuring its planes are certified for 100% SAF by 2030.
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Lower Carbon Technologies
Technological improvements to lower carbon emissions include retrofitting existing aircraft, adopting the latest fuel-efficient aircraft, retiring old aircraft, and others.
Several ongoing electric or hybrid-electric aircraft technology projects are in the pipeline. They are being identified to enter the industry between 2022-2030. In contrast, some of them are already in service.
Developments in Infrastructure
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has created plans to reduce fuel burn and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). The plans have been forwarded to optimize communication, navigation, surveillance (CNS), and air transport management (ATM) regarding zero-carbon development.
Apart from this, airlines are also working to align emission cuts with investments. Consumption of fuel usually covers 20-30% of operational costs. It is one of the highest costs of an airline business. So now airlines are considering adopting fuel-efficient flying and airport operations.
Collaborations
Today, aviation needs more stakeholders for a sustainable future. They can only increase the efficiencies and development of SAF.
Stakeholders from technology providers, oil companies, and energy production could drive demand and help bridge the cost gap. For instance, airlines commit to buying SAF at a particular price or at a different price than traditional fuel jets. These factors could eliminate market risks for fuel suppliers.
Next, airlines can work with B2B customers willing to pay for the decarbonization initiative. For example, airlines could use loyalty-program rewards as incentives for every customer to choose airlines that use SAF. Collaborations like these can help the industry accelerate its low carbon emission initiatives.
These Top Airlines Commit to Using New Technologies
Aviation industry leaders aim for 30% of the aircraft to operate with the help of new technologies by 2030. They strongly support the introduction of hydrogen and electric-powered planes to the market in order to reduce the industry's carbon footprint.
So, let’s see the airlines and their commitment to creating a sustainable aviation future.
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand’s initiatives such as True Target Zero accelerate the adoption of zero-emission aircraft worldwide. Air New Zealand is delighted to work with other industry leaders working towards net-zero goals.
“Air New Zealand pledges to put low carbon solutions in place for all our smaller domestic and regional flights in the future. However, we know that the drive to decarbonize the aviation industry is impossible for one airline to tackle alone. Rather it’s a joint venture, and it's all about joining hands together.”
-David Morgan, Chief Operational Integrity & Safety Officer, Air New Zealand
Mokulele Airlines and Southern Airways
Mokulele Airlines, the largest intra-state carrier in America, has already worked for many years as a maven to bring electrification to its air transportation system.
“We are satisfied to join the World Economic Forum in seeking a global public commitment to promoting sustainable air travel.”
-Stan Little, Chairman & CEO, Mokulele Airlines and Southern Airways
Braathens Regional Airlines
The airline has the ambition to make its flights fossil-free by 2030. The airline has included electric planes, and with its partnership with True Zero Aviation, it is taking steps to accelerate towards actual low carbon emissions.
Can Aviation Make a Difference in the New Path of Development?
There are a lot of positive aviation stories from all over the globe. However, aviation also has some barriers to the new path of low-carbon development. Nevertheless, aviation can undoubtedly make a difference by introducing technologies, implementing result-driven strategies, implementing the right tools, and many more.
But from the customers' perspective, choosing to fly less can be another good reason to reduce an individual’s carbon pollution. The reduction can be up to 50% each year. So even avoiding long-distance flight travel could make a significant difference to aviation.
Business travelers could adopt or choose to use virtual meeting technology. These could be other crucial factors limiting the carbon footprint in the atmosphere.
Whatever you choose to opt for, it is high time to contribute to a more sustainable aviation sector for the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can airlines reduce their carbon footprint?
Airlines can introduce more efficient aircraft. Efficiency in technological aspects, reduce flight delays, and increase the use of sustainable lower-carbon or alternative fuels. Also, investment plays a vital role here. They can invest in emissions initiatives and promote low-carbon travel.
How can an airline achieve its carbon-neutral goals?
An airline can explore hybrid and electric aircraft technology to reach carbon-neutral goals, reduce carbon emissions using SAF, and embrace fewer flight routes (distance).
Do aircraft harm the atmosphere?
Aircraft create very polluting elements and are highly challenging means of transport. Indeed, air traffic represents less than 2%-3% of the global CO2 emissions, yet it transmits direct CO2 emissions than cars on roads.
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Business Aviation
Article | December 28, 2021
Hit by the impact of the COVID-19 slump, airline businesses are enduring a major crisis no matter how recognized they were before. The crisis has pushed airline businesses to re-look at how to manage and operate their operations. It even includes re-positioning in the airline industry’s competitive market landscape.
In a time like this, you need to delve deep when you update your airline brand positioning strategy. Your marketing team will have to be versatile and adapt to a new set of planning strategies. They should be mindful of aspects to reduce risks and overcome challenges that the pandemic caused. It’s time to rise again through hindrances that affected your airline brand image to go down. Let’s throw some light on why brand positioning in marketing has become necessary now.
Importance of Re-positioning of an Airline Brand
Brand positioning in marketing is receiving snowballing attention in airline marketing today. Adopting versatile branding concepts creates optimism to provide value to products and services. And such concepts help products and services to perform well on various distribution channels.
The values play an active role in brand positioning and so in re-positioning. Since customers’ activities have transformed in the new era of digitalization, deciding afresh on values will help you position your brand for the future. The branding must include a proper blend of physical and emotional values to make the brand both powerful and meaningful.
When faced with challenges, it’s natural for even large airline businesses to become unrecognizable by customers. Thus, showcasing your brand as unique as possible becomes hard-hitting to differentiate from the competition. In that case, the idea of re-positioning requires consistent branding strategies. The strategies can help in many ways. A few of them are maintaining customer loyalty, encourage awareness, and showing customers your presence in the market.
Therefore, to build deeper relationships with customers by re-positioning your airline brand, there are some important steps to follow. The stepwise guide will help in creating a competent brand positioning framework development. But remember, the framework should be defendable for growth.
6 Steps to Follow: Re-position your Airline Brand
Determine your Values
Start by considering the values that will represent your airline business brand. By finding the values, it will make you different from the rest of the competitors. Especially in a case where you are going for product marketing or service as an ordinary in the market or marketing it extraordinarily.
Your aim gives you essential insight into what and how to go with the brand again in the new normal. Thus, try to analyze and research aspects of your competitors as well.
We fight every day to stand out. We know our customers like to sound and feel authentic about brands. So, we believe that instead of building a complex picture of our airline brand (where no one will be able to understand), we prefer humanization.
- Kevin Krone, the Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Southwest Airlines.
In realizing this aspect, your marketing team can innovate by creating campaigns to improve brand image.
Identify the Competitors Surrounding and Research
After recognizing the brand values, it’s requisite to analyze competitors serving in the market as you. You can do it by performing competitor analysis. The analysis will help to decide how better you can do in creating your brand positioning strategy.
To start with it, there are different methods for determining your competition. They are:
Do a thorough competitor research
You can take guidance from your sales team to study what and how competitors develop their distinctive ideas with sales. Then, identify them through in-depth market research on their tactics of positioning their brand. To conduct it, include the following points into your research:
What are the services or products competitors do offer?
What are the brand positioning strategies they are using to ensure success?
What is the current position of their brand in the market?
It will be easy for you to set your aim to re-position your airline brand by putting these considerations forefront.
Take Feedbacks from customers
Connect with your existing and potential customers. Try to know what services or products they are considering according to the present scenario.
Use the power of social media
Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Quora, Facebook, and other online forums offer interaction with consumers. You can ask questions about products and services. Use these forums to discover competitors in your role.
Find your Brand’s Uniqueness
Building a unique brand image (by keeping a similar aim as before) will make you different from the competitors in the airline industry.
We are the same exact airline that we were before. We are not walking away from our DNA.
- Kevin Krone
Your well-researched step on competitors will help to learn about branding patterns in the new normal. In addition, by looking at their weaknesses and strengths, you might get a chance to know your strength. This aspect will make your brand unique.
Develop a Re-positioning Statement
Once you know your customers' thoughts, you need to develop a statement that portrays your message. If you aim to convey that your business offers the best services or products in the market during the current economic slump, then it’s imperative to keep a razor-sharp focus on a brand positioning strategy.
For example, you can include your ROI data. Use it as a statement in online paid ads, social media platforms, campaigns, emails, and other marketing methods. By doing this, you will be able to grab your existing and potential customers’ attention. And see how potential ones become loyal towards your business in no time.
There’s no definite way to re-position your existing airline brand in times of the pandemic. But there are some crucial ways to do it. The ways are customizing efforts enable significant chances to offer quality services and products to reach customers.
Test your Re-positioning Statement—if it works!
Once your re-positioning statement is formed, it’s time to test it. Try to do experiments with the help of feedback collection from customers. The feedbacks should cover if they are conveyed with the right message. Therefore, in this way, you can know whether your brand achieved its goal or not.
As you invest effort and time into re-positioning your airline brand, it’s helpful to keep in mind the type of consumers, demographic segmentation, and verticals. These verticals provide a deep insight that content and its aim remain advantageous to your brand.
Develop your Brand’s Reference Frame
Your brand’s reference will be an accurate way for customers to perceive it in the right way. Having a genuine brand positioning framework today is vital for re-positioning. And with the help of an on-point brand development strategy, you can plan it extraordinarily. Once you have created the frame of your brand, it is advisable to keep a focus on reaching achievable goals.
Successful Re-positioning Efforts Drives Growth
As you are aware that a strong branding of an airline business makes all the difference when you enter the market, similarly, re-positioning also makes a difference when you have to outshine again amid challenges. So, having a definite approach will ensure success for your brand and drive growth amid the ongoing pandemic challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can airline businesses improve their brand image?
An airline business runs with a multitude of functionalities. Every function plays a responsible role in improving the brand image. Thus, some crucial ways are discussed below:
Create the right message which should be synonymous with brand value or perspective
Stay in contact with customers through various marketing ways
Keep track of strategies and implementation
Turn data into intelligence
Keep an eagle eye on competitors and their activities
Keep employees in the loop
What are the best branding strategies for airline businesses?
The best branding strategies for airline businesses are as follows:
Cost control strategies
Social media campaigns
Creative advertisement
Loyalty programs
Use power of influencers
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Turn data into intelligence
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Keep employees in the loop "
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Air Transport
Article | July 6, 2022
Flying is changing, and so is the future of piloting. With technological advancements across the aviation industry, one can only anticipate what’s in store for the future of piloting. The battle between automation and learning skills that automation can easily take over is coming to a head. As airplane engineering matures, the aviation industry isn’t far from seeing a day when pilots who have undergone training on electric trainers require a license endorsement to fly a piston-powered aircraft.
Goodbye, Manual Flying
Airplanes are becoming downright easier to fly. Consider how most pilots today would never be able to fly the aircraft that their seniors trained in. According to experts, piloting skills will put more emphasis on the efficient use of airspace systems instead of directing and maneuvering the aircraft.
Decoding Airplane Information
Traditionally, a pilot’s primary task was to gather and decode the information he received through the aircraft’s systems. This information was then used to give the pilot an “air picture” which allowed him to get a sense of the air traffic, airspace, and weather. As aircraft technology improves, pilots will no longer need to know how to do this. Instead, the "air picture" will be shown on a screen in front of them.
Final Word
From augmented reality to 3D spatial audio cues, augmentation is happening to aircraft as well as the pilot’s ability to fly them. The evolution of aviation technology will only help transform the mechanics of airplanes, and pilots will no longer need to handle flight control. As augmented reality takes over, future cockpits might not even need to be at the front of the aircraft or have windows. That would be the true test of the future of piloting.
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