Hydrogen can be a zero-emission fuel source if made with renewable electricity. European aerospace giant Airbus said it aimed to develop a commercial airliner by 2035 that can be fueled by hydrogen, potentially unlocking the prospect of zero-emission air travel. Hydrogen requires considerably more space than kerosene for an equivalent journey, resulting in larger fuel tanks that leave less room for passengers. Despite research efforts in recent years, we believe it is unlikely that the aerospace market will adopt hydrogen in any material way for airplane operations given the lack of infrastructure, power plants, and investment relative to other alternatives.
Business jets touch down in a far greater number of locations than commercial airlines, which can make accessing SAFs difficult – small airports may not have green jet fuel available for refueling. The solve this problem, the business aviation industry is pushing for the EU to embrace the ‘Book and Claim’ system. Air travel may be able to avoid the twists and turns of road transport, but air journeys are still far from straight lines between two points. Often, planes are forced to take inefficient routes set by the national territory they are traversing. The aviation industry has long argued that optimizing these routes could lower emissions, reduce noise, and save money. It has been suggested that an efficient air traffic control system could reduce fuel burn and therefore CO2 output by as much as 10% without compromising safety.