The aviation industry is growing and developing very quickly, especially in the Middle East and Asia Pacific. Additionally, air travel is becoming increasingly available to a larger amount of the world’s population — the International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects air travel will double over the next 20 years.
With the growing industry, companies are preparing for issues like maintenance and operations personnel shortage. To combat potential issues, those within the aviation industry are turning to new methods to offset the environmental impact of the increasing number of flights.
Green aviation involves the consideration of environmental improvements in the area of aerospace. These methods can include things like reduction in emissions and noise, new technologies to improve efficiency, and improved fuel efficiency. Green aviation encompasses all areas of aviation, including airlines, the aerospace supply chain, and aircraft manufacturers.
With general aviation logging 24 million flight hours each year in the U.S., the pursuit of green aviation is more important than ever.
The Solar Impulse 2 became the first manned solar plane to successfully circle the earth last year. While prototypes like this are years away from handling commercial flight, manufacturers are working on finding immediate improvements.
Neste MY Aviation Solutions is one of the many organizations working towards reducing CO2 emissions throughout the aviation industry. Neste Green Hub develops a platform that allows airports, airlines, authorities, local community, and passengers to unite and contribute to more sustainable traveling.
Other organizations are continuously working towards finding green solutions. Honeywell has introduced its own Green Jet Fuel, which aims to cut greenhouse emissions by up to 85% compared to traditional fuels. The fuel alternative has proven to improve flight mileage performance while allowing no changes to be made to the aircraft.
Global shipping networks are an often overlooked polluter. Shipping goods internationally emits greenhouse gases, disrupts marine life, and contributes to water pollution. Kapco Global, an aircraft parts distributor, has helped implement the idea of globally located warehouse locations through worldwide partnerships and established facilities. This means both a faster delivery time for customers and a shorter traveling distance for supplies.
The aviation industry is also implementing modern technology in order to counteract environmental impacts, including using 3-D printing for aircraft parts.