Aircraft emissions are the current bête noir of the climate change world. So as one of the world’s biggest aersopace trade shows kicks off the plane people are busily showcasing their green credentials.
Although the actual percentage of carbon dioxide emissions made up by flights is small compared to some industries, it’s become a big issue.
At the Farnborough show, where aircraft manufacturers are hawking their wares, airlines observers are predicting a “damp” show. Recession, rumours of recession and increasing raw material costs (and non-raw material costs, too – clever composites aren’t getting cheaper…) mean a spiffy new aircraft is a hard sell. Reuters says this year’s event “may feel more like a wake” than previous shows, at which Boeing and Airbus have competed to show off massive orders for their aircraft.
Still, with high oil prices and increasing political pressure, there’s never been a better time to get a green-sheen on your planes. So that’s what some manufacturers are doing.
AFP says the Canadian firm Bombadier’s new C-Series 100-odd seat passenger planes are “eco-friendly”, which may be pushing it a bit. They are a bit better than the current generation though, according to the firm, powered as they are by the geared turbofan recently described in Nature’s Flights of green fancy piece.
“These game-changing aircraft emit up to 20 per cent less CO2 and up to 50 per cent less NOx, fly four times quieter, and deliver dramatic energy savings – up to 20 per cent fuel burn advantage as well as up to 15 per cent improved cash operating costs versus current in-production aircraft of similar size,” says Gary Scott, president of Bombardier Commercial Aircraft (press release).
The C-Series is also good news for jobs in Canada and Northern Ireland.
Boeing and Airbus are also looking to profit from a drive for fuel efficiency, as the BBC reports:
“We see a bigger demand for replacing older, less efficient aircraft,” says Boeing marketing executive Randy Tinseth, while rival Airbus is being asked to speed up production to replace old aircraft that consume too much kerosene, according to director-general Fabrice Bregier.
Image: Bombardier C-Series / Bombardier