Flight_International 28Jan2020

(Jacob Rumans) #1

flightglobal.com 28 January-3 February 2020 | Flight International | 39


TECHNOLOGY REVOLUTION


try’s long-term goal of cutting emissions to
half of 2005 levels by 2050.
“It’s clear that getting rid of all CO2 emis-
sions is difficult, but offsetting is a good op-
tion. And it’s not expensive. All airlines could
be carbon neutral with a single administrative
decision from management.”
One of the foundation’s 1,000 solutions is a
software package called Skybreathe, which
uses artificial intelligence and big data to help
pilots reduce fuel consumption by up to
5%  per flight without any modifications to
the aircraft. “That is huge for any airline,”
Piccard says.
Despite this kind of success, Piccard says
the time for incremental optimisation is over.
Technologies must now be revolutionary if
the aviation industry is to contribute to
solving today’s climate emergency in any
meaningful way.
“If you look at the history of aviation, the
first 50 years brought us from the Wright
Brothers Flyer to the Boeing 707. Every inno-
vation was disruptive. But since then, the air-
planes have looked the same, there has been
no innovation, just optimisation – less noise,
less fuel, safer, more comfortable. We have to
go back to innovation, and that innovation
will bring hybrid power sources, electric air-
planes, new types of shapes, designs and ma-
terials, and this is very promising.”
Air France recently partnered with the
Solar Impulse Foundation, committing to de-
velop projects that support its environmental
roadmap. These are not limited to engine effi-
ciencies and improving fuel burn, but will
also include alternatives to single-use plastics
and cabin waste management, clean ground
operations and noise reduction.


Even in light of these efforts, Piccard says
that the industry has an image problem when
it comes to carbon emissions. Ever since
Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg
shunned a jet in favour of travelling from
Europe to North America by sea and back
again, aviation has become a popular punch-
ing bag for climate-change activists, though it
produces just 2% of annual global emissions.

FELINE OFFENDERS
“Aviation is not worse than other industries.
Streaming videos of sex and cats on the inter-
net represents half of the emissions of CO2 of
all of air transport around the world,” Piccard
says. “The textile industry produces 7% of
global emissions. Houses produce 40%. Peo-

ple who live in a badly insulated house and
stream cat movies – they criticise aviation.”
Procedure modifications, state-of-the-art
technologies and better story telling are one
thing. But the biggest impediment to lasting
change in terms of climate protection, which
also applies to aviation, is the glacial speed of
policy making.
But this, too, is shifting, Piccard says. “Poli-
ticians finally have an alibi to act. For the past
year, young people have been demonstrating
in the streets for climate action. This is new
and this is what we need.”
Piccard is optimistic that aviation industry
leaders will make the necessary choices to re-
main responsible global citizens – if only for
the sake of their bottom lines. ■

Solar Impulse

Solar Impulse

Aviation pioneer
and environmental
campaigner Bertrand
Piccard at the controls

Solar Impulse made first
circumnavigation in 2016
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