“The challenges are complex and so are the solutions”
Speaking at the Airline Leaders Summit – an invite-only event held on day one of the Farnborough International Airshow 2024 – numerous attendees gathered to hear airline CEOs, senior personnel and regulators share their thoughts and perspectives.
High on the agenda were how airlines and industry as a whole can continue to address and effect positive change regarding issues of sustainability. “The challenges are complex and so are the solutions, so we have a multi-pronged approach,” explained Pratt & Whitney chief sustainability officer Dr Graham Webb.
“First and foremost” on Pratt & Whitney (an RTX company)’s agenda is the retrofit of existing aircraft with more fuel-efficient powerplants such as the GTF; something “which is already delivering value to the industry today”. Beyond that, Pratt & Whitney are working on a “suite of technologies” – including hybrid-electric, sustainable aviation fuel, and hydrogen options – as well as focusing on bringing down the emissions of its own company operations.
Highlighting the hybrid-electric propulsion technologies the company is currently developing, “the level of benefit scales a lot,” he revealed; ranging from a larger amount for smaller aircraft (with an upcoming regional turboprop aircraft forecast to provide around a 30% reduction in emissions). For larger single-aisle aircraft, although the overall reduction is lessened, the difference is “still important and tangible in the single-digit range”.
With battery density and technology only set to improve over time, “we’re really just getting started with this technology, and that’s what is most important and really the most exciting about it,” concluded Webb.
Luis Gallego, CEO of IAG , agreed that the route to decarbonisation is multi-faceted; with sustainable aviation fuel and fleet renewal two of the most immediately-available options. “SAF is one of the technologies we are working on, but we are also bringing the newest aircraft we have in the market,” he highlighted.
Gallego remains confident that IAG can continue to scale its SAF use (having bought around 12% of all SAF available in the world last year, and already secured around one third of the SAF it will need for its commitment of 10% SAF usage by 2030 with fuel producer Twelve). “We understand that the third generation and power to liquid SAF is going to be the most scalable one,” he continued, adding that the short medium term, “we need to take all the SAF available from the different technologies and generations”.
