The start of the 2024 International Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s 30th World Assembly was marked by an upbeat assessment from a gathering of general aviation leaders about the current state of the industry, and the potential for a coming era of flight to be more safe, secure and sustainable than ever.

Key leaders in the business aviation community’s mission to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 took center stage at a May 2 Washington aviation policy forum to detail the sector’s comprehensive focus on sustainability, in a panel discussion moderated by National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen.

The CLIMBING. FAST. advocacy campaign announced that the Alpha Eta Rho International Aviation Fraternity, the country’s premiere coed aviation fraternity, has come aboard as a partner, becoming the 12th organization to join the advocacy initiative focused on sustainability and innovation with a bold commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Carbon dioxide emissions of turbine business aircraft departing from U.S. airports are down 62 percent from 2005.

Members of Alpha Eta Rho – the oldest aviation organization on college campuses around the country – recently had the opportunity to visit with members of Congress and their staff to talk about a host of issues, including the ways the industry is innovating toward a sustainable, net-zero future for the next generation of aviators.

In today’s aviation industry, sustainability is more than a buzzword – it’s an operational imperative.