Increasingly, shrinking a company’s carbon footprint means incorporating sustainability into their aircraft utilization, and included in that strategy is an embrace of technologies that allow aircraft to be powered by something other than refined fossil fuels.
Aircraft manufacturers are embracing this, customers are asking for it and they’re willing to pay for it, said Kennedy Ricci, president of 4AIR.
“SAF [sustainable aviation fuel] can be used on any aircraft using Jet-A, so no special consideration needs to be given there about what (turbine-powered) airplanes might be able to use it,” Ricci said.
“We are increasingly being asked by our customers to include sustainability costs in the forecasts for new aircraft purchases. More and more often, we are forecasting the SAF and carbon-offset costs for certain aircraft-renewal plans, understanding how timing and improved fuel efficiency will play into purchasing decisions.”
“We are increasingly being asked by our customers to include sustainability costs in the forecasts for new aircraft purchases.”
KENNEDY RICCI, President, 4AIR
Each generation of business aircraft makes tremendous strides in fuel efficiency – new models are up to 35% more efficient than their predecessors – so it’s important for operators to weigh these efficiency gains into their overall decarbonization.
“We are often computing a metric of how efficient an aircraft can be based off its payload, to track how upgrading an aircraft can also be more efficient,” Ricci said. “This shows how a department may be transitioning to larger aircraft, but also saving fuel in the process, in a way that works across different aircraft types.”
A Bridge to the Future of Aircraft Propulsion
Aircraft are a major investment for any business. Part of an effective flight operations manager’s job includes balancing the customer’s current needs with a strategy that reflects the technology of the near future. In a world of rapidly developing innovations, emerging aircraft technology may be available in the marketplace within a decade that could quickly render that major investment obsolete.
For that reason, SAF should not be viewed as the final fuel choice, said one senior flight operations manager for a large company.
“SAF is going to be that gateway to get us into the next generation of aircraft,” Ricci said. “We really focused on choosing a platform that had the lowest life cycle emissions per passenger, per mile, and then also prioritizing next generation aircraft, which are equipped with advanced avionics, composite structure and high bypass engines. What we’re focused on is lighter aircraft, aircraft that perform better…and increased performance that reduces the fuel consumption per hour, so that ultimately would drive your sustainability efforts.”
He and other industry leaders agree that SAF serves as a kind of technological bridge that “will get us to the next phase or generation of future propulsion, whether it be hybrid, electric or hydrogen.”
Aviation Director: Consider Rising Maintenance Costs
One of the key considerations in planning an aircraft purchase is the rising cost of maintenance over its life cycle.
“As aircraft age, maintenance expenses increase and dispatch reliability can be affected,” said Bas de Bruijn, a senior director of corporate aviation. “Many corporations choose to replace aircraft as early as every five years, though on average the cycle is closer to 10 years. By introducing next-generation aircraft into the fleet, you not only improve dispatch reliability but also gain the latest technology and more sustainable operating performance.”
Also, it’s important to keep in mind that retiring an aircraft doesn’t mitigate its environmental impact.
“From a holistic sustainability perspective, retiring an aircraft doesn’t necessarily result in a reduction of global emissions,” de Bruijn said. “In most cases, that aircraft will continue flying somewhere in the world, often for another 20 years or more. The real gains come from transitioning your own operations to more efficient and sustainable platforms, while recognizing the broader life cycle of the asset. Those gains also come from increasing the worldwide availability of sustainable aviation fuel. Newer aircraft benefit from more efficient engines paired with SAF, while older-generation aircraft can still achieve meaningful carbon reductions by using SAF as part of their operations.”