In recent years, the aviation industry has come under special scrutiny from environmental campaigners. When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, air travel is by far the most problematic per passenger mile. And, in the case of private aviation, where cabin space is reserved for a smaller number of passengers, the amount of environmental damage is even higher.
Of course, private air travel isn’t going away any time soon. Business jet rental remains essential for many international organisations. In fact, world leaders who assemble in a given part of the world to sign environmental treaties usually travel with the help of a private plan.
So, how can we balance environmental concerns against the need for private planes? Can we live in a world where both demands can be satisfied? Let’s take a look at some of the advances which might make it possible.
Fuel-efficient engines
By driving down consumption of fuel, we can limit the amount of emissions we generate per passenger mile. This is something that manufacturers are already heavily incentivised to do, since more efficient planes tend to be more profitable ones. Additional taxation and regulation might make these incentives more compelling.
Better organisation
Where planes are forced to wait idling for hours on a runway, or to orbit an airport until a runway becomes available, they will naturally produce large volumes of greenhouse gas. By optimising air traffic control, and ensuring that waiting time is limited, airlines can drive down the emissions.
New Innovations Driving the Future of Private Aviation
The private aviation industry plays an important role in driving innovation. The cost of developing a new smaller plane is much lower than mass-producing a larger one. As such, experimental technologies can be more easily pioneered in this industry.
This might mean hydrogen or battery-powered aircraft, drag-reducing designs, and more capacious cabins that can squeeze in more passengers.
Lighter Materials
The lighter an aircraft is, the less fuel it will need to consume to propel the mass from one part of the world to another. Advances in materials will therefore result in reduced emissions.
Electric and Hybrid Aircraft
The introduction of electric aircraft might seem fanciful – but it’s an option that’s already been pursued by many small innovators, many of which promise to deliver zero-emission flights at lower costs. Whether these promises are actually delivered remains to be seen.