The future of luxury air travel may be in jeopardy.
A scenario laid out in a recent Bloomberg.com article suggests that reducing weight and increasing the number of passengers per flight are key factors for airlines in achieving decarbonization.
Could this move all airline operators to a new model, much like the low-cost carrier (LCC) model?
A huge amount of work is required to achieve the goal reducing global emissions by 45% by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Experts believe that 2023 was the year of peak emissions, and that this trend should begin to change as long as the current growth in alternative energy technologies continues. Although aviation currently accounts for only 2.5% of global emissions, this model will need to be overhauled to keep pace with the decarbonization of the rest of the world and its industries, and airlines cannot afford to rest for a moment.
LCCs weigh less
One of the thrusts of the low-cost airline business model that Southwest developed in 1971 was to eliminate "frills." This meant no food, no alcohol, no blankets. It also meant more people per square meter sat in smaller seats with thinner, lighter cushioning and no reclining mechanism, in-flight entertainment or screens. Most importantly, heavy business class seats have been completely abandoned. This weight reduction, combined with the ability to accommodate more passengers per flight, was an ideal scenario that allowed LCC to achieve better emissions per passenger - in some cases, almost half the emissions of a typical legacy carrier.
Emissions data clearly has a strong impact on those organizations looking for new ways to decarbonise, and airlines offering business class services are more likely to come under scrutiny from green lobbyists.
Weight of seats and mechanisms business class, as well as porcelain plates, metal cutlery, real glassware for drinking and many bottles of selected wine can be considered the attributes of the elite. An article on Bloomberg.com looks at a flight from Hong Kong to Singapore, saying that economy class passengers are responsible for 170 kg of emissions, while business class passengers produce 682 kg of emissions.
And of course, if business class were removed, all that space could be filled with economy class passengers, bringing emissions per passenger below 170kg.
Bigger plane, more seats , less emissions
To reduce emissions per passenger, airlines need to not only reduce weight, but also increase the number of passengers at the same time. This points to larger aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing B747, but Airbus ceased production of its A380 in 2021 and Boeing its B747 in 2022. This was during the pandemic, when low passenger numbers forced many of these “jumbo jets” to be mothballed. It remains to be seen whether either of the two manufacturers will restart production lines of these types of aircraft.
The characteristic feature of the LCC model that has ensured its success is high-frequency flight. LCCs may have lower emissions per passenger, but in these days of high demand, LCCs fly a given route more often than legacy carriers, creating more emissions.
Can green aviation fuel (SAF) to save the day?
Relying on it would be dangerous, says Bloomberg.com.
“Current production capacity of this environmentally friendly clean energy source accounts for just 1% of global aviation fuel needs, and passenger numbers are projected to double from 2019 to more than 8 billion in two decades.”
Source: travelnews.co.za
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