According to The New York Times, global air passenger traffic is expected to reach 2.8 billion this year, carrying 46 million tons of cargo; the estimated fuel consumption will be between 210 million and 220 million tons, producing 650 million tons of carbon dioxide. With fuel prices continuing to rise and emission reduction standards becoming increasingly stringent, airlines are investing heavily in biofuels.
Six airlines have already carried passengers on flights.
Since the first trial of biofuels five years ago, the use of biofuels in aircraft has developed rapidly. At least six airlines are now using biofuels for passenger flights, including KLM, Lufthansa, and Finnair. At a conference held in Hong Kong in September, many airline executives expressed surprise at the development of biofuels.
Aviation industry: Carbon neutrality by 2020
Taylor, the former CEO of Cathay Pacific who took over as president of the International Air Transport Association in July, said: "However, just a few years ago, using biofuels to carry passengers was a pipe dream, but now it is a reality." Many executives also predict that the aviation industry can achieve the goal of "carbon neutrality" by 2020, growing its business without increasing carbon dioxide emissions; some industry players even boldly predict that carbon emissions can be halved by 2050.
However, biofuels are currently 3 to 5 times more expensive than traditional jet fuel, making them uncompetitive in both price and supply. The aviation industry accounts for 2% of total man-made carbon dioxide emissions, making it crucial for carbon reduction. While the aviation industry has focused on improving aircraft design in recent years, resulting in aircraft that are up to 70% more fuel-efficient than those designed 40 years ago, there is no room for further improvement in this area. The future hope for energy conservation and carbon reduction lies in biofuels.
However, biofuels have already produced side effects such as consuming water resources, occupying farmland, and driving up food prices. Low-end aviation operators have insisted that they can minimize these harms of biofuels by using inedible wild grasses or seaweed instead of coconut oil or other first-generation crops to produce biofuels.
Private jet sales are expected to rebound next year.
At its annual meeting in Las Vegas, the National Association for Commercial Aviation (NAA) released survey results from Honeywell International, a manufacturer of avionics and cockpit instruments. The results indicate that global private jet deliveries are expected to be lower this year than last year, but are projected to rebound next year. The slow recovery of the US economy and the lingering European debt crisis may reduce global private jet deliveries this year from 732 last year to 600-650. However, increased purchases in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa are expected next year, mitigating the impact of declining demand in mature markets, with deliveries potentially approaching 700 next year.
Sources: The New York TimesLianhe Wanbao (October 10, 2011)
