As the aviation industry prepares to gather for the Paris Air Show next week and the Dubai Air Show in November, a global survey of 325 aviation decision-makers in six countries, including the UAE, shows alignment on and investment in sustainability but recognizes that accelerated support is needed to meet the industry’s 2050 goal.
The survey, conducted by Ipsos on behalf of GE Aerospace, shows an overwhelming majority of companies say they are turning sustainability words into action, with 76% of respondents believing sustainability has fundamentally changed the way the industry operates and a majority of those with sustainability strategies in place indicating that their company sustainability investments will grow or remain steady, even amid rising inflation and risk of recession.
Nearly one-third of respondents (30%) identify meeting the industry’s sustainability goal as the current top challenge, surpassing supply chain (19%) and labour issues (11%). This mirrors the industry’s broader sustainability push and the goal of reaching net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. A substantial majority (88%) report that their organizations already have sustainability strategies in place, with most saying that sustainability strategies have already had a significant or moderate impact on how their company operates (74%), invests (73%), and hires (62%).
Allen Paxson, Vice President and General Manager of Commercial Programs Strategy at GE Aerospace said: “These results show that the aviation industry is committed to the goal of achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 while also recognizing the need to accelerate efforts and ensure all key stakeholders are on the playing field. With GE Aerospace and our partner engines powering three-quarters of the world’s flights, we recognize our important responsibility to meet the industry ramp and do so more sustainably and more efficiently for our customers.”
While 46% believe the industry will meet its net zero goal by 2050, 32% say it will not, and 22% are still determining. On average, respondents believe the target will be met by 2055 and identify rising costs, budgetary pressure, supply issues, and energy resources as the most significant hurdles. 29% of respondents selected the government as the external group applying the most pressure to accelerate sustainability, with 61% showing a preference for incentives and policy support over mandates and regulation. Respondents rank increased sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) investment as the most critical role for the government in reaching the 2050 goal.
GE Aerospace began testing SAF in 2007, and today, all GE Aerospace and partner engines can run on approved SAF blends. The company, its customers, and partners are leading the way in developing more efficient equipment, investing $2 billion in 2022 in aviation research and development. CFM, a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran, targets a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and emissions in one generation compared to current engines through its Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE) program. GE Aerospace is also collaborating with NASA and Boeing to develop a megawatt-class hybrid electric powertrain for its Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project. CFM also plans to develop a hydrogen combustion engine for ground and flight tests with Airbus.