Technology Assessment for Sustainable Aviation

The most promising technology to increase sustainability in aviation in the short term is sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). In the long run, battery technology could be used for short-haul flights while hydrogen-based aircraft could serve long-distance flights. A competition between hybrid (SAF and battery) and hydrogen technology is likely to happen in the mid-run for medium and long-distance flights. The long-term development of alternative technologies remains in general uncertain and is highly dependent on the investments of large industry incumbents (e.g., Airbus and Boeing), new start-ups but also on the development of other industries (regarding hydrogen and battery). Therefore, investment executives are well-advised to allocate resources and build connections to other industries to further explore the sustainability and economic potential of new technologies (particularly hydrogen and all-electric aircraft). Since almost all GHG emissions in the aviation sector are attributable to the usage of fossil jet fuel, increased efficiency measures, as well as alternatives to conventional jet fuel, become highly relevant to reduce GHG emissions from aviation, in order to reach global climate goals. Consequently, this chapter analyses different opportunities based on technology to reduce the overall consumption of fossil jet fuel. These technologies mainly include aircraft propulsion systems, alternative fuels, aircraft models based on alternative energy usage, new aircraft design (blended-wing body aircraft), and supportive technologies for efficient ground handling and optimized operations during flight. Thus, the focus of this chapter lies on aircraft technologies and technologies related to flight operations.