Aircrafts efficiency “barely improved since 2000
Article Type: News From: Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 2
The energy efficiency improvements of new commercial aircrafts have been close to zero since the beginning of the decade despite the oil price hike, a study published by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has shown.
Researchers estimated the fuel consumption of thousands of aircraft over the past 50 years. The ICCT found efficiency gains dropped during the 1990s. Since 2000, efficiency has improved only 0.29 per cent annually on a tonne per km basis (passengers and freight). Efficiency remained flat on a seat/km basis. The green transport group found a correlation between the decline in efficiency improvements and a “considerable” slowdown in the introduction of new aircraft designs. It argues that new designs are the main driver of energy savings, not increases in oil prices.
It calls for carbon emission standards for new models and existing ones being produced. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has proposed a standard for new models only. But this could encourage manufacturers to delay the introduction of more efficient aircrafts, the ICCT says.
