The New York Times reported that global air passengers are expected to reach 2.8 billion this year, carrying 46 million tons of cargo; it is estimated that 210 million to 220 million tons of fuel will be consumed and 650 million tons of carbon dioxide will be produced. As fuel prices continue to rise and standards for reducing emissions increase, aviation companies are investing in research into biofuels.
Six airlines have carried passengers on flights
Since the first trial of biomass fuel five years ago, the use of biomass fuel in aircraft has developed rapidly. At least six airlines currently use biomass fuel to fly passengers, including KLM, German Airlines, and Finnair. When the aviation industry held a conference in Hong Kong in September, many airline executives expressed surprise at the development of biofuels.
Aviation industry: “carbon neutral” by 2020
Taylor, the former Cathay Pacific CEO who took over as president of the International Air Transport Association in July, said: "A few years ago, using biomass fuel to fly passengers was just a fantasy.
It is now a fait accompli. "Many executives predict that the aviation industry is expected to achieve the goal of "carbon neutrality" before 2020, and business growth will not increase carbon dioxide emissions; some even boldly predict
According to estimates, the goal of halving carbon emissions can be achieved by 2050.
However, the current price of biomass fuel is 3 to 5 times that of traditional aircraft fuel, making it uncompetitive in terms of price and supply.
The carbon dioxide emitted by the aviation industry accounts for 2% of total man-made carbon dioxide emissions, which is very important for carbon reduction. In recent years, the aviation industry has begun to improve aircraft design. Today's aircraft are 70% more fuel efficient than aircraft designed 40 years ago. However, there is no room for improvement in this direction. The hope for future energy saving and carbon reduction lies in biomass fuel.
However, biomass fuel has had side effects such as consuming water resources, occupying agricultural land, and pushing up food prices. Low-cost aviation industry operators have insisted that they can minimize these harmful effects of biomass fuel. The plants used to make biomass fuel do not use coconuts. oil or other first-generation crops, but instead use inedible weeds or seaweeds as raw materials.
Private jet sales expected to rebound next year
The National Business Aviation Association of the United States held its annual meeting in Las Vegas. Honeywell International, a manufacturer of avionics and cockpit instruments, released survey results showing that the number of global private jet deliveries this year is expected to be It’s less than last year, but it’s expected to pick up next year.
The U.S. economy is recovering slowly and the European debt crisis is lingering. The number of global private jet deliveries this year may drop from 732 last year to 600 to 650. However, the number of purchases in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa markets is expected to increase next year, which will lessen the impact of declining demand in mature markets. The number of deliveries next year is expected to be close to 700 aircraft.
Source: The New York Times, Lianhe Wanbao (2011-10-10)
