Page 27 - AAA NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2012 Online Magazine

FEATURE GREENING BIZ JETS

“We’ve been working with a number operate on the Max platform, which will has already been selected to power the
of industry organisations such as the further cut down fuel burn and carbon cessna columbus and will be available on
national Business aviation association, emissions by 14%, bring the amount of the market in 2014.
General aviation Manufacturers nox significantly down and decrease its
association and international Business airport noise footprint by up to 40%. Making the ideal a reality
aviation committee to grow awareness of in addition, much headway has been While the supply chain has made
how business jets are used, especially in made with alternative fuels. airbus, a considerable efforts in greening itself, it
humanitarian missions.” member of the air transport action Group, is ultimately the air traffic management
a look at the numbers supports has made the development of biofuel a (atM) abilities of airports that make the
colburn’s positive take on the business. top priority in its push for greener skies. call on how green executive jets – both
the united nations intergovernmental the aircraft manufacturer hopes to existing and upcoming – can be. upgraded
Panel on climate change (iPcc) pegs develop a sustainable value chain that air traffic control systems and skills give
global carbon dioxide emissions for will commercialise aviation biofuels in controllers and pilots more control over
general aviation at 0.04%. this figure china, the world’s fastest growing aviation their airspace, allowing shorter routes to
includes fuel used by general aviation, market, from as early as 2013. as part of its be plotted as well as continuous ascent
business aviation and helicopter use. developmental efforts, airbus has teamed and descent for aircraft, which in turn
and the iPcc says emission of other up with tsinghua university and sinopec leads to significant fuel savings. With this
greenhouse gases, such as methane, to single out the most promising biofuel in mind, the civil aviation association
water vapour and oxides of nitrogen (nox), solutions. as a believer of multiple biofuel of singapore has established a centre
from executive jets is at approximately 3%, solutions, airbus has also partnered virgin of excellence for atM Programme Fund
300 times less the amount of greenhouse australia airlines to support eucalyptus (cePF) of s$200 million over the next
gases cattle-raising produces. cultivation in australia. decade to looking into developing efficient
atM solutions for itself and the region.
here’s to cleaner skies It’s a collaborative effort there is clearly opportunity for
even as business aviation takes up only aircraft manufacturers aside, related business aviation to become more eco-
a sliver of the global emissions pie, the industries are also seeing the importance friendly in the asia-Pacific region. While
industry is keenly aware of the need to of going green. as leaders in low- countries such as china, japan and
operate responsibly, and continues to emission technologies, aircraft engine australia have been actively involved in
reduce its environmental impact with manufacturers Pratt & Whitney’s biofuel development, standardised air
the ongoing development of emission- revolutionary taLon (technology for traffic control skills, sound infrastructure,
reducing engines, aircraft and operating advance Low nox) combustion technology greater awareness and a larger network
procedures. since its launch in 1996, the has since brought around double-digit of airports are necessary to make the
BBj, the smallest of Boeing’s executive improvements in fuel burn, environmental greening of business aviation, and aviation
jet models, has achieved significant emissions, engine noise and operating in general, a viable, sustainable model.
reduction in noise and environment costs. its upcoming PurePower™ PW800 With traffic both from executive jets and
pollution through product improvements engine is touted to offer up to 50% commercial aircraft looking to increase
such as the addition of winglets, drag improvement in nox emissions relative exponentially over the years, a combination
reduction design improvement and engine to icao standards, and 35% decrease of efficient atM and innovation is critical
enhancements, says the manufacturer. in carbon monoxide emissions. created to ensure that the skies are as carbon-free
Boeing notes that its newest models will with the executive jet in mind, the PW800 as they are seamless.

BIOFuEL 101
Biofuel has been around for a while, but it was not until the industry was faced
with rising oil prices in the 1990s that aircraft manufacturers considered
creating biofuel for aircraft. Known as second-generation biofuels, these are
sourced from plants such as algae, jatropha, halophytes and camelina, as
well as from used cooking oil or municipal waste. unlike fossil fuel, there are
multiple sources of biofuel and sustainable feedstocks can be grown across the
globe. Successful experiments include Embraer’s ethanol-powered Ipanema
crop duster in 2002, and the 2011 Gulfstream G450 flight across the Atlantic
using a mix of biofuel and normal fuel. While the outlook seems positive, the
challenge is to concoct a biofuel that is cost-efficient, as well as produce enough
so as not to compete with the land transport industry for usage.

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