programs / Aviation

Greater attention to improving efficiency is required if aviation, which already accounts for about four percent of the warming that has occurred since preindustrial times, is to avoid becoming a larger component of the climate change equation. The introduction of new designs has doubled the efficiency of commercial aircraft since 1960, but progress has stagnated in the last 20 years. A CO₂standard for new aircraft, properly designed, could help promote the deployment of energy efficient technologies and new, cleaner aircraft designs. As a technical observer to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the ICCT is helping to design that standard.

Given the slowed pace of improvements in the average fuel efficiency of aircraft in the last two decades, operational changes could present a path towards significant improvements in the near to medium term. Modifications in climb rate, cruise speed, passenger amenities and improvements in routing and air traffic control, among others, offer fuel efficiency gains greater than those currently projected for near-term technology gains. These operational parameters are the focus of current ICCT studies, which will quantify the potential efficiency gains from improvements in many of these areas.