Introduction
The issue of climate change has recently gained importance for governments and populations all around the world. The aviation sector, responsible for about 2.5% of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions, is one of the most significant contributors to international greenhouse gas emissions (Capaz et al., 2021). Terrenoire et al. (2019) enumerated that the airline sector’s pollution might triple by 2050 due to rising flight demand and anticipated business expansion.
To avoid the most severe effects of worldwide warming, the world has established an objective of achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050. As a result, frequent travel will be irreconcilable, and this universal goal will be achieved by 2050. The aviation sector must make considerable changes to minimize its carbon footprint and move into an ecologically sound and regenerative future.
The United Kingdom (UK) is one of the largest aviation markets in the world and contributes significantly to air pollution worldwide. In reaction, the UK administration has established challenging goals for cutting the nation’s greenhouse gases, including those from the aviation sector. However, the aviation industry’s sustainability strategy must be fundamentally changed to meet these goals. The UK airline business can adapt to an environmentally friendly and circular future, which will be critically examined and discussed in this essay. This research will examine the current situation of the aviation sector in the UK, its role in carbon emissions, and the actions made to lessen its environmental impact.
The paper will also examine the sector’s difficulties in attaining long-term viability, including technological barriers, monetary considerations, and customer desire. Lastly, this research makes the case that for the UK aviation business to be sustainable, it must adopt audacious and creative measures, such as investing in cutting-edge technologies, enacting stricter laws, and altering consumer behavior. By doing this, the sector can significantly contribute to the UK’s and the world’s efforts to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by the year 2050 while continuing to meet consumer demand for air travel.
Literature Review
The Current State of the Aviation Industry in the UK
The aviation business has had a rough few years due to entry bans and travel restrictions, which brought a large portion of the industry to a standstill in 2020 and 2021. Although this has improved, the situation is still tricky for carriers and other service providers because there is still a significant amount of disturbance in the UK. The number of passengers flying in the UK increased from 200 million in 2011 to 292 million in 2022 (UK airport data, 2023). This growth has contributed significantly to expanding the country’s aviation industry.
Furthermore, various state departments in the UK have provided information on its current state regarding its benefits to the nation’s economy. According to projections made by the Department of Transport (2023) for the year 2019, it was anticipated that the industry would be responsible for the upkeep of roughly one million employment and contribute approximately 22 billion pounds to the UK’s economy. Consequently, Heathrow Airport in London processes more than 80 million people annually, making it the busiest airport in the United Kingdom (Heathrow Airport, 2022). As such, this development can be attributed to increased carbon emissions within the UK since the increase in travelers means more commercial flights flying to meet the excess demand.
Consequently, inflation is a significant factor that has continuously impacted the aviation industry in the UK as of 2022. Inflation was recorded at 9% in April of 2022, and economists projected that it would continue to climb in the years to come even after reaching that level (Gooding, 2023). The rise in costs was felt across the nation by carriers and other administrators, including increases in airport fees and increases in the price of food providers.
Conversely, one of the factors that has had a considerable impact on the aviation industry is the continually rising fuel cost. It is projected that by 2022, the fuel price will constitute more than 19% of the total spending made by airplanes (CAPA, 2022). The selling price of oil hit its all-time high in March of 2022, breaking the record it had held for the previous 13 years (CAPA, 2022). This was caused mainly by issues with transportation, in addition to upheaval in Eastern Europe. Since then, situations have settled, although tensions remain in the environment.
The aerospace sector in the UK has been struggling with a lack of available workers for some time now, which has contributed to its present dire state of affairs. Several variables have caused inadequacy and unavailability of workers and difficulties in recruitment. Firstly, the number of people traveling has increased rapidly, which is a lot faster than many people had anticipated it would. Compared to the previous year, global aviation traffic increased by 83.1% in May 2022, returning it to almost 70% of its levels before the pandemic (Statista, 2022a). The growth is much more dramatic in Europe, where traffic, including the UK, has increased by more than 450% in the past year (Statista, 2022a).
Since some employees had to be let go because of the pandemic, it has been challenging to quickly rehire them and ensure that they have received adequate training. In addition to this, however, employees are hesitant to return to their previous positions in the business. Many people did not receive appropriate care during the pandemic, so they are drawn to the steadiness of other industries.
Pay still needs to be higher in many regions, and most operators are hesitant to raise it given the precarious state of their finances and the degree of uncertainty. This is also affecting the present workforce, as seen by the fact that there have been multiple strike warnings and measures taken in 2022 (Topham, 2022). The departure of numerous European personnel, essential to many facets of the industry, was another problem brought on by Brexit (Douma, 2020; Coles, 2021).
There has been pressure on the government to reform the immigration laws that apply to the sector, but it does not appear that this will happen anytime soon. In any event, endeavors to do so in other industries were less effective than expected. Airports and ground suppliers also feel the effects of the current economic climate, similar to airlines (Zhang & Graham, 2020). There has been a significant shortage of ground employees at various airports, particularly London Heathrow, which has been a critical contributor to the cancellation of flights by airlines (Topham, 2022). This has led to delays and uncertainties within the UK’s airline sector.
Also attributable to the same factor are the extremely long lines that form at immigration and border controls. Since the beginning of the summer of 2022, Heathrow Airport has been making efforts to restrict further the number of passengers it can accommodate, but the airport understandably ran into resistance from airlines (Evans, 2022; Katz et al., 2022). This is entirely new and uncharted territory regarding the ties between airports and airlines; it has never been an issue. Simply looking at what British Airways has done so far in 2022 is sufficient to demonstrate this impact.
For example, during the week leading up to Easter 2022, the airline was forced to cancel an astounding 300 flights (Topham, 2023). Since then, this has continued, and in April, there was an announcement that the summer program would be reduced by 10%, followed by further significant cuts in June and July (Topham, 2023). The inconvenience it causes passengers is substantial, and its effect on airline prices and availability is quite harsh on travelers.
Role of UK’s Aviation in Carbon Emissions
The fuel consumption by aircraft, the aircraft’s efficiency, and the airlines’ load factors are the main contributors to carbon emissions in the aerospace sector. According to estimates from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), fuel combustion accounts for around 95% of aviation pollution (Eesi.org, 2019). The remaining 5% of the airline footprint is attributed to non-CO2 pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and vaporizing water (Eesi.org, 2019). The aviation sector is responsible for producing several different GHGs in addition to carbon dioxide emissions. These gases include nitrous oxide and water vapor, both of which add to the total influence that the business has on the environment.
Another critical factor in determining carbon dioxide emissions is the fuel efficiency of aircraft. The median lifespan of airliners in the worldwide fleet is around 12 years (Han et al., 2019). Nonetheless, numerous carriers keep operating older planes that are less fuel-efficient than modern ones despite newer planes being more fuel-efficient than older ones.
Furthermore, emissions are affected by flight load coefficients, which refer to the proportion of available seats on a flight. This is because more fuel must be burned to transport more people. Aviation accounts for around 7% of the UK’s total GHG emissions (GOV.UK, 2019). The industry has set targets to reduce emissions, with the UK aviation sector committing to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 (Department for Transport, 2022). However, achieving this target will require significant changes to the industry’s operations and technology.
In addition, the elevated altitude at which aircraft emissions are produced contributes significantly to the overall magnitude of their impact on climate change. The aviation industry in the UK is one of the most significant in Europe, and its total output puts it in second place behind Germany. Despite enhancements in airplane engine performance and decreases in emissions from ground-based avenues, airplane pollution in the UK has been expanding over the past few years (Larsson et al., 2019). There was a considerable drop in airline emissions in 2020 due to the COVID-19 epidemic (Guevara et al., 2022). However, it is not yet clear whether or not this drop will be maintained with time.
Decarbonization Efforts in the UK Aviation Sector
Decarbonization refers, quite literally, to the process of reducing carbon. To be more specific, what is intended is the transition to a mode of economic activity that can simultaneously and permanently cut carbon dioxide output. Decarbonizing the aviation sector is a pressing challenge for the UK, as it accounts for approximately 7% of the country’s GHG emissions (GOV.UK, 2019). While the sector has made some progress towards decarbonization, the scale and pace of efforts remain insufficient to meet the country’s net-zero emissions target by 2050. In this analysis, the paper examines the decarbonization efforts of the UK aviation sector, their effectiveness, and the challenges ahead. The UK aviation sector’s decarbonization efforts have focused on adopting electric or hybrid motors, implementing alternative fuels, and using carbon offsetting and capture and storage (CCS) techniques.
Adoption of Electric or Hybrid Engines
Using electric or hybrid jet engines instead of fossil fuel-powered ones is one of the most promising strategies for lowering emissions. In the UK’s aviation industry, the switch to electric or hybrid motors is still in its infancy, with most current work concentrated on smaller aircraft for regional flights. Some businesses are developing electric or hybrid engines for bigger commercial aircraft, including Airbus, Boeing, and Rolls-Royce (Murugaiah et al., 2022).
The issue of energy density could be a problem for electric or hybrid motors in the aviation industry. It is challenging to build batteries that can supply enough energy for lengthy flights because the energy density of batteries is currently relatively low compared to fossil fuels (Recalde et al., 2020). Furthermore, the architecture of an airplane must be significantly altered to accommodate electric or hybrid engines, which can be expensive and time-consuming.
In the UK aviation industry, switching to electric or hybrid engines has substantial potential advantages. The decrease in greenhouse gas emissions is one of the most noteworthy advantages. The carbon footprint of the UK’s aviation industry can be decreased by using electric or hybrid engines, which emit far fewer emissions than conventional fossil fuel-powered engines (Madonna et al., 2019). Reduced noise pollution is another advantage of electric or hybrid engines. People who live close to airports may have a better quality of life because electric engines are significantly quieter than conventional ones (Meckling & Nahm, 2019). Electric or hybrid engines are probably more efficient than conventional ones, which can help airlines save money on gasoline.
Utilization of Alternative Fuels
There are many advantages to using alternative fuels in the UK aviation industry. Alternative fuels reduce the industry’s dependency on fossil fuels because they are made from sustainable resources like biomass, algae, and garbage. As a result, flying emits less carbon dioxide, making it a more environmentally friendly choice (Stanin et al., 2020). Moreover, the aviation industry’s carbon footprint is smaller thanks to alternative fuels’ lower carbon emissions than traditional fossil fuels. For instance, it has been claimed that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can cut carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional fossil fuels (Iata.org, 2022). Thirdly, alternative fuels can improve energy security by lowering dependency on imported fossil fuels and reducing the need for aviation. The nation may profit economically as a result of this.
Alternative fuels provide many benefits, but several issues constrain their adoption in the UK’s aviation sector. Due to their higher production costs, alternative fuels are less competitive than conventional fossil fuels (Dahal et al., 2021). This cost results from the limited capacity for producing renewable energies and the high feedstock cost required. It is also difficult to meet the demand in the aviation industry because there aren’t enough alternative fuels available right now. The demand for fuel in the aviation sector is significant, but at the moment, renewable energy production cannot meet this demand (Koáková et al., 2022). Finally, using alternative fuels requires significant equipment investment. This entails building new factories, modifying existing aircraft, and upgrading airport infrastructure to accommodate fuel alternatives.
The UK aviation industry faces several obstacles in its adoption of alternative fuels. There are currently few regulations limiting the use of alternative fuels. The rules governing the certification and approval of the use of alternative fuels in aircraft fall under this category. According to Baroutaji et al. (2019), adopting alternative fuels necessitates cooperation between various stakeholders, including the government, airlines, fuel companies, and airports. Given the disparate interests of different stakeholders, achieving this collaboration can be difficult. Lastly, gaining public acceptance of using alternative fuels can be challenging. This is because alternative fuels, their advantages, and their possible influence on airfare pricing are unknown.
Use of Carbon Offsetting and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
The UK aviation sector has also set targets to reduce emissions through carbon offsetting and carbon capture and storage (CCS). Carbon offsetting involves investing in projects that reduce or remove emissions, such as afforestation or renewable energy projects, to offset emissions the aviation sector generates. While offsetting can provide some environmental benefits, it has been criticized for being a form of greenwashing and not providing a long-term solution to reducing emissions. Conversely, CCS involves capturing CO2 emissions from the aviation sector and storing them underground (Michaga et al., 2022). While this technology has the potential to reduce emissions, it is still in its early stages of development, and significant investment is needed to scale it up.
Difficulties in Attaining Environmental Sustainability
This section enumerates the difficulties in attaining environmental sustainability in the UK’s aviation industry and why frequent flying is incompatible with the world becoming Net Zero by 2050. One of the key challenges in achieving environmental sustainability in the UK’s aviation industry is the sheer scale of the sector (Ryley et al., 2020). Air travel is an essential part of the global economy, and it is estimated that by 2050, the number of passenger journeys will have doubled from 2016 levels (Statista, 2022b). Rising incomes, globalization, and the increasing availability of low-cost air travel have driven the sector’s growth. However, the sector’s rapid growth has also led to significant environmental impacts, particularly greenhouse gas emissions.
The absence of practical alternatives to air travel is a major obstacle to attaining environmental sustainability in the UK aviation sector. While other modes of transportation, such as trains and buses, can be used for shorter journeys, air travel remains the only practical option for many long-distance trips (Cocolas et al., 2020). Reducing the environmental impact of air travel will require significant investment in developing new technologies, such as electric or hydrogen-powered aircraft, which are currently in their infancy.
The COVID-19 pandemic also highlighted the challenges of achieving environmental sustainability in the aviation industry. The pandemic has significantly reduced air travel, leading to a corresponding decrease in greenhouse gas emissions from the sector. However, as the world emerges from the pandemic, there is likely to be a rapid rebound in air travel, which will make it even more difficult to achieve environmental sustainability (Dube et al., 2021).
Frequent flying is particularly problematic for achieving environmental sustainability in the aviation industry. Frequent flyers take more than six flights annually, accounting for a disproportionate share of the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions (Gössling, S., & Lyle, 2021). According to a report by the UK Climate Change Committee (2022), 15% of the UK population that takes more than one flight per year accounts for 70% of the country’s aviation emissions. This means that reducing the environmental impact of air travel will require addressing the behavior of frequent flyers.
Measure to Achieve Net Zero by 2050 by UK’s Aviation Sector
Investing in Cutting-Edge Technologies
Investing in cutting-edge technology is critical to lowering the aviation sector’s carbon footprint. Electric and hybrid aircraft are two types of technology that can considerably reduce GHG emissions. Producers are already developing the kinds of airplanes mentioned above, and some are anticipated to be equipped for commercial use within the next ten years.
Chiaramonti (2019) insinuated that SAFs, or sustainable aviation fuels, are another innovation that should be implemented in the aviation sector. Compared to conventional fossil fuels, SAFs may considerably decrease emissions because they are made from used cooking oil and agricultural residue (Chiaramonti, 2019). SAFs will need substantial capital and UK government support to be widely used, as they are presently priced higher than traditional energy sources.
Enacting Stricter Laws
The passage of more stringent legislation is another way to assist in making the aviation business more sustainable. A carbon levy on aircraft fuel is one of the policies that have the potential to have a substantial impact (Becattini et al., 2021). A tariff of this nature would reduce the desirability of traditional fossil fuels and push airlines to invest in more environmentally friendly technologies (Barnes, 2021). Additionally, the UK government can restrict the total number of flights that can be operated at each airport annually, which would effectively cap the emissions produced by aviation. The UK government might also give monetary rewards to airlines to minimize carbon outputs (Detsios et al., 2023). For example, the UK administration could grant tax credits to carriers that invest in environmentally friendly innovations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, frequent flying is incompatible with achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. The aviation industry is responsible for a significant portion of global carbon emissions, and reducing these emissions is crucial for addressing the climate crisis. However, flying should still be allowed, and the aviation industry can adapt to a more sustainable and circular future. The UK aviation industry can take several steps to reduce its carbon footprint, such as investing in more fuel-efficient planes, developing sustainable aviation fuels, and implementing carbon offsetting programs.
Additionally, the industry can shift towards a more circular model by promoting the reuse and recycling of materials and reducing waste. This requires a coordinated effort from airlines, airports, regulators, and consumers to prioritize sustainability and make the necessary changes. Furthermore, reducing the demand for frequent flying is also essential, and alternatives such as video conferencing and high-speed trains should be promoted. As such, this would not only reduce emissions but also help to alleviate the capacity constraints of airports and reduce the environmental impacts of tourism. While the aviation industry faces significant challenges in transitioning to a more sustainable and circular future, it is clear that action must be taken to address the urgent climate crisis. Through collaboration and innovation, the UK aviation industry can adapt to a more sustainable model while continuing to provide the connectivity and economic benefits that air travel offers.
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