Flying toward ‘greener’ skies

INDUSTRY FIRST The Bali International Airshow was held at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia, on Sept. 18 to Sept. 21. It was attended by over 100 key aviation industry players from different sectors including airlines, aircraft support and jet manufacturing.

BALI, Indonesia — Aircraft stopped flying when the COVID-19 pandemic hit a few years ago. But now, jet engines have been revving up and taking over the skies.

While this means travel has gained momentum, it also translates to greater carbon emission that can harm the environment.

But the aviation sector, like other industries, has vowed to implement measures to support sustainable transportation. By 2050, the members of the International Air Transport Association aim to achieve net-zero carbon emissions, a tall order given the resurgence of air travel demand. To reach this goal, the industry must reduce carbon footprint by 21.2 gigatons by 2050.

Before the deadline, the sector is keen on increasing the production and use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), manufacturing fuel-efficient aircraft and improving the air traffic control management.

Eco-friendly jet fuel

Roberto Lim, transportation undersecretary for aviation and airports, says it is “high priority” for the industry to take actions toward sustainability, including the use of SAF.

“We have commitments to improving sustainability for aviation,” he tells reporters on the sideline of the Inaugural Bali International Airshow.

Fossil fuel-free SAF is deemed environment-friendly because it can reduce carbon emission by up to 84 percent.

However, he raises the need to ramp up the production of SAF.

“The demand [outpaces] the supply. SAF is not just available in the quantity needed by the industry,” he points out.

While SAF adoption is still in its early days, the transport official expresses optimism about its future given the increasing interest in the eco-friendly fuel.

For example, budget carrier AirAsia inked a partnership with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus to grow the SAF supply in the region during the airshow. The parties also agreed to team up in crafting measures to enhance air traffic management to cut carbon emissions.

LEADERS Transportation Undersecretary Roberto Limand Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes —Photos by Tyrone Piad

Local carriers Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have also been doing their part to eventually offer flights powered by SAF, along with other initiatives to make their operations greener.

SAF feedstock

Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia parent company Capital A, says that identifying more feedstocks, such as palm oil, will support the expansion of SAF production.

When producing SAF, bio-based feedstocks are required as input. These include rice husks and straws, cassava and sugarcane.

A study by American aerospace company Boeing notes that Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, has enough input to supply 12 percent of the global demand for the jet fuel that emits less carbon.

The report estimates the region can produce approximately 45.7 million metric tons of SAF per year by 2050.

The feedstocks of Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia account for about 90 percent of the region’s SAF supply capacity.

Carbon fees

With SAF volume yet to grow, Lim says that the alternative jet fuel remains costlier compared with traditional energy source.

“If you use SAF, it is five times the cost of ordinary fuel,” Lim estimates.

“We’ve not reached that point of full alternative. We can only use SAF as a small percentage in the fuel consumption for airlines flying to and from the Philippines,” he adds.

The expensive price tag poses risk to the commercial viability of SAF-powered flights as the burden will fall on the passengers, Fernandes says.

Fuel-efficient jets

Instead of focusing only on SAF use, the airline official also stresses the need to collect carbon fee from passengers. The proceeds will be used by the carrier in funding projects aimed at offsetting their carbon footprint.

He says this is more realistic and even cheaper for now.

Capital A chief sustainability officer Yap Mun Ching says that carbon credits only cost $20 per ton of carbon, much lower than using SAF, which costs $750.

“It is better that we collect this fee and we use this fee to rebuild forests or to collect methane gas. We’d rather invest in projects that will be taking carbon out of the air than SAF, which is gonna cost the consumer a much larger amount for the same impact,” Fernandes says.

THE FOUNDER Fernandes poses with AirAsia flight attendants.

But the jet manufacturers can also contribute to bringing down carbon emissions through technology.

David Schulte, managing director for regional marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, says their electricity-powered Boeing 787 model is one of the “most popular airplanes today” in Asia-Pacific.

Efficient air traffic

The American aircraft manufacturer recently received orders from Thai Airways, Royal Brunei and Japan Airlines, among others.

He says the 787 is a “fully electric” airplane in terms of running all of its systems. It still uses fuel but the infrastructure around the airplane is fully electric and battery-powered, he tells the Inquirer on the sideline of the airshow.

In the Philippines, Schulte says that flag carrier Philippine Airlines is currently deploying its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft but they are hoping for a transition to the more efficient 787 model.

“I think it (787) will greatly reduce the economic cost for the airline, Philippine Airlines, and it will [cut] the carbon emissions across the region,” he says.

Schulte, in addition, says this jet can service the routes from Manila to the east and west coast of the United States.

Meanwhile, European jet maker Airbus is producing new engine option planes, which reduce fuel consumption by up to 20 percent.

Beyond the green initiatives, the aviation sector has other practical means to ensure sustainability.

Fareh Mazputra Fairuz, managing director of AirAsia Malaysia, explains the need for a well-structured air traffic design at the airports to facilitate quicker takeoffs. With less time taxiing on the runway, aircraft can save on fuel.

The official also raises the need for competent air traffic controllers who can coordinate the aircraft movement efficiently.

“You need to have enough manpower in air traffic control. This manpower needs to be trained very well, [and] have enough exposure in managing flight density and space, so it can be managed efficiently,” he explains.

The Philippines’ main gateway, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, is currently undergoing a major rehabilitation at the helm of a group led by San Miguel Corp.

The consortium wants to implement a terminal reassignment for airlines as a way to increase runway use. This is in line with its concession agreement with the government, which mandates the group to boost aircraft movements per hour from 41 to 48 flights.

In addition, the private concessionaire is also working with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines for the improvements of taxiways, weather and lighting systems and air traffic control facilities.

“What regulators can do now is make the sky more efficient. That saves fuel straight away,” Fernandes stresses.