Abstract
The past oil crises have caused dramatic improvements in fuel efficiency in all industrial sectors. The aviation sector—aircraft manufacturers and airlines—has also made significant efforts to improve the fuel efficiency through more advanced jet engines, high-lift wing designs, and lighter airframe materials. However, the innovations in energy-saving aircraft technologies do not coincide with the oil crisis periods. The largest improvement in aircraft fuel efficiency took place in the 1960s while the high oil prices in the 1970s and on did not induce manufacturers or airlines to achieve a faster rate of innovation. In this paper, we employ a historical analysis to examine the socio-economic reasons behind the relatively slow technological innovation in aircraft fuel efficiency over the last 40 years. Based on the industry and passenger behaviors studied and prospects for alternative fuel options, this paper offers insights for the aviation sector to shift toward more sustainable technological options in the medium term. Second-generation biofuels could be the feasible option with a meaningful reduction in aviation’s lifecycle environmental impact if they can achieve sufficient economies of scale.
Highlights
The past oil crises have caused dramatic improvements in fuel efficiency in all industrial sectors [1]
It was revealed that the social awareness levels concerning the impact of jet engine emissions on climate change or local air quality was not sufficiently high; the aviation industry did not actively invest in truly innovative energy-saving technologies in aircraft systems
Aircraft fuel economy, which is a surrogate measure of jet engine emissions, improved slowly during the same period
Summary
The past oil crises have caused dramatic improvements in fuel efficiency in all industrial sectors [1]. Automobiles, buildings, and other sectors invested in highly fuel-efficient systems and brought about energy-saving technological innovations [2]. The aviation sector—aircraft manufacturers and airlines— made efforts to improve fuel efficiency through more advanced jet engines, high-lift wing designs, and lighter airframe materials [3]. It seems that the innovations in energy-saving aircraft technologies did not speed up, even during the oil crisis periods. It was revealed that the social awareness levels concerning the impact of jet engine emissions on climate change or local air quality was not sufficiently high; the aviation industry did not actively invest in truly innovative energy-saving technologies in aircraft systems. As sustainability is a new megatrend and industry is trying to make it a business strategy, and a future pathway to sustainable aviation will be discussed
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