Cleaner jets needed by 2035 to reach net-zero goal, study finds

The aviation industry is running out of time to introduce cleaner planes needed to eliminate net carbon emissions from air travel by 2050, according to a study released Thursday. New models that emit net zero carbon dioxide throughout decades of use will need to be flying by the mid-2030s for aviation to reach its mid-century goal, the International Council on Clean Transportation said in the report. In findings released ahead of next week’s Farnborough International Airshow, the climate-change research group called on planemakers to accelerate plans to develop zero-emissions planes, especially those powered by hydrogen. Its study highlighted the decades-long life-cycles of commercial aircraft, a factor that contributes to making aviation one of the hardest industries to decarbonize. “A typical aircraft is in service for about 25 years,” said ICCT researcher Supraja Kumar, the study’s lead author. “If airlines are going to be net zero by 2050, we need planes that burn zero fossil fuels throughout their lifetimes starting around 2035.”<br/>