From green fuel to offsetting, the push for zero-carbon flights has resulted in a diverse array of strategies that aim to cut greenhouse gases while keeping planes in the air. With the UK keen to be at the forefront of the sustainable transport drive, a new UK government-backed programme named FlyZero has sought to offer a path to planet-friendly flying.
Launched last year, at the height of the pandemic, and led by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), the project was established to find alternatives to Jet A-1 fuel for commercial airliners by the end of the decade.
A team of experts assembled from across the UK – from northern Scotland to the Isle of Wight – has been working on a series of papers due to be published in March, with those taking part hailing from multinationals involved in everything from engine design to air traffic control. FlyZero engineers have sought to establish the most viable route to more sustainable flights, from blueprints for new airframes to reconfigured ground infrastructure.
Manufacturing demands, operational requirements and the commercial appeal of zero-carbon emission concept aircraft have all been considered. ATI, which has its HQ in Cranfield, has awarded £1.6bn…
