How about Adopting an environmental-friendly approach when the aviation industry rebounds?
Aviation has been grounded by COVID-19 as airlines begin parking planes in storage facilities such as deserts in the USA and Australia.
What has happened?
The year 2020 has been challenging to say the least. The COVID-19 pandemic has been an imperative for change in the aviation industry.
Due to the unpredictability of COVID-19, aviation experts do not expect aviation traffic to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024. [1]
Nevertheless, when the aviation industry rebounds, it should work towards building a significantly more sustainable industry than the one we know today. This means putting the industry on a sounder financial footing and making flying less polluted.
What does this mean?
In such troubling times, it is expected that there will be slow or even stagnant development of environmentally friendly aircraft. Nevertheless, Airbus has dedicated itself to develop such an aircraft by 2035. [2]
While there is a long way to go, cleaner flights appear feasible, whether using renewable fuels, electricity, or hydrogen power. The old-school idea of the airship [3] has even been brought up by some aviation companies, albeit a solar-powered one this time. [4]
Although there is motivation to innovate for environmentally friendly air travel, rescue packages and schemes during COVID-19 may outweigh this. Lufthansa received a bail-out of €9 billion that allowed it to buy 80 new fuel efficient planes, but it took more money than it needed to maintain its position as a globally-renowned airline. [6]
However, this is not the answer to financing cleaner air travel. Financing incumbent airlines will only support the quick recovery of incumbent airlines [7], who may only see the need to increase revenue to cover their huge pandemic-induced costs, but not the need for cleaner air travel. [8]
The legal impact
Governments:
The aviation industry around the world needs to link financial aid packages with requirements for the development of zero-emission flight. The UK has announced its objective of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 through working with other countries and the United Nations (UN).
One example of its efforts to achieve this is the £125m clean flight tech investment that the UK Government did in 2019 for the development of environmental-friendly aircraft like electric planes and freight-carrying drones. [9]
Furthermore, governments should encourage airport authorities to continue to work with communities to identify and trial new operating techniques, such as continuous descent approaches [11], to further reduce noise pollution.
Law Firms:
The aviation and aerospace sectors of law firms will need to stay up-to-date with the development of low-emissions aircraft as well as reducing emissions from airfield operations.
They could do this through setting up task forces to focus on researching about potential developments of green aviation. This will allow them to help clients to successfully complete deals for parts, machinery, and other resources required for the development of low-emissions aircraft.
While this may not be a venture that law firms are willing to embark on, public opinion such as those of activists might spur firms to consider their stance on greener aviation.
There are also opportunities for the transport infrastructure departments of law firms to assist construction companies. Through building high-quality infrastructure around airports to prevent any extra aircraft noise issues for nearby residential communities and thereby contributing to sustainable aviation objectives. Such infrastructure may include adding thick insulating barriers and noise attenuation baffles to the walls of homes. [12]
Time for a difference
While we should not expect a revolutionization of the industry in the next few years, it is time for governments and airlines to think of more environmentally friendly ways to resume air travel. Governments should provide funds to spearhead this initiative and contribute to making our world a cleaner place for future generations.
When aviation takes to the skies again, we must ensure it is on a greener and more sustainable flight path.
By Nickolaus Ng
Assessing Firms:
#Clyde&Co #DLAPiper #NortonRoseFullbright #Bird&Bird #Dentons #StephensonHarwood #AddleshawGoddard
Footnotes:
[1] IATA, ‘Recovery Delayed as International Travel Remains Locked Down’, Press Release No. 63 (Pressroom, 28th July 2020) <https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2020-07-28-02/>
[2] H. Ziady, ‘Airbus wants to build zero-emission planes by 2035. Here’s how’ (CNN Business, 21st September 2020) <https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/21/business/airbus-zero-emissions-plane/index.html>
[3] An airship is a balloon that is lighter than air and self-propelled. It can transport passengers and cargo.
[4] Justin Ling, ‘The Age of the Airship May Be Dawning Again’ (Foreign Policy, 29th February 2020) <https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/02/29/blimps-hindenburg-flying-whales-airships/>
[5] Kyle Mizokami, ‘Russia’s Sea Monster Broke Free’ (Popular Mechanics, 27th August, 2020) <https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a33808381/russia-ekranoplan-plane-boat-wrecked/>
[6] Joe Miller and Peggy Hollinger, ‘Lufthansa chief says €9 billion bailout larger than needed for survival’ (Financial Times, 3rd June 2020) <https://www.ft.com/content/5c32cd83-e639-4421-9ae2-8165ecdd5097>
[7] Time Hepher, ‘France bets on green plane in package to ‘save’ aerospace sector’ (Reuters Aerospace and Defense, 9th June 2020) <https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-france-aerospace-idUSKBN23G0TB>
[8] Natalie Sachmechi, ‘Airlines Are Being Bailed Out Again, Here’s What Economists Think Will Happen Next’ (Forbes, 17th April 2020) <https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliesachmechi/2020/04/17/airlines-are-being-bailed-out-again-heres-what-economists-think-will-happen-next/?sh=17875631356f>
[9] Sustainable Aviation, ‘Sustainable Aviation Carbon Road-Map: A path to Net Zero’
(Sustainable Aviation, 2020) <https://www.sustainableaviation.co.uk>
[10] Lin Zuo Ming, ‘Making Aviation Green’ (2013) Advances in Manufacturing 1, 42-49
[11] An aircraft operating technique for landing in which an aircraft descends from an optimal altitude with minimal thrust, keeping the aircraft as high as possible for as long as possible so as to reduce noise and emissions up till touchdown on the runway.
[12] Fedja Netjasov, ‘Contemporary Measures for Noise Reduction in Airport Surroundings’ (2012) Applied Acoustics Vol.73 Issue 10, 1076-1085
Disclaimer: This article (and any information accessed through links in this article) is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.