150 start-ups will be among the 2,453 exhibitors from 49 countries that will be present, according to SIAE (Salons Internationaux de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace or International Aeronautics and Space Shows). Six months before the show, the full 125,000m2 of exhibition space, including 335 chalets and 52,000m2 of internal stands, had been sold out. According to the organisers, reservations were double what they were four years earlier, indicating a pent-up demand following cancellations due to Covid. A total of 304 official delegations from 98 nations attended the previous iteration of the event in 2019, and 139,840 trade visitors from 185 countries made up 44% of the almost 320,000 participants over the course of the week.[i]
This year's Paris Air Show placed a greater and deeper emphasis on sustainability as the sector works to decarbonise and reach its 2050 goals. Privately, were worries that despite increased industry efforts in a number of areas, including SAF, hydrogen, hybrid-electric, and operational measures, the aviation industry is still struggling to effectively communicate with the general public, elected officials, and the media about the significant progress already made and its ongoing efforts across all sectors to address climate change. Paris was intended as a showcase for aviation to present its sustainability credentials on a worldwide scale.[ii] However, it’s not just critics from outside the industry that need convincing; GE Aerospace conducted an industry survey gathering views on sustainability in the aviation industry. The global survey, conducted ahead of the Paris Air Show, revealed that just under half, or 46%, of the 325 executives polled believed the industry would achieve net zero emissions by 2050, while 32% disagreed and 22% were undecided. However, the majority thought the industry would achieve its goals by 2055. Respondents are divided on whether progress is progressing at the proper speed, with 51% believing it is moving too slowly and creating urgency for the longer-term goal. In 2021, the aviation sector announced a net zero emissions target for 2050. The key route is the widespread use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, which now accounts for only about 0.1% of the fuel airlines use.[iii] Prior to the air show, President Emmanuel Macron declared that France would spend 200 million euros ($218.78 million) to increase the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) as part of initiatives to make the European and French aviation industries more environmentally friendly.[iv] This further highlights that aviation’s often single minded focus on SAFs may be akin to putting all of one’s proverbial eggs in one basket. However an EU scheme has been aiming to green not just the aircraft but also the airports.
The Paris Air Show represented a landmark opportunity for the CINEA-implemented EU Green Deal Airport project cluster to demonstrate how they are lowering the environmental footprint of travellers and airlines and creating cutting-edge solutions to improve the sustainability of airport ecosystems. When developing environmental innovations at airports, OLGA (hOListic Green Airport) takes a holistic approach to minimise the environmental impact from the viewpoints of travellers, airlines, and local communities. Their work has focussed on planning airports to more appropriately adapt to future needs forced by transitions to cleaner technologies. Namely, the “H2 Airport Masterplan” which covers airside and landside infrastructure requirements for hydrogen compatibility at airports.[v] STARGATE (SusTainable AiRports, the Green heArT of Europe) creates, tests, and implements novel ideas to improve the sustainability and effectiveness of the airport environment and operations. Such projects include the testing of schemes that will future-proof the transport infrastructure of airports to ensure that modalities such as cycling and electric vehicles can seamlessly integrate into the world of aviation.[vi] TULIPS (Demonstrating lower pollUting soLutions for sustaInable airPorts across Europe) conducts airport operations demonstrations that speed up the shared aspirations to significantly cut emissions and local impact. An example of a project that TULIPS is currently working on is the smart energy hub, which includes charging facilities direct from photovoltaic sources and heat storage systems for existing hotels at airports.[vii] Whilst, for now, these flagship projects remain in their infancy, the monumental buying power and financial weight of the sector could mean that these initiatives could set the standard for hydrogen hub development, intermodal transport futureproofing and onsite generation practices for the world beyond aviation.
[ii] Royal Aeronautical Society- Paris Air Show 2023 Preview
[iii] Reuters- Aviation industry split on whether 2050 net zero goal achievable, GE survey shows
[iv] Reuters- France's Macron vows to boost sustainable aviation fuel production
[vi] Stargate- Projects
[vii] TULIPS- Overview of TULIPS projects and demonstrations
Oscar is a recent graduate with a background in earth science. He is currently studying an MSc focussing on disaster responses, emergency planning and community resilience. His postgraduate research project will assess the link between climate crisis risk perception and attitudes to green energy projects. “Adapting to the climate crisis through the pursuit of net zero requires community engagement and understanding. Zero Carbon Academy’s goals closely align with this approach and I’m excited to have the opportunity to research and communicate a variety of topics relating to our environment and sustainability”.
