Farnborough International Airshow displays the future of sustainable flight

Farnborough International Airshow, the biennial event which brings the global aviation sector together, took place in the UK at the end of July. While the show may have been a little more subdued than previous years with a varying future outlook for commercial aviation compared with defence, what was notable was the industry’s sustained commitment to net zero and achieving more sustainable flight. 

With Ricardo at the cutting edge of innovation in the aerospace and defence industry, working with global customers to support with the deliver and implementation of decarbonisation strategies, Sushanth Shetty, our Global Business Development Director – Aerospace was well placed to share his thoughts from the show. 

“The global aviation industry has committed to achieving net-zero flying by 2050. Largely speaking, the sector has aligned on the key technological actions which they need to take in order to decarbonise; namely:  using sustainable aviation fuels, implementing innovative propulsion technologies like hydrogen and electrification, and making operational efficiencies.” 

“It would be fair to say that to date, there has not been tangible progress on sustainable aviation fuels. As Ricardo has recently announced that we have been chosen by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to lead a consortium creating Europe’s first ever Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Clearing House, we were very encouraged that at Farnborough  OEMs such as Boeing and Airbus and operators such as United Airlines were discussing the increased importance of scaling sustainable aviation fuels and the role that they can play in supporting decarbonisation pathways which will achieve actual emission reductions.”  

“Sustainability was a big theme for Farnborough Airshow. From thought leadership events to exhibitors, there were great examples of the positive working being done to foster a deeper understanding of the current state of the industry and to identify actionable strategies for sustainability. There’s a general consensus that a move towards more sustainable air travel is required and actions are being taken, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. We’re seeing that come through from all pillars of the industry, OEMs, integrators, operators and airport and infrastructure providers with whom we are working.”    

“Given Ricardo’s expertise in hydrogen fuel cell technology for aviation and electrification, it was interesting to see hydrogen propulsion solutions and eVTOL solutions being showcased at Farnborough. Ricardo is technology independent: we’ll work with our customer to create, design, develop and integrate the right solution for their specific ambitions. This year’s show allowed us to speak directly with new and existing customers and there were some promising discussions around the cutting-edge technologies that we are developing that are going to be used in future applications.” 

“The future of sustainability for the aerospace and defence sector was very much on the agenda, but perhaps the most headline-grabbing defence news was the unveiling of the next gen combat aircraft by GCAP.” 

“It was clear was that there was still general optimism towards air travel. In the years to come the way in which we fly is going to be significantly different. Policy makers are actively trying to ensure future air travel causes less emissions, whilst OEMs are not being passive; there’s a lot of work being done across the spectrum, although technology uncertainty still needs bridging.  Overall, it was a positive show, and there were signs of general optimism from those in attendance.” 

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