Farnborough International Airshow to begin
Britain’s Farnborough International Airshow begins today with aerospace and defense industry leaders expected to attend the event.
The five-day show, running through July 22, will showcase the most advanced aircrafts in commercial and military aviation. This year’s airshow follows six key themes: space, defense, sustainability, innovation, future flight and workforce.
As air travel picks up internationally, commercial airlines are signing deals with major plane makers. In July, Airbus secured an order of 292 aircrafts from four major Chinese airlines – Air China, China Eastern, China Southern and Shenzhen Airlines. Ahead of the event, the British government has introduced the “jet-zero” initiative, which aims to produce zero-emission flights and utilize sustainable aviation fuels. Despite attempts to become more sustainable, the aviation industry struggles with rising air travel and its major role in contribution to global emissions.
Do not expect major changes in emissions from air travel in the short to medium term. With major aircraft deals being signed at Farnborough, it is unlikely that air travel will wane in the coming years. While innovations such as electric vertical-takeoff-landing (eVTOL) air taxis will be presented, there remain gaps between policy implementation and technology, making full-scale decarbonization a long-term challenge.
