Aviation's carbon problem is real and complex. The sector contributes approximately 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions, but its total climate impact is estimated 2–4x higher due to contrails, water vapor effects, and high-altitude emissions.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
The nearest-term scalable solution is SAF — fuels that produce 50–80% fewer lifecycle carbon emissions than conventional jet fuel. Today, SAF represents less than 0.1% of global jet fuel consumption and costs approximately 3–5x more than conventional kerosene.
Electric Aircraft
Battery-electric aviation is viable for short-range, low-passenger-count flights. Heart Aerospace's ES-30 and Eviation's Alice are targeting routes under 500km. The fundamental constraint is energy density — batteries store far less energy per kilogram than jet fuel.
Hydrogen Aviation
Hydrogen is the most promising pathway to zero-emission long-haul aviation. Airbus has committed to bringing a hydrogen-powered aircraft to market by 2035. Most analysts expect hydrogen aviation to be commercially viable by the late 2030s for medium-haul routes.