Paris Air Show’s Return Shines Spotlight on Carbon Emissions: Monday marks the return of the Paris Air Show after a four-year hiatus. The aerospace industry has recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic but is under pressure to reduce its carbon footprint.
Organisers have dubbed the biennial event the “recovery airshow” following the cancellation of the 2021 event due to the coronavirus.
As aircraft manufacturers receive hundreds of orders and airlines gird for a near-record number of passengers this year, the aerospace industry is returning to Le Bourget airport outside Paris.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also prompted countries to increase their military expenditure, which could benefit aerospace and defence companies.
Paris Air Show’s Return Shines Spotlight on Carbon Emissions
Le Bourget provides a forum for the announcement of agreements, with more than 2,500 companies displaying their latest aircraft, drones, helicopters, and prototypes such as flying taxis.
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury, who also leads the French aerospace industry association GIFAS, referred to it as “the return of the show’s excitement to its glory days.”
During the week-long event, which will feature 125,000 square metres of exhibition space – the equivalent of nearly 18 soccer fields – approximately 320,000 attendees are anticipated.
Le Bourget is an important sales event for the civil and defence industries, along with the Farnborough airshow in England, which occurs on odd-numbered years.
Airbus and Boeing are in fierce competition to announce orders for aircraft worth billions of dollars.
At least 158 aircraft, helicopters, and drones will be on exhibit, including the F-35, the newest stealth fighter from the United States.
In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States will have a robust presence with 425 exhibitors, bolstered by renewed interest in military equipment.
There will be firms from 46 other nations, but not from Russia, which is subject to sanctions.
China, which only recently lifted Covid restrictions at the start of this year, will also be present.
However, China is not displaying its first domestically developed medium-range passenger aircraft, the C919, which was designed to compete with the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX.
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Airborne vehicles
The airshow also aims to provide a glimpse into the future, given the abundance of projects for flying taxis and other aircraft with vertical takeoff.
Several prototypes will be displayed as part of the “Paris Air Mobility” exhibition to demonstrate the most recent innovations that designers believe will revolutionise the way that people travel.
French President Emmanuel Macron will open the airshow after announcing $2.2 billion on Friday to support the development of technologies to reduce aircraft emissions.
Air travel accounts for nearly three percent of global CO2 emissions, but only a small fraction of the world’s population uses this mode of transportation.
With the industry aiming for net zero emissions by mid-century, companies are accelerating their efforts to achieve this goal.
The initial emphasis is on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) derived from municipal waste, agricultural and forestry industry byproducts, crops and vegetation, and even hydrogen.
However, companies are also striving to develop aircraft powered by batteries and hydrogen.
