Get Ready For Longer Flights: Scientists Call For Slower Planes To Cut Emissions

There is bad news for nervous fliers who find the flight experience to be more stressful than enjoyable. Scientists are now suggesting that slowing aeroplanes can help combat climate change. According to a new report from the University of Cambridge, scientists have suggested that flight speeds be cut by 15%, which could add as much as 50 minutes to flights across the Atlantic.

While such a change would no doubt generate a lot of noise among already-stressed air travellers, the scientists argue this will impact fuel consumption and thereby carbon emissions. They estimate that a slower flight speed could reduce fuel burn by 5% to 7%, contributing to a greener aviation industry.

As per the analysis carried out by the University of Cambridge, currently, only about 10% of the global population flies Link to footnote, a figure expected to grow as incomes rise. Yet, aviation already accounts for around 2.5% of global CO2 emissions, and when non-CO2 effects are included, its contribution to climate warming increases to approximately 4%.

The study found that despite ambitious pledges from governments and industry to achieve a net-zero aviation sector by 2050, the sector remains dangerously off track. Without swift and decisive action, we risk missing the opportunity to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and delaying the crucial technological and business transformations needed.

According to the authors of the report, this analysis outlines an ambitious five-year plan to set the aviation sector on a path to achieving net zero by 2050. It establishes four key Sustainable Aviation Goals for 2030, each targeting critical leverage points. If these goals are not immediately implemented and achieved by 2030, the window for transformation will close, leaving the world to face the escalating climate consequences of a rapidly expanding aviation industry, which is projected to at least double by 2050. The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated.