Why flight paths matter more than you think for climate change

In this episode, we talk to Sian Andrews, SESAR Environmental Lead at NATS, UK’s leading provider of air traffic control services. She shares insights into how air traffic management can significantly reduce aviation’s environmental impact through innovative solutions and research projects.

Andrews discusses:

1. NATS’ role in making aviation sustainable through improved air traffic management, including their targets to reach net zero emissions by 2035.
2. The significant but often overlooked impact of contrails on climate change, explaining they can have warming effects comparable to CO2 emissions, particularly during nighttime operations.
3. The CICONIA project, led by Airbus and involving NATS, which aims to develop operational solutions for contrail avoidance while balancing fuel efficiency and air traffic management constraints.
4. The concept of “green route charging”, which aims to eliminate pricing incentives that can lead airlines to fly longer, less fuel-efficient routes to avoid high-cost airspace.
5. The Digital European Sky initiative, which combines various SESAR solutions to create a more efficient and environmentally conscious air traffic management system for the future.

Throughout the conversation, Andrews emphasises that while safety remains the absolute priority in air traffic control, environmental considerations have become increasingly important, with NATS being one of the few air navigation service providers regulated on environmental performance through their 3DI (three-dimensional insight) metric.

Looking to the future, Andrews advocates for a balanced approach that considers both operational efficiency and environmental impact to shape the future of aviation.

If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Maxime Meijers and Nicolas Meijers, co-founders of Estuaire, who share how their data platform can help airlines and airports make better sustainability decisions. Check it out here. 

Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air’. Click here to learn more.

Feel free to reach out via email to [email protected]. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.

Links & More:

NATS

NATS and SESAR – working together to deliver a Single European Sky 

Leading the Way in Contrail Avoidance - NATS

How Estuaire’s data platform can help airlines and airports make better sustainability decisions