Ticket to the future of aerospace
Record air travel drives aerospace recovery, propelling industry-wide decarbonization initiatives.
As demand for air travel reached record levels in 2024, airlines achieved their best-ever load factors, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Revenue passenger kilometers rose by 10.4 percent compared with 2023 and by 3.8 percent compared with pre-pandemic 2019. Global airline revenues look set to surpass USD 1 trillion in 2025; not bad for an industry some predicted would not survive Covid-19.
“Looking to 2025, there is every indication that demand for travel will continue to grow, albeit at a moderated pace of 8 percent that is more aligned with historical averages,” said IATA Director General Willie Walsh in Business Travel News.
John Schmidt, Global Aerospace Lead at consultancy firm Accenture, shares the upbeat view: “We’re definitely beyond 2019, even if the rate of growth differs among regions. Growth and revenues are up for aircraft makers too and while fewer aircraft have been delivered, MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) drove year-over-year growth for 2024.”
Some observers have predicted that air travel will ultimately prove untenable given its current climate footprint. Schmidt, however, points out that “the sector only accounts for 2.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, which is a fraction of what the combined truck fleet emits.”
The industry has been striving to reduce CO₂ emissions since long before the climate change issue first surfaced, mainly because fuel consumption has always been the number one cost driver for airlines.
The global aviation industry has pledged to try to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, a goal to which Schmidt comments: “It’s a bit unlikely that we’ll get there, but the push is certainly there. The challenge is to continue to leverage the technology to be able to drive value in the industry while reducing costs and lowering carbon emissions to attain more sustainable operations.”
Advances in materials
Lower aircraft weight, improved fuel efficiency and a switch to non-fossil fuels or electric propulsion are contributing to more sustainable air travel. Advances in the aerospace industry are often linked to advances in materials – specifically the strength-to-weight ratio and the temperature resistance of new materials. The materials of choice these days for aerospace engines are heat-resistant super alloys, (HRSA) an advanced mix of specialty metals, nickel, cobalt, iron and some TiAl (titanium aluminide)-based alloys.
Digital manufacturing is a cornerstone in transforming the industry and reducing its sustainability footprint. Many non-structural aircraft body parts and engine components have complex forms and lend themselves to 3D printing.
Additive manufacturing underway
New materials and new manufacturing methods are key, according to Jeff Wheless, Growth & Strategy Research Leader at Accenture, who offers an example: “GE’s landmark 3D-printed fuel nozzle tips are 25 percent lighter and five times more durable than their conventionally manufactured counterparts. It’s not just a way of getting rid of weight but of designing things that can be manufactured more efficiently.”
Boeing has produced over 70,000 3D-printed parts across aerospace applications; a mix of thermoplastics and metallic parts. “The tolerance and quality demands of these new AM (additive manufacturing) materials are very high, often tighter than for conventional parts, which requires more precise machining tools for post-processing. That in turn creates new manufacturing opportunities and challenges for machine tool manufacturers such as Sandvik,” Wheless adds.
More efficient tools
Ramping up production is another key issue for an industry plagued by a massive backlog of orders. Besides more efficient tools, this calls for workforce reskilling to handle more automation, digitalization and new manufacturing methods. Continuous education and training will be essential to equip the workforce with the skills needed to navigate the future of aerospace manufacturing.
Sandvik has long supported all leading aerospace Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) by combining sustainability with better tools, optimized cutting parameters, and a holistic approach to tooling.
Fuel for greener flights
The fuel efficiency of aircraft has been consistently improving since the first passenger jets were introduced in the 1950s. Each new generation of plane has reduced emissions by around 15–20 percent and the overall fuel efficiency of the fleet is around 80 percent better than 50 years ago, according to IATA.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), currently used in commercial aviation, can reduce CO₂ emissions as it is produced from a number of renewable resources including waste fats, municipal solid waste, and agricultural and forestry residues.
In addition to new types of fuel, engines powered by electricity (pure or hybrid), batteries or hydrogen are helping to achieve the net-zero goal. From the mid 2030s, new propulsion technologies and advanced designs may provide an opportunity to move away from traditional jet engine and tube-and-wing flight.