Memories of an old Aviation heretic

It is commonly recognized that the consequences of an historic event, together with their implications and ramifications, can only be meaningfully analyzed and comprehended after 20-30 years from the moment this happens.

For the #Aviationindustry as a whole, the changes triggered by the pandemic in 2020, are of a varied nature and we are probably going to find them, consolidated in their final sedimentation, in a couple of decades.

In the meantime, three years after #Covid19, the recipes and the solutions we are deploying, to remedy the void caused by empty #Airports, cash deprived #Airlines and almost bankrupt #Handlers, is of a porous and inconsistent nature.

Our Industry future, today, is all about three words: #Innovation, #Digitalization, #Sustainability.

As per the religions and cults, whose only aim is to perpetuate themselves in time, those 3 words risk now to lose any real and tight relation with the #Aviation world and, besides some minor exception, they seem to serve the only purpose of keeping Events and Panels Organization in Business.

At the moment, in terms of changing our daily lives, this semantic threesome has produced in turn another horrible horrible word, ie #greenwashing

Am I babbling as an old narrow minded conservative Aviation professional against any form of modernization of our Industry? Of course not: as already underlined in a previous LinkedIn articles of mine, (https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/sustainability-digitalisation-innovation-aviation-use-enzo/), the “three words” are too important and serious, “to become a daily mouth washer for certain Management that, until yesterday, had to look them up on the English dictionary”.

I am putting to you that, before it’s too late, we need to substantiate and link specific actions to these 3 words, to see them becoming real living strategies which informs our daily actions.

What are #Innovation and #Digitalization?

Where do these need to be implemented? #Airportaprons? #Landside? With which aims? To put in place safer and quicker turnaround? Or is it new apps to maximize passengers flow in the #Dutyfrees and increase Airport #Aviationrevenues? Or, again, new and futuristic “Digital Towers” deployed hundreds of kilometers from the actual Airport they serve? Maybe manpower planning IT tools for Carriers and Handlers Crew? Or in some Airlines Apps to sell Hotel rooms and Holiday packages on top of the simple flight tickets?

Please, please, please I am confused,: give me two structured and clear actions on how #Innovation and #Digitalization are going to be shaped up for #Airports, #Airlines and #GroundHandlers and I will be happy.

I will be primarily happy for the hundreds of new “Innovation Vice-Presidents, Heads of Innovations, Innovation Managers” hired soon after the impact of ?#Covid19 on the average #passengers propensity to travel seemed to decrease.

I move a lot around #Airports and I can see these new departments and professionals, some of them very knowledgeable at 360 degrees on the Aviation dynamics, in a frantic search of a reason to justify their existence. In the last 3 years I have never attended so many panels, exhibitions and events fully focused on #innovation.

I always leave with the feeling of emptiness: what did I learn? Where will I focus in my daily work to innovate and digitalize? Or should I just concentrate and do better the things I did before #Covid?

Problem is, we will not be able to do things better, in the next 5 years.

Because there are less of us. Because a good 20% to 30% of my ex colleagues in Airports, Airlines and Ground Handlers disappeared (metaphorically) in a space of 2 months, made redundant in an extraordinary example of social butchery with the objective (in small doses understandable) to reduce OPEX.

So I am telling you what #Innovation is to me in our #Aviationindustry for the next five years: Save the private Ryan.

Bring back the guys that were cut and found better jobs (and better paid) in other productive worlds, once they realized that there is life outside this addictive industry of us.

Instead of raining cash on Airlines, Airports and Handlers as “Covid Restoration”, Governments should focus on intelligent new supported recruitment schemes, promoting the recovery of experience and capability of the “missing in action”.

What is #Sustainability?

Imagine this: if still alive and kicking, I will be 80 when in a fantastic, memorable day for the human race and #Aviationindustry workers, all Airlines, Airports and Handlers will have been successful in implementing their “zero carbon emission” target. In their commitment to “Fly Net Zero” by 2050, International Air Transport Association (IATA) commits their “Airlines members to achieving net-zero carbon emissions from their operations by 2050”.

This pledge should brings air transport in line with the objectives of the Paris agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

“For this target to succeed-specifies International Air Transport Association (IATA) -, it will require the coordinated efforts of the entire industry (airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, manufacturers) and significant government support”

Very much in line also ACI World - Airports Council International :“ACI member airports at a global level commit to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and urge governments to provide the necessary support in this endeavor.”

ACI World - Airports Council International then explains that Airports have since long taken a leadership role in addressing, minimizing, and mitigating the environmental impacts of aviation. This has been demonstrated through their ability to decrease emissions over the last 10 years, supported and enabled by Airport Carbon Accreditation despite significant traffic growth in that time. Building upon the commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 initially launched by ACI EUROPE in June 2019, ACI has created this ambitious long-term carbon goal to drive further action and support the decarbonization efforts of airports as they respond to the climate challenge.

According to a brief by the Climate Action Network International , published by the UNFCCC UN , the Aviation industry’s “emissions are 2.1% of the global share, but when non-CO2 effects are included, aviation contributes an estimated 4.9% to the global warming problem”.?

What does it mean? It means that #Aviation MUST plays its part. While the future is exciting, with battery-powered and hydrogen propulsion technologies being researched by aircraft manufacturers, airlines must also reduce their emissions in the short term. One of the ways to do so is #SustainableAviationFuel (#SAF), as “a 100 percent substitution of aviation fuel with #SAF could reduce 63 percent of the baseline CO2 emissions from international flights in 2050,” according to the International Civil Aviation Organization estimates. One of the main benefits of SAF is that it can be used as a “drop-in” solution, meaning no changes to the current distribution systems or aircraft engines will need to be made.?

Challenges remain to mass adoption of the #SAF, including the current production capacity. Still according to EASA - European Union Aviation Safety Agency the current supply of combustible is less than 0.05% of the total jet fuel use in the EU. However, EU #airports will have to comply with a minimum blending mandate of 2% by 2025, gradually increasing to 63% in 2050 to continue reducing the emissions of the sector in the future.?

Can aviation actors be the only ones to make those initiatives work?” I am telling you NO, they CANNOT. If you look at #SAF, the main change that needs to happen to reach zero emissions by 2025 is not in the hands of aviation actors.

Other industries, namely those that help produce the fuel, will have to convert many of the traditional refineries to help aviation reduce its emissions over the coming years, which will be a tremendous effort. To do that, these guys will have to be convinced that aviation will grow, that there will be enough buyers, and governments will have to enact imposing laws to buy and fly only with sustainable aviation fuel.??

To my colleagues, to all of the #Aviationindustry executives, including those leading airports, my prayer is to be very careful about their commitments to the goal of reducing emissions to a net zero by 2050.

You cannot talk about this target unless you have in your corner a clear industrial and political movement, which promotes a clear set of actions to transform these ideas in real, pragmatic, demonstrable plans.

So, if I may add another word to the infamous and fashionable 3, I would suggest my fellow Aviation colleagues managing Airports, Airlines and Handlers, to attend less panels on #Innovation, #Digitalization and #Sustainability, unless in those panels, as per an old Toyota Total Quality principle, they “say what they do and do what they say”

Assaeroporti - Associazione Italiana Gestori Aeroporti , AEROPORTI 2030 , ACI EUROPE ACI World - Airports Council International International Air Transport Association (IATA) International Civil Aviation Organization EASA - European Union Aviation Safety Agency #innovation #digitalization #sustainability #Aviation #aviationindustry #airlines #airlinesandairports #Airports #Airportsinfrastructures #Airportsdevelopment #Airportsandairlines #Groundhandling #Groundhandlers #sustainableaviationfuel #LCC #Lowcostcarriers #legacycarriers