Talk about having their heads in the clouds.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge introduced a plan to help the aviation industry reach net-zero emissions by 2050, but here’s the rub: Part of the plan would involve mandating longer flight times.
Hands up, those who want to be stuck on a plane even longer. Hello? Anyone?
The “bold measure” would slow flight speeds by 15%, the Independent reported, per the New York Post, adding about 50 minutes of travel time to each journey.
That would decrease fuel burn by up to 7% and reduce the 4% industry contribution to overall climate change, according to the research, which is being presented to the United Nations.
By 2050, fuel reductions would be cut by half, according to the projections.
The experts said longer flights could be offset by more efficiently organized airports and fewer slowdowns.
Professor Rob Miller, of Cambridge’s Whittle Laborators, said aviation as a whole needs a “whole systems process change.”
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“The airlines can’t do them alone, nor can the manufacturers or the airports,” he told the Times of London.
An initiative such as this might be a bit too ambitious at the moment, he noted.
“It’s not that anyone doesn’t want to, it’s just that the complexity of the system makes it very hard to do.”
More than 16% of American vehicles were either electric or hybrid by the close of 2023, according to the Energy Information Administration.
“Aviation stands at a pivotal moment, much like the automotive industry in the late 2000s,” Miller added.