Airlines unlikely to ever achieve net zero carbon emissions says Emirates boss

Emirates boss Tim Clark has revealed the frustration in the airline industry over delays in aircraft deliveries, which could open the door to Chinese manufacturer COMAC.

An Emirates Airbus A380. Picture: iStock

The head of one of the world’s biggest airlines has left the door open to adding Chinese-made aircraft to his fleet, and warned the world may have to accept aviation is never going to be carbon neutral.

Emirates’ president Sir Tim Clark was speaking in Melbourne following the Australian Open, which his airline sponsors.

He said delays in the supply chain were “unprecedented” with delays in delivery of new Boeing 777Xs costing Emirates more than $4.5bn as a result of having to retrofit existing aircraft.

“By now I should have had 100 777s under the original contract which was signed in 2013. I haven’t got one,” said Sir Tim.

“So we have to take that, whether we like it or not.”

Emirates president Sir Tim Clark has helped redefine airline travel.

He said they began with about 50 aircraft for retrofit — or installing new cabin products and technology in existing planes to remain competitive — and were now up to nearly 200.

“The whole fleet is being done, including the A380s, and that is a strategy that speaks to the uncertainty of what the manufacturers will do for us in the future, the next 10 to 15 years,” he said.

While Chinese-made aircraft still faced considerable hurdles to be cleared to fly commercially in the West, Sir Tim said by the mid-2030s they could be producing twin-aisle aeroplanes.

Although he was not about to lodge any orders for COMAC aircraft, he said “never say never”.

“The Chinese are the Chinese — they’re very good at reverse engineering anything you like, so it’s anybody’s guess but I think the performance of the two major aerospace companies is begging that question: is there room for a third?” he said.

“The Chinese are pretty good at getting things sorted out.”

On the difficult subject of sustainability, Sir Tim said he would be “unpopular” for saying so, but the challenges facing the aviation industry were now virtually insurmountable.

A model of the COMAC C919 single-aisle aircraft. Picture: AFP

He was referring to the target of producing net zero carbon emissions by 2050, a goal unlikely to be achieved without trillions of dollars of investment.

“There are certain industries that if mankind wants them, you’re going to have to live with the reality of the ability of that industry to do as much as it can,” said Sir Tim.

“I’m simply a pragmatist. We never get the credit for what has already happened (to reduce emissions).

“If you went back to 2001, 2002, the way we were moving prior to the global financial crisis, this place would be extremely polluted by now.”

Even with the slower than expected ramp up of sustainable aviation production, Sir Tim said the airline industry remained on track to significantly reduce emissions through improved engine technology, on top of what has already been achieved.

Engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce was in the process of perfecting “ultra-fan” technology which would be 25 per cent more fuel efficient, and capable of powering aircraft as large as an A380.

“If all of this is coming in the later generation of aircraft, we’re going to be far more fuel efficient,” he said.

It would take time, however, due to the “risk averse” nature of the industry, particularly manufacturers.

“Boeing’s just trying to get something out the door; Airbus is saying ‘you can’t have any more aircraft until the early 2030s’,” Sir Tim added.

“That’s five years, so the incentive to accept innovation, design is not quite there at the moment.”

The glacial pace of change in the industry was also likely to keep Sir Tim’s own design for a new prototype economy seat in drafts for a while yet.

He said he “was pulling out what’s left of his hair” to try to get the manufacturers to accept the changes to “pitch and recline”.

“Something needs to be done there (in economy) very much so, and I’ve really recognised that and I’ve looked at the way economy seats have gone,” he said.

“At the moment I’m confident I can get it out through the hangar doors.”

Originally published as Airlines unlikely to ever achieve net zero carbon emissions says Emirates boss