New planes are said to have a greater impact on climate change than old planes

LONDON – New research finds that today’s commercial aircraft flying at high altitudes have a greater impact on global warming than older planes. This research from Imperial College London shows that although today’s aircraft are lower in carbon, their carbon footprint contributes more to climate change. This research highlights the challenges facing the aviation industry in reducing its impact on climate change.

The research also found that private planes produce more congestion signals than expected. This means that the impact on climate change is also significant.

Condensation trails or contrails are white smoke emitted by aircraft. This steam contributes to global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere.

Although the exact effect of trace density remains uncertain, scientists believe that its effect on warming is greater than carbon emissions from jet fuel. This research, published in Environmental Research Letters, uses machine learning technology to analyze satellite data from more than 64 thousand trace concentrations from aircraft flying over the North Atlantic Ocean.

The study found that planes flying at altitudes above 38,000 feet or 12 kilometers like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Airliners produce more congestion routes than older commercial passenger planes. To reduce fuel consumption, modern aircraft are designed to fly at high altitudes where the air is thinner with lower aerodynamic drag. Meanwhile, older commercial airplanes usually fly at a lower altitude of about 35 thousand feet or 11 kilometers.

Airplanes that fly higher produce lower carbon emissions per passenger. However, this means that it produces a longer concentration path, so that the impact of the aircraft on climate change is also longer and complicates the reduction of carbon in the aviation industry.

“It’s common knowledge that airplanes are not good for the climate, but some people don’t appreciate the carbon footprint and emissions from jet fuel that cause several degrees of warming, “said the study’s lead author and the Royal Society’s Climate Research and Environmental Change Fellow at the Grantham Institute, Edward Gryspeerdt, as quoted from Science every dayField (11/8/2024).

Gryspeerdt said that this research makes a big difference to the aviation industry. He said new planes fly higher to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

However, an unintended consequence is that planes flying in the Atlantic produce more congestion routes. Adding to the heat trapped in the atmosphere and increasing the impact of aviation on climate change.

“This does not mean that more efficient planes are a bad thing, far from it, as they have lower carbon emissions per passenger. “However, our findings highlight the challenges facing the aviation industry in mitigating climate impacts,” he said.

Research proves that simple steps can be taken to shorten the paths of congestion. That is by reducing the amount of exhaust from aircraft engines, which is produced when fuel is burned inefficiently.

Modern aircraft engines are designed to be cleaner, usually producing fewer soot particles, which shorten the life of condensation tracks. Although other studies using models have predicted this finding. But new research proves that today’s planes could contribute more to climate change than older planes through direct observation.

“From other research, we know that the number of soot particles in aircraft containers plays an important role in the characteristics of new condensation trails; we suspect that this also affects the longevity of congestion lanes,” said study co-author Marc Stettler.