3 keys to net zero: aircraft, operations, fuel

MIAMI — Carriers need to view sustainability holistically — focusing on aircraft, operations and fuel — to reach IATA’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions from the aviation industry by 2050. “We have three main focus areas to get there,” Josie Barbara, general manager of cargo alliances at Delta Air Lines, said on a panel at CNS Partnership Conference on May 14. “It’s what we fly, how we fly, and the fuel we use.” [caption id="attachment_57288856" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] From left, IATA’s Michael Schneider, Delta Air Lines’ Josie Barbara, Elite Group’s Galo Sanchez and Avianca Cargo’s Maria Isabel Colom discuss sustainability at the CNS Partnership Conference 2025 in Miami. (Photo/Cargo Facts)[/caption] What carriers fly Carriers must modernize their fleets with aircraft that are more fuel-efficient, Barbara said. Delta, which flies no freighters but offers belly capacity on its passenger fleet, has taken delivery of twelve aircraft from Airbus this year, according to Airbus’ 2025 deliveries report through April 30. The carrier plans to increase its fleet by about 1%, which includes plans to retire about thirty aircraft, Chief Financial Officer Dan Janki said on Delta’s Q1 earnings call April 9. The carrier has outstanding orders with Airbus for 182 aircraft as of April 30. Meanwhile, Avianca Cargo operates six 2012- to 2014-vintage, production A330-200Fs (1368, 1380, 1428, 1448, 1534 and 1506). Maria Isabel Colom, head of global accounts and marketing at Avianca Cargo , said during the panel that the carrier has “chosen to operate a mid-sized fleet with the lowest environmental impact in the region.” Avianca’s fleet is 51% younger than the average freighter fleet in the LatAm region, according to aviation intelligence and advisory company IBA, Colom said. “Also, the A330 freighter is more fuel efficient, allowing us to have 15% fewer CO2 emissions than other mid-sized freighters that are based in the Latin American region,” she said. For this reason, Avianca remains committed to A330 freighters, Colom said. Avianca and Mexico-based AeroUnion will grow their combined medium-widebody fleet with the addition of two A330P2Fs in 2025 . Avianca expects one A330-200P2F to arrive this quarter and one A330-300P2F around Q3, Avianca previously told Cargo Facts . The carrier will also take delivery in 2026 of another A330-300P2F. How carriers fly Carriers must prioritize operational improvements like flying the most efficient flight paths and following the most fuel-saving landing procedures, Delta’s Barbara said. Colom agreed, saying Avianca Cargo has twenty-four standard operating procedures relating to fuel efficiency in its day-to-day operations. “This allows us to reduce thousands of CO2 emissions to the environment,” she said. “Plus, we have changed all the refrigerants to eco-friendly, efficient options in our cooling facilities.” Fuel carriers use Ninety percent of Delta’s carbon emissions come from fuel burn, Barbara said. This is where sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) comes in, she said. “That's the No. 1 lever we have to decarbonize in the short term and achieve our goals,” she said. But the persistent shortage of SAF is hampering fuel sustainability initiatives. “There's not enough industry supply of SAF to fuel the world's global airline and commercial airline industry for even a week,” Barbara said. “Then, on top of that, it's two to four times more expensive than conventional jet fuel.” Delta is advocating for incentives from all levels of government to scale up SAF production. The carrier is also working with customers to signal demand to SAF producers, showing that there is a strong market for the fuel, Barbara said. With uncertainty regarding finances, some SAF producers have even pulled back from scaling up production, Michael Schneider, IATA’s assistant director of aviation environment, said during the panel. “The commitment and action [from carriers] is certainly there,” he said. “Some of the major oil producing renewable energy companies have actually stepped back from their capacity. That's certainly concerning, because SAF is the primary decarbonization [tool] for us.”

3 keys to net zero: aircraft, operations, fuel

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