ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes some of the key factors that are likely to influence the development of sustainable green aviation. Regulations are in place to not only ensure aircraft safety, but to also set limits for environmental performance in key areas such as noise and emissions. Social trends will have an impact on green aviation, but it is hard to predict their level of impact in a concrete sense. A social trend that is worth noting is that there is continued public attention on the development of new aviation technologies. The use of alternative fuels is not really a new concept. Even going back to World War II, the Germans devised Fischer-Tropsch processes to create aviation fuel. However, the idea of greater utilization of alternative fuels has gained renewed attention to reduce both the reliance on foreign petroleum and the net carbon footprint of aviation. The chapter explores several potential disruptive technologies that could have an impact on future green aviation.
