PRIVATE JET MANUFACTURERS CHIP IN WITH THEIR SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS

What about the executive aircraft manufacturers? To understand what they are doing to help push the sector to a more sustainable future, let's look at five manufacturers: Bombardier, Textron (Cessna and Beechcraft), Embraer, Gulfstream and Pilatus.

Bombardier Leaves Much To The Imagination

In the previous section, we showed how leading fleet operator VistaJet was lauding the greater fuel efficiency of the Bombardier Global 7500 business jet. However, Bombardier itself doesn’t appear to play up any kind of sustainability credentials for the Global 7500 or the longest-range model, the Global 8000. Even when there is a mention of reduced noise, it’s done from the perspective of the passengers and not that of people on the ground who might hear the aircraft land late at night.

Instead, Bombardier leads with the Challenger 3500, which it calls “the most sustainably designed business jet in its class”. However, the range of the Challenger 3500 is 3400 nautical miles, compared to 7700 nautical miles for the Global 7500.

As a result, Bombardier’s “sustainable” business jet won’t appeal to the highest tier of CEO looking for an aircraft to travel ultra-long haul, including facilities such as a private bedroom.

Turning back to the Challenger 3500, what makes it “sustainable?” Bombardier lists several elements like a ‘carbon neutral flight test programme.’ As there are no other details, the assumption is that this was done via carbon offsetting.

Then there is the “eco app (eWAS Pilot with OptiFlight® from SITA) which allows crews to optimise their flight profiles-maximising fuel efficiency, lowering CO2 emissions.”

Finally, there is mention of the fact that the jet can operate on SAF. However, that in itself isn’t news – SAF is a drop-in fuel designed to work with the aircraft flying today. Instead, the issue is certification, and Bombardier doesn’t say how and when it intends to bring the Challenger 3500 to being certified on 100% SAF use.

Overall, Bombardier offers a number of suggestions on what it may be doing or how its jets can be sustainable, but little is known about what is actually being done. There is no focus on storytelling, and the details of most efforts are lacking. There are also no details about Bombardier’s own Scope 1 or Scope 2 emission reduction plans.

Textron Aviation Offers A Sustainability Roadmap

Textron owns several aircraft brands, including Cessna and Beechcraft. It also now owns Pipistrel, the Slovenian electric aircraft manufacturer that developed the first all-electric certified aircraft, the Pipistrel Vellis Electro.

Textron’s headline goals are:

Reduce carbon emissions by 50%

Create carbon neutral growth from 2020

Increase fuel efficiency by 2% per year between 2020 and 2030

In addition to these, Textron outlines several other sustainability initiatives, including:

Powering its Wichita, Kansas HQ by renewable energy

Offering SAF as an initial fuel tank on delivery of new aircraft. An interesting idea, which doesn’t do a great deal to reduce total carbon emissions, but does highlight the role alternative fuels can play to customers

Sustainable materials used in cabin design

As mentioned, Textron does have a foot in the electric aviation space, thanks to its ownership of Pipistrel. Even though Pipistrel is developing a four-seat aircraft called the Panthera, this doesn’t appear to be in any way geared towards the private aviation sector.