Carbon dioxide emissions of turbine business aircraft departing from U.S. airports are down 62 percent from 2005, meaning the industry appears to have already achieved its long-term goal of halving emissions by 2050 relative to 2005 levels—at least in the U.S. This is according to data from the Environmental Protect Agency’s (EPA) latest annual inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, released yesterday.

In 2022—the most current year for which EPA has data—turbine business aircraft accounted for 9.8 percent of the 231.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions of all turbine aircraft operations in the U.S. and just 1.3 percent of all transportation emissions in the U.S. These calculations apply to fuel purchased in the U.S. and used by aircraft taking off from U.S. airports.

Notably, the EPA data indicates that carbon emissions from U.S. business jets and turboprops fell 38 percent from 2019 to 2022, while at the same time business aircraft utilization climbed 22.6 percent. Per TraqPak data from Argus International, turbine business aircraft departures from U.S. airports rose from 4.02 million flight hours in 2019 to 4.93 million flight hours in 2022.

According to NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen, every new model of business aircraft is up to 30 percent more efficient than a model it replaces. “We are pioneers in efficiency, gaining advances, whether it's winglets, whether it's composite technologies, or early adoption of GPS,” he said.

In the early 1950s, my mother, Janice K. Barden, stepped into the niche field of aviation recruitment. The industry was still in its early stages, and there was no shortage of seasoned pilots. The business aviation industry offered a great opportunity for pilots looking to make a career change. They sought more stable career opportunities and perceived corporate flying as financially secure during a period of stalled advancement. Moreover, their extensive flight hours and experience were welcomed in our sector.

My mom had an eye for talent and an unwavering belief: that regional pilots were the hidden gems of the skies. Every day, they experienced frequent takeoffs and landings, braved all sorts of weather, and navigated through high-density airports. They also amassed a lot of flight hours—something that was a requirement to enter business aviation.

But the current aviation pipeline presents a different scenario. The traditional paths to accruing flight hours have dwindled.

Today, developing pilots have fewer options to gain the experience they need outside of flight instructing. Once a pilot achieves the magic 1,500-hour number, it’s off to the airlines. And without the airlines truly scaling back, there’s no reason for a majority of pilots to consider a career in business aviation.

Gulfstream Aerospace continues its worldwide airshow exhibition schedule with a return next week to AeroExpo Mexico, which runs from April 23 to 25 at Toluca Licenciado Adolfo López Mateos International Airport. The U.S. aircraft manufacturer will be displaying its ultra-long-range G600 and super-midsize G280 at the event, it's first appearance there since 2019.

The G600 has a range of 6,600 nm and can fly nonstop from Toluca to Rome. It recently completed the world’s first transatlantic flight using 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel in both engines. Meanwhile, the G280 has proven steep approach and short field capabilities that allow it access to some of the most challenging airports.

“Gulfstream is committed to its customers in Latin America, where we are experiencing strong demand and a growing fleet,” said Scott Neal, the Savannah, Georgia-based airframer’s senior v-p of worldwide sales. “The long-range advantage of the G600 and the agile performance of the G280 are ideal for operators in this region, and we look forward to showcasing the extensive capabilities of each aircraft at AeroExpo.”

The move continues the OEM’s decision to focus on regional events in place of exhibiting at the large business aviation event staples, namely NBAA-BACE and EBACE.

Saul Arceo, CEO, ARC Aviation, Niko Arceo, Director, Sales and Research, ARC Aviation and Kiril Jakimovski, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Million Air Dallas are celebrating the start of a collaboration between the two companies during the delivery of a new Gulfstream G600 business jet.

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) laid out key funding, policy, and other strategies in a white paper on Accelerating Development of the Electric Aviation Sector in Europe. Released this week during the Aero Friedrichshafen show in Germany, the white paper provides a range of recommendations for European regulators and policymakers to foster the emergence of electric aviation.

The recommendations surround four major areas that the association believes are essential to support the nascent sector: bolster public funding; strengthen supply chains across Europe; establish appropriate policy; and properly fund and support EASA.

GAMA sees the development of electric aviation as a critical component of the general aviation industry's and Europe’s drive for a more sustainable future.

“General aviation is at the forefront of developing and introducing innovative technologies that will transform the entire aviation industry,” said Kyle Martin, GAMA v-p of European affairs. “We look forward to furthering our ongoing work with the European Commission and EASA so that they have a fuller understanding of the vital role that they will play in advancing this sector, which is the incubator for safety, sustainability, and innovation.”

Boeing plans to increase its purchase of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) this year by 60 percent over last year, marking the airframer’s largest annual commitment to the greener fuel. The company will buy 9.4 million gallons of a 30 percent SAF blend to be used in support of its ecoDemonstrator program and U.S. commercial operational flights.

Of that amount, 4 million gallons will be delivered to Boeing’s fuel farms in the Pacific Northwest, with 2.5 million gallons of the Neste-produced fuel supplied by Epic Fuels and 1.5 million distributed by Avfuel.

For the remaining 5.4 million gallons, Boeing will use the book-and-claim process, with the actual fuel being delivered to airports near the production facilities but Boeing claiming the environmental credits. Epic will account for 3.5 million gallons of blended Neste SAF under book-and-claim, while World Fuel Services will provide 1.9 million gallons produced by World Energy.

“As our focus remains on safety and quality, sustainability continues to be a priority,” explained Ryan Faucett, the OEM’s v-p of environmental sustainability. “Sustainable aviation fuel is essential to decarbonize aviation.” He noted that SAF currently makes up 20 percent of the company’s annual jet fuel usage, and it is continuing to increase that amount to encourage growth of the sustainable fuel industry.