>[FARNBOROUGH, England] Planemakers face major challenges as they try to develop cleaner planes, but new engines will be key in slashing the environmental cost of flying by 2020, Airbus's technology chief said.
Airbus has set itself the goal of cutting carbon dioxide and noise by half from 2000 levels and nitrogen oxides by 80 per cent as airlines struggling with soaring fuel costs come under pressure to lower their impact on the environment.
"We have put the bar very high," Airbus senior vice-president for research and technology Axel Krein told Reuters at the Farnborough Airshow on Tuesday.
"We have some significant technical hurdles in front of us. I would say I'm confident we are on the right track and that we have a chance to meet these targets."
Lowering aircraft emissions hinged on making aircraft more aerodynamic, designing more efficient engines and producing large enough quantities of new fuels such as biofuels. Some testing was already under way, Mr Krein said.
Airbus flew one of its A380 superjumbo aircraft in February using a synthetic fuel derived from natural gas, known as GTL (gas-to-liquid), which is almost free of sulphur, can be used with current engines and could be available in the near future.
Later this year, Airbus plans to fly one of its four-engine widebody A340 aircraft using Pratt & Whitney's new Geared Turbofan engine, which Bombardier plans to use for its future CSeries narrowbody passenger jet family.
An advanced turbofan engine was also an option which could be introduced quickly.
But the most radical and complicated redesign would be the so-called open-rotor engine, which would cut fuel burn by a quarter but would not be ready to test in flight before 2013.
Engineers still need to work out how to deal with noise and vibrations from the open-rotor, which would have a massive fan, would not be encased and would not fit under the wings.
"The open-rotor brings a significant improvement in terms of fuel consumption and environmental footprint, but comes with some side-effects," Mr Krein said. "We have not decided yet what will be the best engine."
The next generation of aircraft could also benefit from increased use of composite materials, Mr Krein added.
The A380 contained 25 per cent and the A350, which is not yet in service, will contain 53 per cent. New aircraft could contain even more.
Planemakers have reduced aircraft fuel burn and carbon dioxide emissions by 70 per cent and noise by 75 per cent since the early 1970s.
The new targets, in line with recommendations by the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe, were tough but achievable, Mr Krein said.
"We have the ambition. We have the dedication of the top management in our company, but also in the supply chain," Mr Krein said.
"Some of the routes we are trying to explore probably won't be successful. Overall the direction is clear." -- Reuters
