Aviation recovery post-Covid-19 could propel a clean-up in air travel and investment in greener ways to fly. Preventing older polluting aircraft from making a return to the skies, and widespread investment in greener aircraft are all on the cards if the industry takes the opportunity to reinvent itself during the recovery from a near-global shutdown.
Any financial support for airlines from governments could be linked to greener performance targets, forcing major carriers to make significant changes towards cleaner travel.
The pandemic could also propel investment in sustainability as aircraft manufacturers look to sell newer, fuel-efficient planes at below pre-crisis market value to boost production and help the industry recover.
The aviation industry has been severely impacted by Covid-19 and we are likely to see big changes as airlines fight to keep their planes in the sky and reinstate customer confidence in travelling. This is a chance to rethink the whole industry. Airlines operating older, fuel-inefficient aircraft are unlikely to bring them back into service, and this is a perfect time to look to more sustainable machines and take big steps which were maybe not possible before.
Government financial support could be linked to greener performance targets, and that will be extremely positive in helping us move to a new stage of green travel if we also consider that aircraft manufacturers will be looking to sell newer models at significantly more affordable processes as they try and boost industry activity.
