Weak Aircraft Innovation Undercutting Aviation’s Green Transition - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica highlights concerns that the aviation industry's reliance on conventional fossil-fuel-powered aircraft and slow technological innovation are jeopardizing its decarbonization goals. Despite the Paris Air Show showcasing new aircraft, most are incremental updates of older models rather than breakthrough designs. A new analysis by Transport & Environment (T&E) reveals that if manufacturers accelerated innovation—particularly in zero-emission technologies such as hydrogen propulsion—European aviation could improve efficiency by up to 13-17% by 2050 compared to a business-as-usual scenario. This improvement could reduce cumulative CO₂ emissions by 123 million tonnes, equivalent to removing 62 million petrol and diesel cars from European roads for a year. The article emphasizes that innovation in aircraft design has stagnated over the past decade, with no new models expected in the next ten years. Airbus and Boeing, the dominant players, have delayed or paused the introduction of disruptive technologies, instead opting to update older airframes like the Airbus A320neo and