E N V I R O N M E N TA L T Avoidance cost: USD/TCO2e 1400 1200 Min Max 1000 800 600 400 200 0 SAF e-fuel SAF HEFA Direct air capture Carbon trading EU Contrail avoidance Cost comparison of different strategies to reduce aviations warming impact he aviation industry: a marvel of innovation and global connectivity, or just an elaborate excuse to sell tiny pretzels at 30,000 feet? Either way, its hard to deny its role in uniting cultures and economies worldwide. Its environmental impact, however particularly its contribution to climate change is undeniable. BALPAs Environmental Study Group is dedicated to making aviation more sustainable and influencing positive change in a challenging sector. Our mission is to ensure aviation is ready to adapt to the changing environmental landscape. We advocate for meaningful action and collaborate within the industry to ensure aviation aligns with global sustainability goals. The challenges of aviation emissions Studies show that the average cost of contrail avoidance will be less then US$1 per tonne of CO2e achieve avoidance manually. Together with several evolving contrail forecast providers, Flightkeys is helping to define the necessary data standards and products, and in 2023 became the first flight-planning system to fully integrate cost-based contrail avoidance. While the roadmap is already pretty clear from the flight-planning side, there are challenges ahead, including improving the accuracy of contrail forecasts and bringing the necessary awareness to the flight deck, and convincing ATM to facilitate avoidance trajectories. After all, its operationally quite similar to turbulence avoidance; in fact, our Loretta app provides functionality to avoid both. We strongly believe that, with the tools Flightkeys is already providing and with the active involvement of pilots a first step towards the widespread introduction of contrail avoidance can be made, helping to prove its effectiveness through satellite and ground-based observations. Contrail avoidance offers vast potential to reduce aviations climate impact quickly. Since discovering this fact, Flightkeys has been working passionately with all key players to bring it into operation as early as possible. We welcome any offer to participate in our efforts. Aviation contributes approximately 2-3% of global CO2 emissions, a figure that continues to grow as air travel expands. Beyond carbon dioxide, the industrys non-CO2 effects such as contrails and nitrogen oxide emissions exacerbate its climate impact. These challenges are compounded by the difficulty of decarbonising aviation compared with other sectors, because of its reliance on energy-dense fuels and the long lifespan of aircraft. Our groups focus areas Recognising the complicated nature of aviations environmental footprint, our group focuses on several key areas to drive progress: 1. Reducing non-CO2 effects: Contrails and high-altitude emissions contribute significantly to aviations climate impact. Research suggests that optimising flight paths to avoid contrail formation could be an effective mitigation strategy. Our group advocates for real-world trials, increased investment in research, and operational changes to address these less known, yet critical issues. 2. Encouraging green operations: Pilots play a vital role in reducing fuel consumption and emissions through efficient operations. 54 THE LOG Spring 25 pp52-55 BALPA Contrails : Environmental study group.indd 54 17/03/2025 14:28