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Johannesburg - The aviation industry is spending millions on researching alternative fuels and new aircraft design and components, as the spectre of high oil prices and supply constraints threaten the sector's survival.
Aircraft manufacturer Airbus has already considered the use of renewable alternative fuels generating less, or no, carbon dioxide (CO&sub2;) and says that by 2025, up to 25% of jet fuel could be alternative fuel.
Aircraft are now being built from lighter, more robust structural materials. Also, technology systems have replaced heavy steel control cables and rods in planes, which help reduce the impact of hefty fuel bills.
Airbus says alternative fuels will start being used in aircraft by 2010, with Qatar Airways using a fleet that can run on fuel generated by gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology in 2009.
This follows a historic maiden flight [by Airbus] that took place on February 1 2008, when an Airbus A380 used a blend of standard jet fuel and synthetic GTL fuel.
Research into alternative fuels is being driven by oil supply constraints, with supply from oil reserves expected to run out in as little as 50 years, says Dynamic Wealth head economist Chris Harmse.
Not a cheap fix
Also, the use of oil results in the emission of CO&sub2;, which is harmful to the environment. The combustion of 1kg of jet fuel produces 3.16kg of CO&sub2; plus a small quantity of other gases.
While high oil prices are translating into major losses for airlines - with the International Air Transport Association (Iata) forecasting a $5.2bn loss for the global airline industry in 2008, based on an average crude oil price of $113/barrel for the year - alternative fuels are not a cheap solution.
"One has to be careful when deciding whether alternative fuel is better or not, because quite often it isn't cheaper [to produce] than normal fuel," Comair joint CE Erik Venter told Fin24.com. Given that this takes up agricultural land, food inflation is driven up as a result, he said.
"No one has come up with an alternative that is feasible," said Venter.
A one-way domestic flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town costs Comair about R50 000, and by replacing nine older aircraft with new-generation Boeings, the group has saved about R55m in its 2008 financial year.
- Fin24.com