The aviation industry indeed takes a lot of stick for not being eco-friendly and for often causing more bad than good to the planet. In the process what most people tend to ignore is the simple fact that it is easy to criticise, but far more difficult to come up constructive and meaningful solutions. Now the aviation industry has taken a giant step forward towards a green future. This unique flight is not something that is fuelled by bio-fuel, but something that is partially powered by a fuel cell. This is a lot better than the ones that have taken flight on wings of bio-fuel as this is powered by an energy source that is a viable option for the future.
Airbus and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) presented the first commercial aircraft powered by fuel cells at the ILA Berlin Air Show 2008. The latest addition to the DLR research fleet is an Airbus A320 which has been converted for trials of a fuel cell system. The fuel cells cannot replace the plane’s jet engines for powering the heavy plane through the air. Instead, the goal is to take the first step towards meeting ambitious targets to reduce aircraft environmental impact by 50% by 2020. This is a constructive step towards greener future and cleaner skies.
In the same way Airbus offered a briefing on PAMELA, the partner program to alternative fuel studies in Airbus’ full life-cycle impact minimization efforts. The first aircraft recycling plant utilizing the PAMELA principles will come on-line in October of 2008 in France. Using the PAMELA process, Airbus intends to recover 85% of the materials used in aircraft, and to reduce by two thirds the residual waste from end-of-life airplanes. This innovative new process is designed to ensure that even aviation industry moves ahead in the green path and one day goes completely green; hopefully!
