IT solutions can play an important role in supporting the aviation industry’s transition to net zero, a new report by Amadeus and Accenture has found.
The report, The Power of Digital: IT Solutions and Their Role in Aviation’s Path to Net Zero, identifies a number of key levers for decarbonising the aviation sector, including fleet renewal, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), new aircraft technologies, and operational efficiency improvements.
It adds that IT solutions can play a critical role in enhancing operational efficiency, reducing fuel consumption, and lowering costs, through tools such as data dashboards, forecasting models, and real-time management platforms.
‘ These tools help airlines, airports, and service providers make significant operational and profitability improvement,’ the report noted.
‘Substantial’ effect
As Jesko Neuenburg, global aviation sustainability lead, Accenture, explained, IT solutions that support airline operations have the potential to deliver a “substantial” effect on decarbonisation.
“It was revealing to see that the solutions we reviewed – if deployed globally to all airlines and airports – could reduce as much CO2 emissions as all the SAF expected to be produced globally in 2024,” he noted,
Amadeus solutions
Two Amadeus solutions were assessed as part of the report, including Amadeus Airport Sequence Manager (which, if implemented, could save 493,000 metric tons of CO2 annually, the report suggests), and Amadeus Altéa Departure Control – Flight Management, an enhanced flight management tool (which could reportedly prevent the emission of 5.2 million metric tons of CO2 annually)
In 2023 alone, these IT solutions achieved a combined annual reduction equivalent to 50,000 metric tonnes of CO2.
“While IT solutions alone cannot fully decarbonise aviation, they offer a near-term opportunity to improve operational efficiency and reduce carbon emissions,” commented Olivier Girault, head of solutions at Amadeus’ sustainability office. “As the industry continues to evolve, Amadeus will support its customers in driving sustainable change through technology.” Read more here.
