As manufacturers make strides in advancing the next generation of civil supersonic transports (SST), environmental groups are stepping up opposition with a new study they say shows supersonic aircraft would be a “dirty, noisy climate disaster.”
The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) released the study this week, finding supersonic airplanes would produce 96 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year—or roughly the combined emissions of American, Delta, and Southwest Airlines in 2017. Further, the study projects that an SST fleet could emit between 1.6 to 2.4 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide over 25 years, eight times more than then the entire U.S. aviation industry emits in a year. And frequented regions could be exposed to between 150 and 200 sonic booms per day, it adds.
The ICCT study is based on a premise of “a new unconstrained SST network” of 2,000 aircraft by 2035. The study further estimates such a fleet would conduct 5,000 flights daily at 160 airports globally, with Dubai and London Heathrow possibly seeing more than 300 such operations daily.
“In our era of runaway climate change, swapping fuel efficiency for speed is a devil’s bargain,” said Clare Lakewood, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, which touted the release of the ICCT study. “The aviation industry should be reducing its massive carbon footprint, not enlarging it with exorbitant luxuries for the super-wealthy. Supersonics are catastrophic for the climate.”
Supersonic business jet (SSBJ) developer Spike Aerospace, however, disputed the findings, saying they are based on unfounded assumptions and adding the study was released in the interest of “fear mongering.” The company stressed, “The environmental groups should start a discussion with us on their concerns, rather than preemptively suggesting we are destroying the planet.”
Spike added that its own SSBJ in the works will not create the loud sonic boom as claimed by the study. “We find it completely irresponsible to advance technology at the detriment of the airport community or the environment, including wildlife, migrating birds, and marine life.”
