A lot of the news coverage about green travel focuses on electric cars, which are great for everyday use, or trains, which are increasingly fast and convenient outside the U.S. and just starting to catch up in the States. But there are other ways to travel, including some incredible advances in eco-friendly aviation.
Here are several green planes that will soon be lighting up our skies.
1. Hydrogen-powered regional flights
Loganair hopes to have hydrogen-powered planes flying regional routes in Scotland by 2030 and has already identified the short-haul routes that will work best with this technology. Unlike jet fuel, hydrogen produces nothing but water vapor when it burns, making it an ideal low-pollution alternative, though it must be created using renewable energy (aka "green hydrogen") for it to truly approach zero pollution.
2. The same power with two-thirds of the fuel
Delta is partnering with aviation startup JetZero to completely redesign the airplane. Using preexisting technology, they're creating a plane with a range and seat capacity similar to existing international aircraft but with 50% better fuel efficiency. While it may look like something out of science fiction, the plan is to get it in the air this decade.
3. Battery-powered seaplanes
Seaplanes are the all-terrain vehicles of the sky, perfectly designed to land and navigate on water. While they're more niche than commercial airliners, switching them to electric will help reduce pollution, especially in some of the pristine natural environments they're designed to visit. Jekta Switzerland SA makes a model that can carry 19 passengers and three crew members 100 miles on one 45-minute charge.
4. Solar-powered planes
Startup Skydweller Aero has created an autonomous plane powered by the sun and designed to stay in the air for months at a time. Based on an earlier plane, the Solar Impulse 2, which was the first solar-powered, fixed-wing craft to fly around the world, this new version has been improved with technology to fly itself as well as computer models for predicting and avoiding heavy weather.
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Using cleaner fuel ⛽ 5. Vertical takeoff aircraft with multiple power sources
Companies Capgemini and Ascendance have collaborated to bring Ascendance's aircraft ATEA to market, with a test flight scheduled for later this year. The craft can take off and land vertically like a helicopter and uses a specially designed system to allow it to draw power from multiple sources at once like a hybrid car. This will allow it to create 80% less air pollution.
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