How Emirates is thinking about sustainability without sacrificing growth

Insights from a conversation between Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airlines, and Shashank Nigam, CEO of SimpliFlying.

In a conversation between Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airlines, and Shashank Nigam, CEO of SimpliFlying, the complex landscape of aviation sustainability came into sharp focus. As one of the world's largest international airlines, Emirates finds itself at a critical juncture, balancing ambitious growth plans with an increasing urgency to address environmental concerns.

While aviation may contribute only 2-3% of global emissions right now, on the current trajectory we may be responsible for almost a quarter of them by 2050. These, of course, are well-known facts but they often come up against a simple fact any airline boss will repeat ad nauseam: at the end of the day, an airline can only invest in sustainability if it continues operating profitably.

Emirates is caught between two difficult choices: being the airline it wants to be and being the airline it should be.

After all, aviation’s social licence to operate may be fast running out of, well, runway. Environmental concerns are top of mind globally; climate change is wreaking havoc in unpredictable ways; activism against fossil fuel-intensive industries – aviation is seen as one of them – is ramping up.

The contradiction at the heart of Emirates’s plans

So how is Emirates planning to balance the demands of the present with the needs of the future? Mostly through a bunch of seemingly contradictory actions as it navigates its early days in the landscape.

Consider this: the airline announced a staggering €47 billion order for 90 Boeing 777X airplanes at the Dubai Airshow in November last year, signalling robust expansion plans. Sir Tim Clark emphasised the airline's growth trajectory then, stating, "We've got in total now 245 Boeing aircraft on order and 50 A350s will start being delivered next year. This is all part and parcel of the expansion of our network over the next 10 to 15 years."

On the other hand, Emirates is making significant strides in sustainability efforts. In May 2024, the airline became an industrial partner of the Aviation Impact Accelerator (AIA) at the University of Cambridge, marking the first of its $200 million Sustainability Fund investment for research and development projects focused on reducing the impact of fossil fuels in commercial aviation.

Moreover, when the fund was launched in May 2023, Emirates set an industry-first example by dedicating 7% of its profits to sustainability initiatives. However, this was limited to the first year and it remains to be seen whether the pie for sustainability will actually increase.

This juxtaposition of expansion and sustainability efforts underscores the complex challenges facing the aviation industry. As Sir Tim Clark noted, "We tried to deal with that, with all things I've been talking about, if you retard growth in any sector of the economy because of the environmental arguments, where does that take us? It's not just about us."

Learning the hard way: climate change's Impact

Emirates' sustainability journey faced a rude reckoning with climate change's immediate impacts. In April 2024, Dubai faced unprecedented floods that paralysed the city and Emirates' operations.

Clark described the event: "What people didn't see was that so bad was the storm that the ability for people, for instance, crew, to get to the airplanes from their accommodation for catering, to get to the airplanes for food, to get into the catering, etc, etc, when their homes and the roads were under forfeit of water, it paralysed the city."

This event served as a wake-up call, pushing Emirates to reassess its crisis management protocols and infrastructure resilience.

The promise of SAF

Emirates sees great potential in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to transform the future of aviation. In November 2023, the airline operated its first 100% SAF flight on an A380, using the sustainable fuel in one of its four engines. Earlier in the year, an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER had performed a demonstration flight using 100% SAF to power one of its two GE90 engines.

However, Clark is realistic about the challenges: "It's just the start of a long journey. Emirates used a little bit of SAF for its operations till date, but it obviously consumes a lot more."

Emirates' commitment to sustainability is evident in its $200 million aviation sustainability fund. Unlike direct operational investments, this fund focuses on research and development across various environmental concerns.

Clark explained, "It's more going into research entities where we're looking, we're about to sign off on something with one of the quality diversities in the UK, and we're impressed with the work that they're doing."

Emirates has also joined the UK's low carbon investment initiative called 'The Solent Cluster', which aims to produce SAF and cut CO2 emissions in the South Coast of England, and involves over 100 members from various sectors, including manufacturers, logistics operators, and academic institutions. The cluster plans to develop a SAF plant with a potential annual production of 200,000 tonnes, with operations possibly starting in 2032.

The importance of operational efficiencies

While long-term solutions are crucial, Emirates is also exploring immediate operational efficiencies to reduce its environmental impact through its "Green Operating Procedures" initiative.

Implemented in 2016, the program involves various strategies both on the ground and in-flight, including optimising flight speed, using reduced flap landing, employing idle reverse thrust, and practicing reduced engine taxi-in. Emirates has also introduced technological solutions like FlightPulse, a data analytics tool for pilots, and focuses on centre of gravity optimisation and minimising auxiliary power unit usage. These efforts, along with other measures such as optimised flight routings and adjusted potable water uplift, have resulted in significant fuel savings and reduced carbon emissions. According to the airline, in the 2023-2024 financial year alone, these initiatives helped Emirates reduce fuel burn by over 48,000 tonnes and carbon emissions by more than 151,000 tonnes.

"I've talked about taxiing aircraft out on one engine or two for the quads. I've even talked about the aircraft being pulled to the end of the runway. Because you go to the major hubs, you've got large numbers of aircraft sitting on the ground, burning fuel," shared Clark.

One of the most pressing questions facing Emirates is how to balance its ambitious growth plans with sustainability goals. Clark believes that growth and sustainability can coexist, but it requires innovative thinking and collaborative efforts across the industry.

A sustainable horizon

While the path to sustainable aviation is challenging, recent developments show promise. Emirates has begun using SAF at Singapore Changi Airport, marking its inaugural SAF investment in Asia. The airline has also partnered with Neste to supply SAF at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and has started using SAF at London Heathrow Airport.

While these initiatives demonstrate Emirates' commitment to implementing sustainable practices throughout its global operations, Sir Tim Clark is pragmatic about the timeline for achieving fully sustainable aviation:

"The breakthrough could be in PtLs, but that won't [happen] until the late 30s, early 40s, and then scaling that technology will take you well through the 30s, in the 60s. Don't [kid] yourself, but will it get there? Yes, it will."

He also acknowledges the significant challenges in scaling up SAF production to meet the industry's needs but remains optimistic about future developments, particularly in PtL technologies.

"If you're producing 500,000 tons of SAF in a year, and you need 550 million tons, you need an awful lot of work to get the scale going to where you need to be," he notes.

A cautiously optimistic outlook

Emirates' journey towards sustainability is a microcosm of the broader aviation industry's struggle to balance growth with environmental responsibility.

As one of the top airlines in the world – from a passenger experience or network or profit perspective – Emirates is in an enviable position to lead the charge towards making aviation sustainable. The airline's recent initiatives, from partnering with research institutions to implementing SAF across its network, demonstrate a commitment to finding sustainable solutions. This start now needs to be converted into a long-term initiative. 

However, as Sir Tim Clark's candid remarks reveal, the path forward is neither straight nor easy. The aviation industry faces significant technological, economic, and regulatory challenges in its quest for sustainability. Emirates' approach – combining ambitious growth plans with substantial investments in sustainability research and operational efficiencies – offers a glimpse into how major airlines might navigate this complex landscape.

As the industry moves forward, it will require continued innovation, substantial investments, and perhaps most importantly, a willingness to confront hard truths and make difficult decisions. 

Emirates' experience shows that while the aviation industry's sustainability efforts are still in their early stages, they are poised to take off – although the taxiing time may appear to be excruciatingly long right now.

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