Dieter Vranckx told the SonntagsZeitungExternal linknewspaper that the airline’s goal was to reach a target of 11% sustainably-sourced fuel by 2030. This is part of the company’s goal of cutting CO2 emissions in half by 2030, and becoming climate-neutral by 2050.
Amounts of solar fuel used would remain small for the near future, however. Due to limited production capacity and high prices, “it’s not realistic to progress more quickly”, Vranckx said. The SWISS CEO also warned that in the coming years, travel could become more expensive: not just due to current inflation, but also due to the cost to airlines of transitioning to more climate-friendly models.
Extracting fuel from thin air
The solar fuel is produced by Synhelion, a spin-off company from the Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich. Their technology, first announced in 2019, involves producing liquid fuels such as kerosene or methanol directly from sunlight and air, via a multi-stage thermochemical process (see article below).
More
More
How sustainable fuels created from thin air could solve the energy crisis
This content was published on
Swiss scientists have built a mini solar refinery that produces synthetic fuel from just sunlight and air. The technology is now being scaled up.
Presenting the technology as a global first, the Synhelion scientists also claim their solar panels can produce synthetic liquid fuels that release only as much CO2 in combustion as was previously extracted from the air for production.
The Lufthansa group, of which SWISS is a part, entered a partnership with Synhelion already in 2020.
Popular Stories
More
Climate adaptation
Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world
Has your continent reached its peak or is there still potential for economic growth?
Some regions of the world are on an upward trajectory with the promise of a steadily improving future. Where do you live? And in which direction is your region or continent developing?
Female gorillas prevent inbreeding by avoiding groups with male relatives
This content was published on
Female gorillas do not change groups randomly. They avoid the males they grew up with, thus preventing inbreeding, according to a study by the University of Zurich.
Chinese cryptocurrency exchange Jucoin to set up Swiss offshoot
This content was published on
Zug's Crypto Valley is getting a new addition. The Chinese cryptocurrency exchange Jucoin will set up its European headquarters in Baar, as the company announced on Wednesday.
Natural disasters lead to second most expensive half-year for insurers
This content was published on
The wildfires in California and storm damage have led to the second most expensive first half of the year ever for the insurance industry.
This content was published on
Pilots at Swiss International Air Lines have marched through Kloten, home of Zurich Airport, in the fight for a better collective labour agreement.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.