Is guilt-free flying actually achievable? UK aviation bosses say it is, but only at a higher cost. They've gathered at a summit on sustainable flying - and say that the industry is on track to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

But they'll need government support to get there. Industry coalition group Sustainable Aviation used the conference at Farnborough Airport to update its net zero carbon road map, known as Jet Zero. 

The group says the 2050 target is achievable through a combination of new aircraft technology, hydrogen power and sustainable aviation fuels or SAF.

Some say the UK needs to act quickly, with its global competitors already heavily investing in such technology.

‌"We believe with the right policy support, 75 percent of fuels could be on sustainable fuels by 2050," Jonathon Counsell, group head of sustainability at International Airlines Group (IAG), told CGTN Europe. 

Counsell, who also serves as chair of the industry action group, added: "We truly believe the UK could be a center of excellence in the production of sustainable aviation fuels. All of this capacity that we're talking about will be privately funded but we do need government policy to de-risk that financial investment."

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‌Across the board, there's focus on bringing UK aviation's annual 39 million tons of CO2 emissions down to zero. Even the UK's Royal Air Force is preparing its fleet to switch to sustainable aviation fuels.

Air Vice Marshal Paul Lloyd, chief engineer for the RAF, said: "Moving to net zero cant in any way impinge our ability to deliver for operational effect.

"But nevertheless what we're finding with sustainability work is that this allows us to move more resilience, shorter supply chains and we need to be ready for these new fuels as they come along over the coming years."

The Sustainable Aviation group, which includes major UK airlines, airports, manufacturers and other interested parties, admits air passengers can expect to pay more for flights during the transition to net zero, with an estimated 14 percent fall in demand. 

However, the group says despite extra costs, they still anticipate overall passenger numbers to grow 78 percent by 2050.

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