Donnerstag, 25.09.2025 | 08:30 - 09:45 Uhr | Empore im KAP-Foyer

DGLR Forum "Aviation & Society":
Sustainable aviation - "reality bites back" ?

Diskussionsforum unter der Leitung von Daniel Reckzeh - Mitglied des DGLR Präsidiums

The direction seems to be set: Aviation is heading towards sustainability until 2050. The sector is committed, roadmaps have been drawn up, technologies are identified. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that this is not a guaranteed route to success. It appears to be a long and winding road, and perhaps ultimately not even feasible ? The required budgets for the transition seem to be out of reach; the identified technologies are anything but ready; the upscaling of infrastructures e.g. for SAF or hydrogen is well behind what seems to be needed.

So, where are we heading, what can we do about it ?

Lets add additional dimensions to the equation towards sustainability: What about profitability, affordability, robustness ? Are these threats or rather levers ? Are there pathways possible which consider also these "economical" dimensions and create win-wins, finally boosting the way towards real (=realistic) sustainable aviation ? "Realistic" means: Applicable and feasible in the future world, fitting our societies as they will evolve!

We may be heading into very different directions in a future world. The Excellence Cluster SE2A (Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Aviation) has scientifically elaborated some scenarios for aviation within the ScenAIR2050 work: ScenAIR2050-SE2A Final Results Brochure_2021-2025
Feel free to immerse yourself in these as they are just as a thought experiment ! Those scenarios that you may consider more desirable will certainly require answers to the key question:

How can we make aviation as sustainable as possible in 20-30 years, in a realistic manner that ensures air mobility remains affordable and profitable ?

The DGLR is the home of the scientific-technical community "who knows best on aviation". So: you know best ! Therefore, lets actively discuss and exchange on our overall ambition !
We want to actively discuss in an open workshop format on "what we could do, and why should we do that", taking various perspectives of key actors in the system, e.g the one of

• The strategic director of an airline ?
• The CEOs of an aircraft and engine manufacturer ?
• Yourself as individual, a passenger "who makes the complete aviation system fly" and at the same time as a person affected by scenarios of the future?

Join us for an open session to tackle the key question that is in the air from the different perspectives.

We look forward to your ideas, opinions and active contributions on DLRK's thursday morning !