British Airways boss says electric planes idea won’t fly until 2050
The boss of British Airways has thrown doubt over predictions electric planes could enter service over the coming decades.
Alex Cruz, BA’s chief executive, said there was “limited opportunity” for electric aircraft entering the market up until 2050.
When pressed on the matter, he said BA had consulted with academics and come to the conclusion “it looks like will take some time”.
The predictions come in direct opposition to a recent report by Citigroup researchers, which predicted electric passenger jets could begin disrupting the regional flights market market as soon as 2030.
Regional flights cover distances up to 1,000 miles, such as inter-city flights between airports in London and Edinburgh – a route on which British Airways offers more than 50 flights per week.
It also comes just weeks after FTSE 100 jet engine maker Rolls-Royce bought Siemens’ electric and hybrid-electric business.
Instead, Cruz said sustainable fuel such as biofuels would take the lead in making flying more environmentally viable.
He predicted that by 2050, nearly one-third of UK jet fuel would be “sustainable fuel”.
In August, BA’s owner International Airlines Group said it would plough $400m (£312.1m) into alternative sustainable fuel development over the next 20 years.
“Flying is, and will always be okay,” Cruz said. “But the responsibility we have is flying sustainably.”
On biofuels, he added that the government and regulators were behind BA. “We see momentum, we see support,” he said.