COP26 is an annual meeting of world leaders who come together to discuss issues surrounding climate change. The 2021 meeting attracted nearly 200 world leaders and approximately 36,000 delegates. Following COP26, feedback from the airline industry is crucial as aviation accounts for three percent of all carbon emissions. Bhanu Choudhrie, Bhanu Choudhrie, founder of Alpha Aviation Group which offers pilot training as its main service, gave his thoughts on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the other issues the industry now faces.founder of Alpha Aviation Group which offers pilot training as its main service, gave his thoughts on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the other issues the industry now faces. This comes at the same time the demand for air travel has reached an all-time high. Airline executives have been aware of the issue for some time, which is why several worldwide aviation organisations pledged to reach the goal of zero net carbon emissions back in 2005.
The Unique Value Propositions of Bhanu Choudhrie
Alpha Aviation Group has always been willing to do its part to resolve the global climate crisis and the coronavirus pandemic. The company was one of hundreds of aviation carriers across the world that cancelled flights and reduced services to help in pandemic mitigation efforts. Founder Bhanu Choudhrie saw passenger confidence return earlier this year, leading to an even greater demand for flights than before the pandemic.
Choudhrie acknowledges that airline flights play only a small role in contributing to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the United Kingdom. Even so, the role aviation plays in upstream and downstream sectors such as rental cars, the hospitality industry, and in-person business meetings remains critical.
Aviation is unique in a mobile society because of its ability to create jobs, stimulate the economy, and facilitate international trade. Dealing with the conflicting issues of passenger demand and carbon emissions has caused Choudhrie to propose several novel solutions for the entire industry. His support for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has attracted the most attention.
Express.co.uk Interviews Bhanu Choudhrie After the COP26 Summit
A reporter from the well-known British publication caught up with Choudhrie at the conclusion of the 2021 Climate Summit to ask for his input regarding SAF. He began his remarks by stating that SAF is currently available at a commercial level, albeit in extremely limited amounts. Choudhrie went on to explain that the widespread adoption of SAF is likely several years away, but that such a move could reduce carbon emissions from aircraft by up to 80 percent when compared to standard fossil fuels.
The founder Alpha Aviation Group urged industry analysts and the public not to view SAF as some type of silver bullet that would eliminate the climate crisis entirely. The aviation industry still has work to do, but SAF plays a vital role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft.
Currently, only 0.1 percent of jet fuel in use meets the definition of sustainable aviation fuel. Like many major industries around the world, the aviation industry has struggled with supply chain issues caused by the pandemic. According to Choudhrie, widespread use of SAF in the next few years can only happen if major stakeholders collaborate at a deeper level to build programmes and financial structures that can direct capital towards the development and adoption of alternative sources of jet fuel.
Alpha Aviation Group Plans to Tackle the Problem of Pilot Shortages
Bhanu Choudhrie’s Alpha Aviation Group created a novel approach to training pilots in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. With much still unknown about the novel coronavirus, no one wanted to take unnecessary chances with in-person contact and training. However, training cannot go unaddressed, since even experienced pilots require ongoing training to improve their skills.
Alpha Aviation Group led the industry by investing in and developing online training for trainee pilots and once restrictions allowed, simulator training resumed to ensure pilots could stay up to date with their licenses. Other airlines turned to Alpha to fulfil their own training needs after having cancelled classes without having a back-up plan in place.
Nearly two years after the coronavirus pandemic first emerged, Choudhrie and his team faced a new issue regarding pilots. Airlines cannot find enough qualified applicants to fill pilot openings. Thousands faced layoffs due to the pandemic and have moved onto different careers while others decided to retire. Countries that have mandated the coronavirus vaccine for pilots have also seen a decline in the number of people applying to be trainee pilots.
One solution that Choudhrie has proposed is to recruit more women pilots to fill the anticipated shortage, encouraging more female pilots into the industry is something that Alpha Aviation has championed for some time. Alpha Aviation Group created a formal program called Women in Aviation with a goal to have female students comprise 20 percent of each training class. He is happy to say that Alpha has exceeded this original goal with every new training class, and he proposes increased recruitment efforts among minorities and people in lower socioeconomic classes.
Choudhrie has voiced his opinion several times that governments need to do more to make pilot training more affordable for cadets. He has done his part by offering simulated training and a condensed approach but would still like to see official government organisations offset a portion of training costs incurred by new pilots.
Realising that he cannot tackle the problem of pilot shortages by himself, Choudhrie continues to collaborate with others in the industry and highlights the problem to governments as often as he can. Just as he did with pilot training during a pandemic, aviation insiders have no doubt that Bhanu Choudhrie will continue to introduce creative solutions to this and other issues that face the aviation industry.