A life cycle analysis helps pioneers like Fly with Lucy gain insights into their CO2 emissions. In short
Flying to London, Stuttgart or Paris by electronic plane? Climate tech start-up Fly with Lucy (LUCY) aims to offer passenger flights from regional airports on electronic planes as of 2026. It has the ambition to become a new player in the Dutch airline industry, specializing in sustainable and affordable flights within Europe.
We’re in the middle of a climate crisis. Burning fossil fuels such as kerosene into the atmosphere has been and continues to be a significant contributory factor. The main culprit in relative terms is the short-haul passenger flight industry, due to the inefficiencies involved in planes burning most of their fuel during take-off. Despite the climate crisis, one in every three flights departing Amsterdam Airport Schiphol covers a distance of less than 750 km. The top three routes for Dutch passengers are Amsterdam-London, Rotterdam-London and Amsterdam-Paris. Increasingly, these routes are flown by private jets. In 2022, there were no fewer than half a million private jet flights from European airports. If we ever want to achieve the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 2 °C, we’ll have to operate more sustainably – fast.
Thijs Bosgoed, Co-founder and Head of Partners & Network at LUCY: “Regulations limit the number of flights from airports, but not the level of emissions. By imposing a maximum on emissions, we can force airlines to become more sustainable. In the future, electronic planes will be a sustainable alternative for small-capacity, short-haul flights for distances up to 750 kilometers.”
Another advantage that electronic planes offer is that they’re less noisy. Jessica Lau, Head of Growth at LUCY: “Because electronic planes aren’t subject to the same noise restrictions as conventional ones, we can use them to cover a network of regional airports. There are twelve regional airports in the Netherlands alone, in addition to the nationally important ones. This means reduced waiting times for passengers and allows us to offer shorter, more direct flights. The result is lower operating costs and less dependence on conventional planes for short distances.”
Train, electronic plane or Boeing
One question that needed answering was how CO2 emissions from electronic passenger planes compare to those from trains and kerosene-fueled planes. To that end, EY performed an indicative life cycle analysis (LCA), leaving out aspects such as time savings and the ‘business class experience’ for the time being. An LCA does not just calculate CO2emissions as a function of the energy consumed per passenger-kilometer (pkm), but also emissions resulting from raw material extraction; the construction of the plane or train and the landing strips or railways; the construction of the terminals; battery changes; and even tire wear. The decommissioning or reuse of the battery pack was left out for now
The life cycle analysis (LCA)
Performing a LCA is a useful way to gain insights into the various environmental effects of a product or service, while at the same time comparing it to similar products or services. A fast-track LCA yields insights into a product’s impact quickly, but is less detailed than a full LCA. The advantage of a fast-track LCA is that is allows for the identification of potential ‘hotspots’ that can be examined further in a full LCA.
From EY’s Amsterdam office to JP Morgan in London
A team of sustainability consultants at EY calculated the carbon footprint (CO2-equivalent*) of the trip from EY’s Amsterdam office to JP Morgan’s London office. Flying by LUCY plane generates emissions of 26 kg CO2-eq.[1] This is up to 50% less than the same flight on a conventional passenger plane. As for taking the trip by train, traveling from EY’s Amsterdam office to JP Morgan’s London office by train generates emissions of 24 kg CO2-eq. The fast-track LCA therefore suggests that the emissions are roughly comparable.
CO2-equivalent
In addition to carbon dioxide (CO2), other greenhouse gases are taken into account as well. These are nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and fluorinated gases (F-gases). In order to add up the impact of the various greenhouse gases, emissions data are expressed as CO2-equivalents in accordance with the Global Warming Potential (GWP), i.e., the extent to which a gas contributes to the greenhouse effect.
The results of the LCA are a starting point for innovations to take us in the right direction and develop the sustainable business case further.
Eelco Rietveld Manager Climate Change & Sustainability Services
Using the LCA to chart the course of innovation
Eelco Rietveld, Manager Climate Change & Sustainability Services at EY: “Even though electronic aviation is still in its infancy, emissions from electronic planes are already on a par with emissions generated by train travel. Still, there’s much fine-tuning to be done in the years ahead. The LCA is a key instrument in this regard, as it helps innovators like LUCY work out their ecological footprint and chart the course of innovation.”
Thanks to the LCA, LUCY has been able to identify points of improvement in areas including electricity and battery power.
Alistair Beames Manager Decarbonization and Impact Advisory at EY
How clean are biofuels really?
Although the LCA has shed light on a range of issues, future developments in some areas remain unclear. One of those areas is the use of biofuels. Due to the lack of data needed for accurate predictions, too many forecasts in this regard are based on assumptions. In spite of lofty ambitions, it has not yet been established how ‘green’ biofuels truly are.Eelco Rietveld: “Pioneers such as LUCY have to potential to make a significant impact on the aviation industry. This makes it doubly important to separate facts from fiction. The LCA not only visualizes the ecological footprint, but also provides answers to questions like: Where to we stand? What are the hotspots? And how can we reduce our emissions? These are questions that every business will have to face in the short term.”
Summary
As part of EY Ripples, EY performed an LCA for LUCY to compare CO2 emissions from electronic passenger planes to those from trains and kerosene-fueled planes. The LCA is a key instrument that helps innovators like LUCY work out their ecological footprint and chart the course of innovation.
