Measuring lubricant and fuel consumption in both small and large aircraft remains a complex challenge, far more intricate than in land vehicles. As both a scientist and a traveler, I focus on airports, aircraft, and the aviation supply chain, particularly in relation to lubricants and fuel, ground services, in-flight operations, security, and passenger comfort, which are both technical and enjoyable pursuits for me. I focus on the design, material selection, and management of waste, energy, water, and technology of airports, both large and small. Air conditioning is essential for comfort both on the ground and in-flight.
Aircraft crews may include air marshals and cabin safety inspectors, aside from passengers. In my role as a Flight Sustainability Rater, I observe, assess, and document practices onboard each flight, when necessary. Sustainable management and sustainable service in aviation are crucial.
Our flag-bearing brand, Turkish Airlines (THY), is deeply precious to me. The crescent and star on our flag complement the sky in perfect harmony. As Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk once said, “The future is in the skies. Nations that fail to protect their skies can never be certain of their future. A winged youth is the greatest guarantee for the future of the country.”
I fondly recall my first direct flights: to the Democratic Republic of the Congo aboard a propeller plane; to Alaska on a flying boat; and to the Americas on transatlantic routes with Turkish Airlines. Flying with local carriers in distant regions, witnessing the enigma of the Nazca Lines from low altitudes, experiencing Turkish Airlines’ lounges, the dawn on in-flight entertainment and internet connectivity, turbulences, the first in-flight service with wooden spoon-fork-knife, technical anxiety during mid-air defueling, passenger health issues, many firsts with biolubricants, biofuels and hydrogen, all fill my memory with warmth. I enjoy my pre-flight tea, simit, and cheese before takeoff.
Flying, as well as land and sea travel, is much more than just transportation for me. Mobility is an essential part of my missions, explorations, journeys of culture and pleasure. Aviation museums are splendid. From my academic, civil society, and traveler perspectives, I focus on the impact of transportation through lubricants and fuels on our three most pressing challenges: biodiversity loss, environmental pollution, and climate change.
Achieving safe, efficient, and reliable air travel depends greatly on the lubrication solutions with long-lasting, technically robust performance for aircraft engines, turbines, hydraulic systems, landing gear, and other critical moving components. The aviation sector continues to evolve through fierce competition in the markets for engine oils, hydraulic fluids, and aviation greases. Innovations under Biodegradable Lubricants and Biobased Aviation Oils, along with the push toward Next-Generation Lubricant Products, are actively shaping the future. Equally vital is the responsible management of end-of-life lubricants, which plays an indispensable role in ensuring environmental sustainability in aviation.
Meanwhile, the development of additives – those unsung molecular heroes in both fossil-based and biobased lubricants and fuels – is advancing rapidly.
Approximately three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions stem from the energy sector, with one-quarter of that attributed to transportation, and within transportation, one-fifth comes from aviation. Aviation fuels, in this regard, are far from innocent. Climate-friendly alternatives and biofuels are urgently needed. Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and Lower Carbon Aviation Fuels (LCAF) offer viable solutions to fossil-based aviation fuels and hold a prominent place among “Next Generation Fuels.” Investor interest in SAF production in Türkiye is high. Turkish Airlines and Turkish Fuel Services (TFS), actively following developments in the European Union and worldwide, are collaborating with market stakeholders to supply domestically produced SAF. Türkiye’s first SAF supply occurred on the Istanbul–Paris flight on February 2, 2022.
Türkiye Sustainable Aviation Alliance, established through a partnership between Turkish Airlines, Boeing, and Istanbul Technical University (ITU), aims to foster collaboration, deliver a multi-stakeholder SAF roadmap for Türkiye, leverage education and training for aviation sustainability, and spread awareness through targeted outreach. The platform currently engages 23 stakeholders. Among them are the Sustainable Production and Consumption Association (SÜT-D) and the Biofuel Industry Association. This is a meaningful platform for SÜT-D, which prioritizes our nation’s decarbonization efforts.
At the inaugural SÜT-D Low Carbon Hero Award on April 3, 2015, fourteen exemplary carbon management achievements were recognized, an event that sparked widespread interest through strong media engagement. On September 8, I received a call in my ITU office about Turkish Airlines’ fuel efficiency project. I was asked if it could be nominated for the following year’s award. I replied, “I’m noting the date. I’m glad to hear this, especially at a time when we’re still struggling to communicate the importance of reducing GHG emissions in automobiles. Please submit a nomination, and if appropriate, let our esteemed ITU graduate, General Manager Temel Kotil, be our keynote speaker.” On April 15, Turkish Airlines was named a SÜT-D 2016 Low Carbon Hero, applauded as “an organization that is lenient on carbon consumption.” Applause then, and applause again today for THY and its commitment to Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), helping pave the way for a decarbonized future in aviation.
For SAF, the contributions of the Energy Market Regulatory Authority, the Turkish Standards Institution, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (SHGM), Turkish Fuel Services (TFS) operations, and the growing interest of both domestic and foreign investors are as precious to the blue of our planet as the proud red of our national flag, ever the steadfast companion of Turkish Airlines. May our journey remain bold and bright.
With the 2053 Transport and Logistics Plan from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (April 2022); the Climate Change Mitigation Strategy and Action Plan for 2024-2030 (March 2024), and the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan for 2024-2030 from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change; and the Climate Law, Türkiye is steadily advancing toward its 2053 Net Zero Target. Our national plans include SAF, aligned with the Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in October 2016. The Regulation on Monitoring of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Aviation Activities (SHY-16.4) came into force in March 2022. The SHGM Sustainable Aviation Fuel Instruction (SHT-SAF), dated June 30, marks a vital step forward. This directive sets out principles for the mandatory use and promotion of SAF, defining the obligations of suppliers and airline operators to meet ICAO’s target of reducing emissions from international flights by 5 percent by 2030. May the path be clear for our SAF investors and biorefineries. In this crucial endeavor, the role of academia is indispensable.
Undergraduate education in the Airplane Engineering Department of ITU’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering began in 1941. Established in 1983, the Department of Aeronautical Engineering within the Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics remains one of our most esteemed divisions, distinguished by globally recognized achievements in education and research. Greetings to our graduates.
Securing a place in the sustainable aviation management supply chain, especially with a bioproduct, is no easy feat. Testing and certification processes are lengthy and demanding. Yet, the brand value, reputation, and “green money” of success are of a different caliber. By effectively managing the financial and environmental costs of next-generation aviation lubricants, fuels, and additives across their lifecycles and bringing bioproducts to market, our country moves closer to the goal of aviation decarbonization. Our journey has begun. I now look forward to sharing the mission-ready biolubricants with you and to my flight to the Altai Republic, a region deeply rooted in the mythologies of “Tengri”.
