Bad news for nervous flyers! Flights could soon get EVEN LONGER – as scientists call for planes to fly 15% slower to cut carbon emissions

For many nervous flyers, even an hour in an airplane can be anxiety-provoking.

But there is also bad news: flights could soon become even longer – if scientists at the University of Cambridge have their way.

A new report calls for planes to fly 15 percent slower, which would increase transatlantic flight times by “around 50 minutes.”

According to experts, this would reduce fuel consumption by five to seven percent and contribute to reducing CO2 emissions.

“If we do not act quickly and decisively, we risk missing the opportunity to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and delaying the critical technological and business transformations required to get there,” the team said in the report.

The report, titled ‘Five years to chart a new future for aviation’, outlines three ‘bold efficiency measures’ to reduce fuel consumption in aviation

The reportTitled ‘Five years to chart a new future for aviation’, it outlines three ‘bold efficiency measures’ to reduce fuel consumption in aviation.

‘Fuel consumption in aviation can be reduced by conventional measures, such as new aircraft and engine technologies and improved operational efficiency,’ the researchers explain.

‘Based on a range of sources, the Aviation Impact Accelerator model predicts that these conventional measures could lead to a reduction in fuel consumption of as much as 22% by 2050.

‘However, there are several bold efficiency measures that are currently difficult to access because they require system-wide changes.

‘If these measures are implemented, fuel consumption could be reduced by as much as 50% by 2050.’

The first bold measure concerns the accelerated replacement of the fleet, with the aim of halving the retirement age for aircraft from 30 to 15 years by 2050.

According to experts, this change alone could reduce fuel consumption by 11 to 14 percent.

The second bold measure is to reduce flight speed by about 15 percent, which could reduce fuel consumption by five to seven percent.

The fear of flying – also known as aerophobia – is estimated to affect one in ten people, although some research suggests the figure is much higher (stock image)

The researchers acknowledge that this is unlikely to be well received by passengers.

“A downside to reducing speed is the potential negative impact on airline productivity and passenger acceptance, especially on longer flights,” the researchers said.

However, they assure that this would only increase flight times on transatlantic flights by ‘about 50 minutes’.

“(This) could be compensated by shorter waiting times at the airport,” they explained.

Finally, the researchers say fuel consumption could drop by four to seven percent if more planes fly closer to their design range.

“These far-reaching measures are often overlooked because they require major changes across the aviation sector that are beyond the control of airlines,” the researchers said.

‘Therefore, policy measures must be taken to bring about the necessary changes in the sector that are needed to reduce fuel consumption by 50% by 2050, thus returning aviation to 2019 emissions levels.’

The idea of ​​making flights even longer is bad news for people who are afraid of flying.

It is estimated that one in ten Britons suffer from a fear of flying, also known as aerophobia, although some studies suggest that this percentage is much higher.

‘Fear of flying can be related to a fear of flying, but it can also be an aspect of other psychological problems, such as panic attacks, claustrophobia or post-traumatic stress disorder,’ Anxiety UK explains on its website.

‘People who suffer from a fear of flying often experience increased anxiety and panic attacks at the thought of flying. Many people therefore avoid air travel.’