Aviation and climate change: the role of Algerian MRO in decarbonization

Civil aviation carries more than four billion passengers each year and stands as one of the pillars of the world economy. It is also, in the same motion, one of the sectors most exposed to the challenge of climate change. CO₂ emissions, contrails, nitrogen oxides, fine particulates: burning kerosene at altitude weighs on both climate and air quality. To meet this challenge, the global aviation community has put in place instruments — ICAO's CORSIA, the “net zero 2050” plan, sustainable fuel regulations — and a technical road map: alternative fuels, operational efficiency, retirement of older fleets, circular economy. Within that trajectory, maintenance, green dismantling and material recovery play an often underestimated role. This article describes the place of Algerian MRO — and the AéroNéo project in particular — within this collective effort, respecting the hierarchy of authorities (ANAC first, ICAO second) and the Algerian national framework.

1. Aviation and climate: a measured challenge, quantified targets

According to assessments consolidated by ICAO and international scientific bodies, civil aviation accounts for around 2 to 3 % of global human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. The share looks modest at planetary scale, but it grows faster than the average due to sustained traffic growth, particularly in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. With no action, the sector could double its footprint by 2050.

The industry has therefore set itself a demanding target: carbon neutrality by 2050, endorsed by ICAO at its Assembly. The ambition rests on a combination of levers — no single one is sufficient. Aviation decarbonization will not come from a miracle technology, but from the disciplined addition of complementary efforts: fuels, operations, technology, infrastructure, offsetting. And, essential to our subject, from intelligent management of the aircraft life cycle itself.

Two families of impacts must be distinguished:

• Direct CO₂ emissions, linked to kerosene combustion, measurable to the tonne.
• Non-CO₂ effects (contrails, NOx, water vapour, particulates) whose radiative forcing is now considered comparable to, if not greater than, that of CO₂ alone. Long overlooked, these effects are now central to research.

The challenge is therefore not only to burn less fuel: it is also to choose better where, when and how to fly — and to soberly extend the life of aircraft already in service rather than rushing their replacement.

2. Decarbonization levers: an equation with several unknowns

The sector's road maps converge around five main levers, each contributing a share of the net zero 2050 target.

• Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF): progressive substitution of fossil kerosene by fuels from biomass, waste or synthesis processes based on green hydrogen.
• Operational efficiency: optimized trajectories, continuous descent, electric taxiing, fine load management.
• Technological progress on new aircraft: next-generation engines, improved aerodynamics, composite materials, eventual hybrid propulsion.
• Retirement of older fleets and replacement by fuel-efficient aircraft.
• Market mechanisms and offsetting: CORSIA, carbon markets, contribution to certified reduction projects.

To these are added two dimensions often forgotten by the public but central to an MRO like AéroNéo: reasoned extension of useful life for aircraft in good condition, and material recovery of end-of-life aircraft, which avoids fresh extraction of mineral resources costly in energy and emissions.

3. CORSIA: the international offsetting mechanism

The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) is the tool adopted by ICAO to frame international aviation emissions. Its principle: cap emissions at a reference level and require operators to offset any additional emission through the purchase of eligible emission units (from certified reduction projects). The scheme rolls out in phases:

1. A pilot then voluntary phase launched in 2021, allowing States and airlines to test measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) mechanisms.
2. A mandatory phase from 2027, making offsetting unavoidable for nearly all international operators.

For Algeria, the CORSIA trajectory aligns with the national climate strategy led by the Ministry of the Environment and ANAC's supervision of national air operators. Algerian carriers will, like their peers, have to declare their emissions on international routes, verify these data through an independent body, and acquire offset units for the share exceeding the reference.

CORSIA is neither perfect nor sufficient — it only covers international routes, and the quality of offsets is debated — but it establishes a global carbon price signal for aviation and compels the sector to measure its emissions rigorously. In that sense, it is a structuring lever for the 2025–2035 decade.

4. SAF: sustainable fuel, promise and limits

Sustainable Aviation Fuel refers to any alternative kerosene meeting strict sustainability criteria (life cycle, traceability, no competition with human food, low impact on soils and water). It can be derived from:

• Used oils and animal fats (HEFA, the most mature pathway today).
• Lignocellulosic biomass (forestry and agricultural residues).
• Municipal waste through gasification.
• Electrochemical synthesis from green hydrogen and captured CO₂ (e-fuels, an emerging route).

SAF offers three major advantages: it is compatible with existing engines and infrastructure (drop-in), it reduces life-cycle CO₂ emissions by 60 to 80 %, and it mitigates some non-CO₂ effects (soot particles). But three limits temper enthusiasm:

1. Production remains marginal: less than 1 % of the global kerosene volume in 2025, despite numerous announcements.
2. Cost is high: two to five times that of fossil kerosene depending on the pathway, which weakens the economic equation.
3. Feedstocks are scarce and subject to trade-offs with other sectors (road transport, green chemistry).

Algeria, rich in solar resources and natural gas, holds interesting potential along the e-fuels pathway — green hydrogen production by electrolysis powered by photovoltaics, followed by synthesis into kerosene. Several prospective studies, including those carried by national laboratories, identify the Sahara as a potential long-term production site. This pathway remains long-term but fits within the National Hydrogen Development Strategy adopted by the Algerian government.

5. Extending useful life: an underestimated lever

Public imagination associates “decarbonization” with “fleet renewal”. The logic seems obvious: a new aircraft consumes less, therefore emits less. The intuition is partially true, but it masks a more complex reality.

Building a new aircraft is an extraordinarily intensive operation in energy and materials: bauxite extraction, aluminium refining, titanium production, composites manufacturing, assembly of more than four million parts for a long-haul aircraft. According to life cycle analyses published by manufacturers and specialised universities, the manufacturing phase represents between 5 and 10 % of the total carbon footprint of an aircraft over its entire life. It looks modest — the use phase dominates — but it is a carbon debt concentrated at the start of life, which must be “amortised” in flight hours.

Retiring an aircraft prematurely means not only wasting that debt but also accelerating a new manufacturing debt for its replacement. Quality heavy maintenance — C and D checks conducted to EASA Part-145 standards and ANAC approval — allows a well-designed aircraft's useful life to be extended calmly from 25 to 35 years, even beyond for some models. Combined with a mid-life P2F conversion (passenger-to-freighter), giving robust airframes a second career, the scheme substantially optimizes the carbon balance per tonne-kilometre transported.

“The most environmentally friendly act of an aircraft is to serve well, for a long time, by the rules. New is expensive for the climate; well maintained, much less so.”

6. Green Recycling: avoiding extraction of what we already own

When an aircraft reaches the end of its useful life, the climate stake shifts: it is no longer about flying it better, but about recovering its material. That is the trade of green dismantling (Green Recycling) under the AFRA standard — Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association.

A mid-generation commercial aircraft weighs 40 to 80 tonnes depending on the model. Its material composition is rich: aluminium (60 to 70 % by mass), titanium, special steels, copper, carbon composites, noble alloys in engines and avionics. A dismantling conducted under AFRA Best Management Practices achieves 90 to 95 % recovery. This rate has a dual climate impact:

• It avoids upstream emissions associated with mining extraction, ore transport and refining of virgin metals. Producing one tonne of primary aluminium emits around 11 to 15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent; producing one tonne of recycled aluminium emits 10 to 15 times less. The rule is analogous for titanium, copper, nickel.
• It avoids landfill of complex parts (composites, electronics) whose unmanaged end of life would carry a lasting environmental cost.

For an integrated Algerian MRO like AéroNéo, green dismantling is therefore not a peripheral activity: it is a central climate link in the chain. Each aircraft properly recovered on Algerian soil replaces, at macro scale, an equivalent operation conducted elsewhere, and retains material value within the national economy.

7. The Saharan climate: a natural environmental advantage

A significant share of emissions from an MRO site or long-term storage park comes from the energy needed to maintain working and preservation conditions: heating in humid cold climates, cooling in humid hot climates, dehumidification in most cases. Major storage centres in temperate humid climates consume considerable energy for their hangars and preservation equipment.

The Algerian Saharan climate offers a naturally favourable profile:

• Extremely dry air: humidity levels often below 20 %, drastically reducing corrosion and the need for mechanical dehumidification.
• Very low precipitation: less than 100 mm per year in several southern regions, against 600 to 1,200 mm at competing European or North American sites.
• Exceptional sunshine: 3,000 to 3,600 hours of sun per year, opening the door to solar energy autonomy on site.
• Nocturnal thermal stability: natural cooling useful for technical buildings.

This climate advantage translates directly into emissions avoided compared with equivalent sites at other latitudes. Combined with an Algerian electricity mix in transition towards renewables (a target of 27 % installed renewable capacity by 2035, according to the national strategy), it makes the Sahara a structurally low-carbon MRO site.

8. The Algerian framework: ANAC, Ministry of the Environment and climate strategy

The Algerian institutional framework structures aeronautical and environmental activity through several texts and authorities:

• The ANAC (National Civil Aviation Authority), the supervisory authority of Algerian civil aviation, which approves Part-145 organisations, oversees airworthiness, and translates ICAO obligations at national level, including emissions and noise.
• The Ministry of the Environment and Renewable Energies, which leads the National Climate Strategy, the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submitted to the UNFCCC, and transition policies.
• Law no. 03-10 of 19 July 2003 on environmental protection within sustainable development, the foundation of environmental obligations applicable to classified installations, including aeronautical industrial sites.
• Regulations on hazardous waste and their traceability (tracking slips), applicable to aeronautical fluids (fuels, oils, hydraulics, halons) treated on site.
• The National Hydrogen Development Strategy, which may, over time, feed an Algerian synthetic SAF chain.

On top of this foundation come international commitments: ICAO and CORSIA protocols, United Nations climate conventions (Paris, 2015), Sustainable Development Goals. Algeria has submitted its updated NDC and actively participates in sustainable aviation discussions, in line with its role as a leading African country on energy issues.

9. Table: decarbonization lever and AéroNéo contribution

Lever	Relative CO₂ impact	Maturity 2026	AéroNéo contribution (projected)
Useful life extension via quality MRO	5–10 % avoided per airframe	Mature	Part-145 heavy checks under ANAC approval
Green Recycling 90–95 %	Avoided upstream: 8–12 t CO₂/t recycled aluminium	Mature (AFRA)	AFRA centre targeted, full dismantling on Algerian soil
P2F conversion (cargo second life)	Avoids an equivalent new build	Mature	Targeted conversions under ANAC oversight
Saharan climate (dry storage)	Avoided dehumidification energy	Intrinsic	Southern site, hygrometry < 20 %
On-site solar energy	Reduced Scope 2 emissions	Mature	PV rooftops planned, partial autonomy targeted
SAF (drop-in)	−60 to −80 % life cycle	Emerging	Watch, academic partnerships, e-fuel scenarios
CORSIA / offsetting	Residual balance	Mandatory phase 2027	Compliance with partner operators
Hydrogen / electric	Disruptive potential post-2035	R&D	Technology watch

This table illustrates AéroNéo's philosophy: activate mature levers first (MRO, recycling, P2F, climate, solar) producing immediate and certain effects, while preparing more distant breakthroughs (SAF, hydrogen) through watch and partnerships.

10. UN SDGs: mapping contributions

The Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 provide a clear framework for situating an MRO's contribution within the global trajectory. AéroNéo positions itself across five main SDGs:

• SDG 7 — Affordable and clean energy: on-site solar production, eventual green hydrogen, energy sobriety in operations.
• SDG 9 — Industry, innovation and infrastructure: development of an integrated Algerian industrial chain, innovation in dismantling and preservation.
• SDG 12 — Responsible consumption and production: aeronautical circular economy, maximum material recovery, traceability.
• SDG 13 — Climate action: emissions avoided through life extension, recycling, solar; CORSIA compliance in chain with partner operators.
• SDG 17 — Partnerships for the goals: cooperation with Algerian universities (USTHB, Polytechnic of Algiers, Boumerdès), AFRA, international bodies.

This grid is neither an alibi nor a communication exercise. It provides a verifiable framework in which each action can be documented, measured and reported, consistently with Algeria's international commitments.

11. AéroNéo's role: targeted certifications and trajectory

AéroNéo is in pre-launch. Its environmental road map is built around several milestones:

• Part-145 approval under ANAC: the foundation of industrial quality and traceability, a precondition for any useful-life extension effect.
• ISO 14001 targeted: certified environmental management system, structuring the handling of hazardous waste, fluids and site emissions.
• AFRA standard targeted: Best Management Practices for green dismantling, target recovery rate > 90 %.
• Planned solar energy: photovoltaic rooftops on hangars and technical areas, partial site supply, ambition of progressive autonomy.
• Fluid and waste policy aligned with Law 03-10 and national tracking slips.
• Carbon reporting: implementation of verifiable Scope 1, 2 and 3 accounting, in view of future disclosures.

The whole aims to make AéroNéo a regional reference whose value added is not only industrial but climatic: each flight hour calmly extended, each tonne of aluminium returned to the loop, each solar kWh substituted for the fossil grid counts in the sector's overall balance.

12. The 2030+ trajectory: electrification, hydrogen, biomimicry

Beyond 2030, aviation will explore deeper breakthroughs:

• Regional electric or hybrid aircraft on short distances (less than 500 km), with entry into service envisaged between 2030 and 2035 for certain segments.
• Hydrogen-powered aircraft: liquid hydrogen medium-haul projects announced by several manufacturers for the late 2030s.
• Biomimicry: bird-inspired wings, drag-reducing surfaces, aerodynamic optimization through artificial intelligence.
• Fine traffic management via digital twins and CO₂-optimized trajectories.
• Generalised circular economy: all new aircraft designed from the outset for dismantling and recovery.

These breakthroughs will call for new skills in MROs: cryogenic hydrogen, high-capacity batteries, maintenance of electric propulsion systems, recycling of advanced composite materials. AéroNéo prepares for these developments through its continuous training policy (with Algerian and foreign universities), through its technology watch and through the industrial flexibility of its site.

13. Conclusion: between aeronautical tradition and climate requirement

Aviation is not an easy sector to decarbonize. Its energy density, the absence of an immediate substitute for kerosene, the length of design cycles and safety as an absolute requirement make any transition slow, costly and demanding. But it is under way. CORSIA sets a price signal. SAF, despite its limits, is being deployed. Fleets are renewing. And, in the background, a less visible but decisive activity is gaining scale: intelligent management of the aircraft life cycle, where maintenance, conversion and green dismantling produce real, measurable, immediate gains.

Algeria has every asset to become a reference hub for this activity: geography, climate, energy, training, institutional framework. AéroNéo, in pre-launch, fits into that ambition with rigour — ANAC approvals, ISO 14001, AFRA, solar, academic partnerships — and with humility, aware that decarbonization is the work of an entire community, not of an isolated actor.

Between Algerian aeronautical tradition — going back to the first Saharan routes of the twentieth century — and the climate requirement of the twenty-first, AéroNéo wants to be a bridge. A material bridge, made of recycled aluminium, retreated oils, airframes carefully extended. A human bridge, made of trained technicians, engineers, researchers. An institutional bridge, under ANAC oversight and consistent with the National Climate Strategy. And a bridge to the 2050 horizon — where aviation, without ceasing to unite the world, will have learned to do so in good understanding with it.