With the price of fuel increasing, fuel has become the largest expense for airlines. Airlines can only increase their fares so far without turning their customers away completely. One of the ramifications for this development is that airlines are actively researching and testing methods to increase fuel efficiency and, in the process, reduce greenhouse gases.

In a recent article, Sustainable Industries highlights new green innovations in the air transportation industry.

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This is certainly a positive step towards reducing our environmental impact, but it is important that we do not accept this as the final solution. Phil Clapp, president of the National Environmental Trust, a non-partisan US group, told the BBC that the 787 was a "major step forward," but not the sole solution to aviation emissions. Air travel for a family of four flying from the USA to Europe would produce approximately the same amount of carbon as the sum of their domestic energy use in an entire year, and this will continue to rise. "The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that by 2050 emissions from aircraft could be responsible for up to 15 percent of total global warming produced by human activities."

As travellers, our current objective should be an approach on multiple fronts. Consumers should applaud this technical advancement in jet production, but also call for even more advancements from competitors to create a race towards travel that does not harm the environment. The amount of travel each person undertakes should also be limited as much as possible; when it's unavoidable, travelers shoud consider purchasing carbon offsets. Consumers should also consider train transportation when possible, as travel by rail emits one third of the carbon as an equivalent flight.