The aviation industry, a key driver of global connectivity and economic growth, faces increasing pressure to reduce its environmental footprint. With the sector's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, sustainable practices are more critical than ever. As air travel demand grows, industry leaders like Boeing are spearheading innovative solutions. At Aero India 2025, Boeing showcased its Cascade Climate Impact Model.

Cascade evaluates five key areas influencing aviation's carbon footprint: Traffic, Aircraft, Operations, Energy, and Offsets & Removals.

A Comprehensive Tool for Decarbonisation

At the heart of Boeing's sustainability initiatives is the Cascade Climate Impact Model, a data-driven tool designed to assess and visualise the impact of various decarbonisation strategies. Publicly launched in May 2023, with an updated version released in 2025, Cascade provides airlines, policymakers, and industry stakeholders with actionable insights to support the transition to net-zero aviation.

Cascade evaluates five key areas influencing aviation's carbon footprint: Traffic, Aircraft, Operations, Energy, and Offsets & Removals. Unlike traditional models, it considers emissions across the entire value chain, from fuel production to end-use, ensuring a holistic approach to sustainability. By simulating different scenarios, it helps determine the most effective pathways for emissions reduction, balancing short-term goals with long-term strategies.

The tool evaluates multiple decarbonisation pathways, including:

• Fleet Renewal: Analysing the impact of replacing older aircraft with fuel-efficient next-generation models.
• Operational Efficiency: Assessing improvements in air traffic management, optimised flight routing, and fuel-saving technologies.
• Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF): Measuring the effectiveness of increasing SAF production and adoption at scale.
• Advanced Aircraft Technologies: Evaluating the role of future propulsion systems, such as hydrogen and electric-powered aircraft.
• Market-Based Measures: Studying the role of carbon offsets, regulatory frameworks, and government incentives in emissions reduction.

A major application of Cascade is analysing the potential of SAF, one of the most promising solutions for reducing emissions. The model assesses SAF's impact based on factors such as feedstock availability, production scalability, and energy infrastructure. Depending on the raw materials used, SAF can cut lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 84 per cent. By evaluating SAF adoption feasibility, Cascade aids airlines and fuel producers in making informed investment and policy decisions.

By simulating different scenarios, Cascade helps determine the most effective pathways for emissions reduction, balancing short-term goals with long-term strategies.

Beyond SAF, Cascade explores next-generation solutions like hydrogen and electric-powered aircraft, still in early development but crucial for long-term sustainability. By modeling their potential impact, Cascade equips stakeholders with insights to stay ahead of technological advancements.

"We wanted to give customers and regulators a tool that they can use to model the future. It's all public information and educational. The model can suggest changes like fleet renewal, operational efficiency, etc. Through this, our team is working on policy, fleet stock analysis, technology and different production methodologies. Given how futuristic it is and how it can aid in planning ahead, it's like a snapshot in time," said Brian Moran, Chief Sustainability Officer during the demonstration of Cascade at Aero India 2025.

A Data-Driven Roadmap for Net-Zero Aviation

Cascade offers three key tools for aviation decarbonisation:

1. Ambition Levels – Adjustable sliders ranging from baseline 2019 emissions to high-level improvements, reflecting various potential outcomes.
2. Scenarios – Expert-determined parameter sets showcasing different sustainability pathways.
3. Parameter Bounds – Constraints ensuring user inputs remain within practical or physical limits, with default values aligned to moderate ambition levels.

Beyond SAF, Cascade is also instrumental in exploring the viability of hydrogen and electric-powered aircraft, technologies that are still in the early stages of development but could play a crucial role in the long-term transformation of the industry. By modeling the potential impacts of these next-generation technologies, Cascade ensures that stakeholders remain ahead of the curve in planning for a sustainable aviation future.

By providing a data-driven foundation for decision-making, Boeing's Cascade Climate Impact Model is not just a tool-it is a roadmap guiding the aviation industry toward a more sustainable future.

A major application of Cascade is analysing the potential of SAF, one of the most promising solutions for reducing emissions.

"Cascade and the upcoming variant advancements in Cascade are part of our efforts to ensure across the industry that we have excellent understanding of how we can achieve our sustainability goals as an industry. The aviation industry has set a target of net zero emissions by 2050, that's an extremely ambitious target and will require collaboration. And there isn't just one solution, its gonna require everything, its gonna require fleet removal, its gonna require operational efficiency and advancements, its gonna require new technologies in aircraft, its gonna require next version of generational aircraft and its gonna require SAF and Cascade shows how those different elements of sustainability work together to meet our goals," said Salil Gupte is President, Boeing India and South Asia.

Boeing Cascade 2.0: A More Powerful Tool for Aviation Decarbonisation

Cascade 2.0 introduces an unprecedented level of detail, allowing users to model future aircraft and energy strategies with precision. Users can specify the introduction of an aircraft in 2037, determine its electricity requirements, and define its growth trajectory. They can also refine parameters such as workforce needs, feedstock types, and biomass sources, making the model highly adaptable to real-world scenarios.

Why Cascade 2.0?

The goal remains the same-putting data at the forefront of the decarbonisation conversation to drive meaningful solutions. Cascade 2.0 enhances this approach by offering a more customized and actionable experience that reflects diverse global conditions. This latest version is Boeing's most advanced, providing dynamic insights into aviation's journey to net-zero emissions.

Cascade explores next-generation solutions like hydrogen and electric-powered aircraft, still in early development but crucial for long-term sustainability.

"Cascade 2.0 has been unveiled based on feedback from stakeholders. What's special about Cascade 2.0 is the amount of nuance," said Moran. "You can introduce an airplane in 2037 and you can decide it will require this much electricity and its gonna ramp this fast or this slow, the amount of SAF, which feedstock , which biomass, etc. The amount of differentiation and nuance you could introduce within these bars is incredible, so policies can be tweaked accordingly too and hence regulators will have a very essential tool because we need to invest in technology as well as policy," he added.

Key Features of Cascade 2.0

• Enhanced Customisation & Insights: Users can explore energy carriers and future aircraft technologies across various timelines and markets. The new model enables a deeper analysis of factors like jet fuel consumption, fleet composition, and emissions intensity.
• Scenario-Based Modeling: Industry-expert scenarios help assess the long-term impact of technology developments, investment decisions, and policy measures at both global and regional levels.
• User-Friendly Customisation: Users, regardless of expertise, can tailor decarbonisation pathways by adjusting high-level ambition settings or fine-tuning detailed parameters. This includes modifying SAF feedstocks, integrating hydrogen and electric aircraft, and filtering data by aircraft type or region.
• Collaboration & Accessibility: Users can create and share scenario links, access saved models through a dashboard, and seamlessly switch between units for greater flexibility.
• Guided Onboarding: A "Getting Started" guide introduces new users to decarbonisation strategies and their impact on emissions.

With Cascade, Boeing aims to put data at the forefront of the decarbonisation conversation to drive meaningful solutions.

Boeing continues to refine Cascade through an agile development approach, incorporating user feedback to enhance its capabilities. Updates and new features will roll out incrementally throughout 2025, ensuring continuous improvements in aviation sustainability modeling.

Beyond Cascade: Boeing's Holistic Approach to Sustainability

While Cascade provides a robust framework for emission reduction analysis, Boeing's commitment to sustainability extends across multiple dimensions:

1. Operational Efficiency: Collaborating with industry partners, Boeing focuses on enhancing operational practices to reduce emissions by approximately 10 per cent. This includes optimising airplane maintenance, refining fleet and airport operations, and improving flight and air traffic management.
2. Renewable Energy Integration: Boeing is actively increasing its use of renewable energy within its operations. In 2023, 39 per cent of the energy for Boeing's operations was sourced from renewable electricity through direct purchases and renewable energy credits.
3. SAF Advocacy: Recognising SAF as a pivotal element in emission reduction, Boeing has committed to ensuring that its commercial airplanes are capable of flying on 100 per cent SAF by 2030. The company is also investing in research to expand SAF production pathways and collaborating globally to promote its adoption.
4. Innovative Aircraft Design: Boeing is exploring advanced aircraft configurations, such as the transonic truss-braced wing, developed in collaboration with NASA. This design features ultra-thin, elongated wings stabilised by diagonal struts, potentially reducing fuel consumption and emissions by up to 30 per cent.
5. Global Partnerships and Policy Engagement: Boeing actively engages with governments, research institutions, and industry stakeholders worldwide to foster policies and initiatives that support aviation decarbonisation. This includes participating in the development of SAF industries in regions like Australia, where Boeing collaborates on projects to convert agricultural and construction waste into sustainable fuels.

The path to a sustainable aviation industry is multifaceted, requiring a blend of technological innovation, operational refinement, renewable energy adoption, and collaborative policy-making. Boeing's Cascade Climate Impact Model exemplifies the company's dedication to providing actionable insights and tools that empower the industry to navigate the complexities of decarbonisation. By integrating comprehensive models like Cascade with tangible initiatives in fuel innovation, energy efficiency, and design advancements, Boeing is charting a course toward a more sustainable future for aviation-ensuring that the freedom to fly responsibly endures for generations to come.