At the Paris Airshow last week, one theme came through loud and clear: sustainability is no longer a side conversation in aerospace. It is now front and centre. Whether the topic was propulsion systems, materials innovation or advanced manufacturing, sustainability was woven through every part of the show’s agenda.
This shift reflects a wider transformation. Aerospace faces an urgent challenge: how to sustain global mobility and economic growth while dramatically cutting emissions. The sector accounts for 2–3% of global CO₂ output today – and that share is set to rise unless real change takes place. That’s why aerospace players are now treating decarbonisation not as an environmental add-on, but as a strategic priority.
Bodycote: enabling lower-carbon aerospace manufacturing
While the headlines often focus on new fuels or next-generation aircraft, a significant portion of aerospace’s carbon footprint occurs long before take-off – in the manufacturing and supply chain. This is where companies like Bodycote are making a difference right now.
As a leader in thermal processing, Bodycote enables critical aerospace components to meet demanding safety, strength and durability requirements – while lowering environmental impact. By outsourcing thermal processes to Bodycote, manufacturers gain access to energy-efficient infrastructure and economies of scale that would be difficult to achieve in-house.
Thermal processing is inherently energy-intensive, but by reducing its own operational footprint, Bodycote helps aerospace manufacturers reduce the carbon footprint of the components it processes, and in turn, their overall Scope 3 supply chain emissions. Through ongoing investment and innovation, Bodycote is improving the efficiency and sustainability of its operations – electrifying thermal processes, using renewable energy, and introducing energy efficient, closed-loop systems. Bodycote is targeting a 46% reduction in its own operational emissions by 2030, directly supporting its customers’ decarbonisation goals.
Solutions that meet today’s environmental standards
Bodycote is also helping customers meet regulatory requirements and sustainability goals. For instance, its REACH-compliant surface technologies, such as High-Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) coating, offers a sustainable alternative to legacy processes that use hexavalent chromium – a hazardous substance being phased out in aerospace.
These solutions don’t compromise on performance. Bodycote’s coatings are designed to deliver the durability and precision aerospace demands, while supporting cleaner, safer manufacturing practices.
A shared journey towards lower-carbon aerospace
Bodycote is a trusted partner to the aerospace industry – not only providing essential thermal processing services, but also supporting customers in making practical progress on sustainability. As aerospace manufacturers develop lower-emission aircraft and pursue supply chain decarbonisation, Bodycote is helping ensure that critical components meet the highest performance standards with a reduced environmental footprint.
Decarbonising aerospace is a complex, industry-wide challenge, but it is already underway. Through ongoing collaboration and continued investment in more efficient, lower-impact processing, Bodycote is playing its part in building a more sustainable future for flight.
Learn more about how Bodycote is helping to decarbonise the aerospace industry