Material matters

While new airplane designs now entering service will use more carbon-fiber composites than ever, it is no time to count out aluminum, as promising new versions of alloys such as aluminum-lithium gain ground.

Demand for new commercial aircraft is likely to grow in the next decade or so. Dr. Kevin Michaels, a partner at the management consulting firm AeroStrategy, described some of the most important factors driving growth while speaking at the 5th annual Aerospace Materials Conference hosted by the American Metal Market. “Growth is governed by a complex set of interrelations between a number of factors,” he explained. These include economic growth as well as requirements such as utilization rates, aircraft speed, size, and load factors.

One factor, however, matters more than all others-the price of fuel. “In 2002, the price of fuel was about 11% of airline expenses; as of March 2011, it was over 30%,” said Michaels. Increasing fuel prices-and worries over future price volatility-creates a significant imperative to replace the current fleet of aircraft with ones that are more fuel-efficient: Airlines want fuel-efficient airplanes.