Will Propeller Aircraft be Key to Net-Zero Emissions?

The global civil aviation industry has pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Decarbonization is one of the biggest trends in aviation, but how that goal will be achieved is not clear. Fundamental propulsion choices raise interesting questions. Two commercial aircraft propulsion types predominate, turboprops and jets. Turboprops have a propeller on the outside of the engine; jets have fan blades inside the engine housing. Propeller propulsion offers significant fuel savings--jet fleets use much more...