Scientists want each flight to last up to an hour longer – they say slower speeds are better for the planet

Let’s hope this strange scheme never gets off the ground.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have announced a perfect plan to get the aviation industry to zero carbon emissions by 2050 – by forcing longer flight times.

Air travel isn’t a harsh enough punishment these days, it seems — witness the last American Airlines flight that was diverted to its original airport in Dallas after 5 hours, or the plane that flew straight into a tropical storm just days before — now we have everything and more to look forward to, but at an even slower pace.

The “bold measure” would slow flight speeds by 15% – adding around 50 minutes of travel time to every single journey, The Independent reported.

The proposal would reduce fuel burn by 5 to 7% and reduce the industry’s 4% contribution to overall climate change, according to the research, which is being presented at the United Nations.

By 2050, it could halve fuel reductions, forecasters point out.

Experts suggested that longer flights could be offset by more efficiently organized airports with fewer stops – an idea sure to raise eyebrows from travelers around the globe.

Earlier in the year, another set of blunders called rampant flight disruptions the “new normal” – thanks to changes from Covid and rising passenger numbers.

And, after manufacturer Boeing’s year from hell with plane parts constantly exploding and coming apart mid-flight, the research team suggests that better-made planes could also help airline customers.

To set these goals, Professor Rob Miller of Cambridge’s Whittle Laboratory said aviation as a whole needs a “system-wide process change”.

“Airlines can’t do it alone, neither can manufacturers or airports,” he told The Times of London.

But such an initiative may be a bit too high at the moment, he noted.

“It’s not that nobody wants to, it’s just that the complexity of the system makes it very difficult to do it.”

“Aviation is at a pivotal moment, just like the auto industry was in the late 2000s,” he added.

Elon Musk’s Tesla delivered its first electric vehicles to consumers at the end of that decade.

More than 16% of US vehicles will be electric or hybrid by the end of 2023, according to the Energy Information Administration.