https://aviationweek.com/themes/custom/particle/dist/app-drupal/assets/awn-logo.svg
Skip to main content
  • Market Sector
    • Aerospace
    • Air Transport
    • MRO
    • Defense and Space
    • Business Aviation
  • Markets
    • Aerospace
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Connected Aerospace
      • Emerging Technologies
      • Manufacturing & Supply Chain
      • Advanced Air Mobility
      • Commercial Space
      • Sustainability
    • Air Transport
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Airports & Networks
      • Airlines & Lessors
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Maintenance & Training
      • Sustainability
    • MRO
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Emerging Technologies
      • Supply Chain
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Workforce & Training
      • Sustainability
    • Defense and Space
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Sensors & Electronic Warfare
      • Missile Defense & Weapons
      • Supply Chain
      • Budget, Policy & Operations
      • Space
      • Sustainability
    • Business Aviation
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Airports, FBOs & Suppliers
      • Flight Deck
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Maintenance & Training
      • Sustainability
  • Marketplace
  • Services
    • Services
      • Advertising
      • Marketing Services
      • Fleet, Data & APIs
      • Research & Consulting
      • Network and Route Planning
      • Marketplace
  • Store
    • Market Sector

      • Aerospace
      • Air Transport
      • MRO
      • Defense and Space
      • Business Aviation
    • Type View All Products
      • Intelligence Bundles
        • AWIN - Premium
        • AWIN - Aerospace and Defense
        • AWIN - Business Aviation
        • AWIN - Commercial Aviation
      • Market Briefings
        • Advanced Air Mobility Report - NEW!
        • Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
        • Aviation Daily
        • SpeedNews
        • The Weekly of Business Aviation
      • Directories
        • Air Charter Guide
        • Aviation Week Marketplace
        • Route Exchange
        • The Engine Yearbook
      • Data Services
        • AC-U-KWIK
        • Aircraft Bluebook
        • Airportdata.com
        • Airport Strategy and Marketing (ASM)
        • CAPA – Centre for Aviation
        • Fleet Discovery Civil
        • Fleet Discovery Military
        • Fleet & MRO Forecast
        • MRO Prospector
      • Publications
        • Air Transport World
        • Aviation Week & Space Technology
        • Aviation Week & Space Technology - Inside MRO
        • Business & Commercial Aviation
        • CAPA - Airline Leader
        • Routes magazine
        • ShowNews
      • Resources
        • Downloadable Reports
  • Events
    • Recent webinars
    • Events View All Events
      • MRO
        • MRO Americas
        • MRO Asia
        • MRO Australasia
        • MRO Baltics & Eastern Europe Region
        • MRO Europe
        • MRO Latin America
        • MRO Middle East
        • Military Aviation Logistics and Maintenance Symposium (MALMS)
        • Asia Aerospace Leadership Forum & MRO Asia-Pacific Awards
      • Commercial Aviation/A&D
        • A&D Mergers and Acquisitions
        • A&D Programs
        • A&D Manufacturing
        • A&D Raw Materials
        • A&D SupplyChain
        • A&D SupplyChain Europe
        • Advanced Air Mobility
        • Aero-Engines Americas
        • Aero-Engines Europe
        • Aero-Engines Asia-Pacific
        • Aerospace IT
        • Engine Leasing Trading & Finance Europe
        • Engine Leasing, Trading & Finance Americas
      • Air Transport
        • CAPA Live
        • Routes Americas
        • Routes Europe
        • Routes World
        • ATW Airline Awards
        • CAPA Airline Leader Summit
        • CAPA Americas Aviation & LCCs Summit
        • CAPA Latin America Aviation & LCCs Summit
        • CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit
        • CTC Asia Corporate Travel Summit & Sustainability Expo
        • CAPA World Aviation Outlook Summit
        • GAD Americas
        • GAD World
      • Aerospace and Defense
        • A&D Mergers and Acquisitions Conference (ADMA)
        • A&D Manufacturing Conference
        • Aerospace Raw Materials & Manufacturers Supply Chain Conference (RMC)
        • A&D Programs
      • Awards
        • Aviation Week 20 Twenties
        • Aviation Week Laureate Awards
        • Program Excellence Awards and Banquet
        • CAPA Asia Aviation Summit & Awards for Excellence
  • About
    • About Aviation Week Network
      • Our Story
      • Content and Data Team
      • Aviation Week & Space Technology 100-Year
    • Contact Us
      • Subscriber Services
      • Advertising, Marketing Services & List Rentals
      • Content Sales
      • Events
      • PR & Communications
      • Content Licensing and Reprints
      • FAQ
  • Log In
  • Register
  • My Account
    • Profile
    • Sign Out
  • AWIN Access
  • My cart
    Back to
  1. Air Transport

Share

Gallery: A Look At Aviation's Latest Sustainability Developments

Linda Blachly March 09, 2023

Southwest is launch customer for SMBC’s carbon credit program

Photo credit: Joe Pries

Southwest Airlines plans to buy over 400,000 carbon credits from lessor SMBC Aviation Capital, making the Dallas-based carrier the launch customer for the program. Over a five-year timeframe, Southwest will use SMBC’s Gold Standard- and Verra-certified credits to cover CORSIA requirements and offset staff travel, including crew positioning on its own flights, as well as tickets donated to charity.
 

Lufthansa Aviation Training, Diamond team up on eDA40 electric trainer

Photo credit: Diamond Aircraft

Lufthansa Aviation Training signed a letter of intent with Diamond Aircraft Austria to jointly explore sustainable flight training, including testing the eDA40 in a real training environment, with the goal of helping parent Lufthansa Group meet its commitment to cut net carbon emissions in half by 2030.

The cooperation includes an intent to purchase eDA40s to operate alongside its Diamond DA40 and DA42 piston-powered trainers.

Diamond plans to certify the eDA40 with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) by the end of 2023 or beginning of 2024. The trainer is expected to be the first EASA/FAA Part 23-certified electric aircraft. Pipistrel’s Velis Electro electric trainer was certified in 2020 under EASA’s CS-LSA for light sport aircraft.
 

Shell: Book-And-Claim System can reduce SAF costs

Photo credit: Rob Finlayson

Shell Aviation believes its Avelia book-and-claim blockchain solution will be one of the fastest ways to bring down the costs of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), saying it will not only contribute to the payment of SAF, but also stimulate long-term demand for governments and industry to build more SAF infrastructure. 

Avelia was launched at the IATA AGM in June 2022 and has attracted customers such as Accenture, AMEX Global Business Travel, and Cathay Pacific. It made its first blockchain transaction in October 2022. The blockchain technology ensures traceable links to the carbon offset that the company purchased from the airline.   
Doris Tan, head of Shell Aviation Asia Pacific (APAC) and Middle East, said the book-and-claim system can decouple geography and the short supply of SAF production in Asia Pacific, solving the issue of Asian airlines obtaining SAF in APAC airports to meet carbon neutrality goals. 

Tan said Shell recently signed a contract with a “big US IT company,” which will be brought into the Avelia eco-system. 
 

Singapore invests $37 million for sustainability projects

Photo credit: Changi Airport

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) set aside S$50 million ($37 million) to drive sustainability projects. Known as the Aviation Sustainability Program, it will see CAAS provide up to 70% funding for sector-wide projects and up to 50% funding for company-level projects. The regulator will support projects that drive the following objectives: catalyze sustainability initiatives to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint; develop new sustainability capabilities efforts to develop and test-bed new service offerings; support projects that develop a collaborative cross-sectoral aviation sustainability ecosystem.
 

Italy changes laws to assist airports in energy production

Leonardo da Vinci International Airport. Credit: Sergio Di Pasquale / Alamy Stock Photo

Italian civil aviation authority ENAC secured a regulatory change, making it easier for airports to use their land for sustainable energy production. The new law simplifies the authorizations needed to install renewable energy plants at Italian airports, deeming them “suitable areas” for new facilities. However, ENAC will still make “necessary checks” before granting approvals. ENAC described the streamlined regulatory framework as “an important step forward for the decarbonization of airport infrastructure,” helping airports support their own energy needs.
 

United customers contribute to SAF fund

Photo credit: United Airlines

More than 3,200 of United Airlines’ customers have contributed to the United Airlines Ventures (UAV) Sustainable Flight Fund. Speaking to members of the media March 1, executives said in addition to the financial contributions, over 100,000 customers have clicked through from the booking path to learn more about sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and emissions, in the first week since launching the fund. The fund launched Feb. 21 with $100 million in investments and several partners.
 

Universal Hydrogen Dash 8 completes first flight

Photo credit: Universal Hydrogen

Universal Hydrogen’s De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 flying testbed has become the largest hydrogen-electric aircraft to fly following a successful first flight from Moses Lake, Washington, on March 2.

Configured with a megawatt-scale hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion system, the converted aircraft lifted off at 8.41 am Pacific and landed back after a 15-min flight. The flight, which was conducted from Moses Lake-based AeroTEC’s flight test center, was the first in a two-year flight test campaign expected to culminate in 2025 with entry into service of ATR 72 regional aircraft converted to run on hydrogen. 

Universal’s order book now totals 247 aircraft conversions from 16 customers. The company says this includes over $1 billion in conversions backlog and over $2 billion in fuel services over the first 10 years of operation.
 

American, Yield10 Bioscience partner on SAF

Art credit: Yield10 Bioscience

American Airlines signed an MOU with Yield10 Bioscience to develop camelia as a low-carbon feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Camelina is an annual oilseed plant that can be used as a cover crop in winter to slow erosion, retain moisture, improve the soil and control weeds and pests.

Under the agreement, American will work with agricultural biosciences company Yield10 to develop a “field to flight” value chain for camelina oil with the potential to secure offtake agreements for SAF produced using the oil. The companies also plan to work together to secure government grants to support the establishment of infrastructure to use camelia oil as a feedstock for SAF production.
 

LATAM Group flies with SAF

Photo credit: LATAM

LATAM Group completed its first international flight with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The flight was operated by LATAM Cargo Chile between the Zaragoza airport and North America, in line with the Group's commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2050. 
 

Porter, YHU team up to develop net zero Saint-Hubert terminal

Rendering: Porter Airlines

A new 225,000 sq. ft. (21,000 sq. m.) terminal at Montréal Saint-Hubert Airport (YHU) will be developed as a net-zero facility, in partnership with Porter Aviation Holdings (PAHI).

The YHU passenger terminal complex will be a fully electric facility, connected to the Québec electrical grid powered by hydroelectric and wind energy sources, according to Porter Airlines. Ground vehicles will also be electric, when available.

Construction on the new nine-gate terminal is expected to begin this spring and be completed by late 2024. More than 10 potential routes have been identified initially, Porter noted, including Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Quebec, Moncton, Halifax, Charlottetown, St. John’s, and both its Toronto hubs—Billy Bishop and Pearson—using a combination of 78-seat De Havilland Dash 8-400 and 132-seat Embraer E195-E2s. The total number of aircraft to be based on the new terminal is yet to be determined. 
 

Previous
Next

From issuing carbon credits, developing net-zero airports, producing more sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and teaming up on electric aircraft, the aviation industry continues to move forward to meet environmental goals.
 

Linda Blachly

Linda Blachly is Senior Associate Editor for Air Transport World and Aviation Week. She joined the company in July 2010 and is responsible for producing features for Air Transport World’s monthly magazine and engaging content for the aviationweek.com. She is based in the Washington DC office.

Related Content

Gallery: Latest Sustainability Programs Aim For Net-Zero Targets
Gallery-Industry Moves Forward With Sustainability initiatives

Follow us on

Markets

  • Aerospace
  • Air Transport
  • MRO
  • Defense and Space
  • Business Aviation

Products

  • AWIN Intelligence Bundles
  • Market Briefings
  • Publications
  • Data Services
  • Directories
  • Resources

Contact Us

  • Subscriber Services
  • Advertising, Marketing Services & List Rentals
  • Content Sales
  • Events
  • PR & Communications
  • Content Licensing and Reprints
  • FAQ

Other Resources

  • Aviation Week Marketplace
  • Knowledge Center
  • Newsletters
  • ShowNews
  • Advertising - Media Kits
Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved. Informa Markets, a trading division of Informa PLC.
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use