Sustainability

The availability of feedstocks for biofuels in the Netherlands in 2050 is expected to be far lower than the demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), concludes a report released by the Royal NLR aerospace research center.

NASA has awarded contracts to GE Aviation and MagniX for the Electric Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) program, which aims to mature megawatt-class electrified aircraft propulsion (EAP) technologies for regional and single-aisle transport aircraft from 2035 onwards.

Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways have each signed large offtake agreements with new producers of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as both airlines aim to convert at least 10% of their annual jet fuel usage to low-carbon alternatives by 2030.

The UK plans to build a center to lead research, testing and certification of new sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

Two aviation sustainability roadmaps are about to be updated, with the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) poised to issue the second edition of its Waypoint 2050 report and European stakeholders set to add more detail to their Destination 2050 action plan.

While the body representing the world’s airports has issued advice to its members on more sustainable operations, a European environmental organization has at the same time slammed the continent’s major airports for their pollution levels.

The airline has signed an MOU with New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) initiative.

The airline wants to have a zero-emissions replacement option for its Q300s and is studying the potential of hydrogen power with Airbus.

Safran and French energy group TotalEnergies agreed to jointly develop technical and commercial solutions designed to accelerate the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from the aviation industry.

The space agency has led understanding of climate change, but its facilities are vulnerable to the effects of extreme weather.

Honeywell UOP and hydrogen production specialist Wood have joined forces to further reduce the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of sustainable aviation fuel to produce a carbon-neutral jet fuel.

By confronting ideas, including inconvenient numbers and opinions, the company is helping difficult but must-have conversations take place now.

IATA needs to send a strong message of renewal from its Boston annual general assembly.

Environmental groups have renewed their call for the U.S. government to set a tougher rule for aircraft greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions than the CO2 certification standard agreed by ICAO.

Airbus has been gathering positive signs that its 2035 ambition for a hydrogen-fueled commercial aircraft is realistic.

The sustainability agenda is already an important factor as the airline chooses 'the places where we're flying.'

The head of Frontier Airlines says the ULCC's fleet of Airbus A320neo family aircraft demonstrates a strong commitment to the environment but reports little motivation from passengers to pay for CO2 offset programs.

Reaching a target of 10% SAF use by 2030 will require the scaling up of production to at least 9.5 billion gal./year from the less than 10 million gal. produced in 2020.

As Airbus is exploring several technologies to drastically cut and eventually annihilate an aircraft’s CO2 emissions, its design engineers are considering micro-hybridization as a starting point in electrification.

Engine makers face more questions than answers as they plot future turboprop hybrid-electric evolution strategy.

Fuel supply mandates, blenders’ tax credits, voluntary targets are all in the mix as SAF becomes the near-term path to sustainability.

The oil and gas company has set itself a target of producing 2 million metric tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) a year by 2025—a significant near-term scale-up in supply since Shell is not producing SAF at present.

Sweden-based SCA, Europe’s largest private forest owner, and Nordic energy company St1 have established a joint venture to produce and sell liquid biofuels, including sustainable aviation fuel.

American Airlines has become an anchor partner in Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, investing $100 million in the Bill Gates-founded initiative to accelerate clean energy technologies needed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

As manufacturers strive to reduce the fuel burn and emissions of their next generation of commercial airliners, longer wings are near the top of the list.