#Sustainability20: Acelen Renewables secures $1.5 billion to build billion-litre SAF project in Brazil & more
Weekly Round-up - 29/05/26
Each Friday, we publish a round-up of the 20 most important stories on sustainable aviation. You can see previous editions of #Sustainability20 here.
Industry Updates
Lufthansa has expanded its climate protection portfolio to 14 projects, doubling the share of permanent carbon removal schemes as passenger contributions rose 20% in 2025.
Bombardier has achieved its three foundational sustainability targets for 2025, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25% while completing a successful company turnaround.
Gatwick Airport has invested £1 million in two nature-based carbon removal projects, transforming degraded farmland into habitats that will offset residual emissions through the next decade.
A Washington State University study has concluded that the US is unlikely to meet its 2030 SAF production target of 3 billion gallons, citing feedstock shortages and project delays.
Scoot has been named the world’s most emissions-efficient airline in Cirium’s annual ranking, with a CO2 per available seat kilometre of just 51 grams.
Global air travel has so far avoided severe disruption from the Iran war, as oil exporters stepped up production and travellers proved willing to pay higher ticket prices.
CLIMATE WATCH: ‘Planetary destruction on fast-forward’: witnessing the disappearance of Indonesia’s ‘eternity glaciers’ - The Guardian
An expedition has documented that Papua’s eternal glaciers have lost 95% of their area since 2002, with researchers confirming their complete disappearance is imminent.
Infrastructure and operational efficiencies
In collaboration with easyJet, airport and industry partners, Menzies Aviation has deployed TaxiBot electric towing technology at Amsterdam Schiphol, saving an average of 95kg of fuel per flight during ground operations.
Malaysia Aviation Group has reported that fuel efficiency programmes reduced CO2 emissions by over 103,000 tonnes in 2025, alongside fleet modernisation efforts.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
Acelen Renewables has secured $1.5 billion to build a Brazilian biorefinery producing 1 billion litres of SAF and renewable diesel annually from macaúba palm oil.
Loganair has signed a 15-year SAF offtake agreement with ClimaHtech Green Flight, supporting decentralised production using waste biomass near regional UK routes.
Mexico has launched a national SAF feasibility study under ICAO’s ACT-SAF programme, forming a working group to address production capacity and regulatory challenges.
Japan Airlines and ANA have warned that without increased SAF production within five years, the aviation industry will fail to meet its 2050 net-zero emissions target.
Project SkyKraft has been awarded €21 million by the Swedish Energy Agency to develop an eSAF facility producing 130,000 tonnes annually from renewable electricity.
New technology: Electric and Hydrogen
The Hydrogen in Aviation Alliance has announced £188 million of combined industry investment into hydrogen-powered aviation R&D across the UK.
Eve Air Mobility has completed hover and low-speed flight tests of its eVTOL engineering prototype, logging 59 flights before progressing toward transition testing.
Electra has released a market outlook claiming its EL9 Ultra Short could replace car journeys on 2,600 US routes, saving passengers over an hour per trip.
AeroDelft has conducted the first taxi tests of a hydrogen-powered aircraft at a Dutch operational airport, using gaseous hydrogen before progressing to liquid fuel.
AutoFlight has successfully demonstrated a three-aircraft formation flight using its V5000 Matrix and two V2000-series eVTOL vehicles, validating coordinated operations.
Pivotal has joined the Multistate Collaborative eIPP led by PennDOT, supporting the integration of light eVTOL aircraft into communities across 18 US states.
Volocopter has introduced the VoloXPro electric ultralight multicopter, targeting European flight training schools and the electric air taxi market for certification by year end.