#Sustainability20: airBaltic To Collaborate With Fokker Next Gen To Design A Hydrogen Airliner & More
Weekly Roundup - 17/05/24
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
An Airbus-led consortium has been awarded €10.8m from the EU's Horizon Europe Framework Programme to develop and demonstrate safe handling of hydrogen for airport operations.
A new report warns that replacement fuels for airplanes, including sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), are not a realistic or scalable alternative to kerosene-based jet fuels in the necessary timeframe.
The Australian government has prioritised renewable fuels for aviation in its budget, allocating funds to support the development of a local SAF industry.
The US Department of Transportation announced $1.7 million in research funding for a Climate Change and Transportation Research Center at the University of California, Davis.
A supply-side crunch in carbon credits is looming for the aviation sector's global carbon offsetting programme, CORSIA, as passenger numbers are set to grow in the coming years.
Qantas' Green Tier rewards frequent flyers for making eco-conscious choices, with over 650,000 members engaging in the program since its launch in 2022.
CLIMATE WATCH: Report says economic damage from climate change six times worse than thought - The Guardian
New research estimates the social cost of carbon to be $1,056 per ton, significantly higher than previous estimates, by taking a more holistic, global approach to analysing climate change's economic impact.
Infrastructure and operational efficiencies
SWISS's use of the transparent AeroSHARK film on its Boeing 777 fleet lowered kerosene consumption by over 2,200 tonnes and carbon dioxide emissions by some 7,100 tonnes last year.
O'Hare International Airport completed a major energy-efficient lighting upgrade for Terminals 1 and 3, reducing energy use by nearly 1.75 million kilowatt-hours and carbon emissions by over 1.1 million pounds annually.
Boeing is exploring ways to recycle a greater portion of its newest widebodies, including using carbon fibre for future cabin sidewalls, to address the challenge of recycling certain cabin interiors.
Dallas Love Field has achieved carbon neutrality after over a decade of reducing emissions, becoming one of only five US airports to reach Level 4 in the Airport Carbon Accreditation program.
Google researchers are using AI to help predict contrail formation, enabling pilots to adjust course and reduce contrails by 54% in a six-month test with American Airlines.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
Biofuel firms are investing over $1 billion in building China's first plants to convert waste cooking oil into aviation fuel for export and to meet anticipated domestic demand.
Emirates started operating with SAF from Shell Aviation at London's Heathrow Airport, marking the airline's largest purchase of SAF to date.
London Oxford Airport has begun selling SAF blends and plans to open a facility to produce synthetic jet-A with 50% lower capital costs than other e-fuels.
New technology: Electric and Hydrogen
airBaltic has signed an MoU to collaborate with Fokker Next Gen on developing a clean-sheet airliner powered by liquid hydrogen, aiming to carry 120-150 passengers with a range of 2,500 km by 2035.
Eve Air Mobility unveiled a teaser video of its first full-scale eVTOL non-conforming prototype as it continues production of the aircraft at its facility in Brazil.
ARC Aero System has been granted CAA E Conditions certification for its hybrid-electric Pegasus "Gyroplane," allowing the company to begin test flights for the distinctive autogyro aircraft.
Textron eAviation's Nexus eVTOL aircraft is coming together at its Wichita headquarters as the company prepares to begin flight testing its hybrid-electric Nuuva V300 cargo drone.
VTOL aircraft developer Lilium plans to build a €400 million factory in France, expanding its high-volume manufacturing capacity for the Lilium Jet eVTOL aircraft and creating up to 850 new jobs.
Heart Aerospace has opened a new Research and Development hub in Los Angeles, focusing on advancing its hybrid-electric propulsion system and other key technologies for its ES-30 regional hybrid-electric airplane.