#Sustainability20: EU’s New Flight Emissions Label Empowers Passengers to Make Sustainable Choices & More
#Sustainability20: EU’s New Flight Emissions Label Empowers Passengers to Make Sustainable Choices & More
Weekly Roundup - 24/05/24
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
The European Commission unveiled the Voluntary Flight Emissions Label initiative to tackle greenwashing in the aviation industry and provide passengers with transparent data on the environmental impact of their flights.
Climate activists from the Last Generation movement disrupted the Munich airport by sticking themselves to taxiways, causing flight cancellations, diversions, and delays.
CEOs of Virgin Atlantic and British Airways called for ‘radical collaboration’ between the government, aviation fuel providers, and the industry to reach net zero by 2050 at the Sustainable Skies World Summit.
Virgin Atlantic estimates that the cost of a return trip to New York could rise by £40 as a result of incoming net zero regulations due to sustainable aviation fuel costs.
CLIMATE WATCH: Half of world’s mangrove forests are at risk due to human behaviour – The Guardian
Half of the world’s mangrove forests, which provide essential services like carbon storage and disaster risk reduction, are at risk of collapse, primarily due to human behaviour.
Infrastructure and operational efficiencies
Boeing is testing 36 technologies as part of its ecoDemonstrator program, including sensors to detect passenger seating, touchless water conservation, and waste-reducing materials.
Airports worldwide are investing in microgrid technology as a strategic solution for continuous, localised power supply and to combat climate change challenges.
The new terminal at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi could link up to the UAE’s growing rail network, according to the CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports.
Etihad Airways believes investing in its fleet is one of the most important steps it can take towards sustainability, aiming to burn less fuel overall.
Gen Phoenix’s latest product, a fully circular aircraft seat dress cover, is among the sustainability innovations shortlisted for the 2024 Crystal Cabin Awards.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
The Asia-Pacific region is seeing a boost in the transition to SAF, with developments in Australia, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand.
LanzaJet received a $20 million investment from Groupe ADP to expand its SAF process technology deployment and global growth.
New technology: Electric and Hydrogen
Airbus has partnered with airports in Texas and Canada to study the use of hydrogen and develop hydrogen infrastructure for airport operations.
Archer Aviation and Etihad Aviation Training have formed a partnership to recruit and train pilots for Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft in the UAE.
Ras Al Khaimah authorities signed an MoU with Skyports to develop a network of vertiports connecting attractions across the emirate, with commercial operations set to begin by 2027.
Eve Air Mobility and Joby Aviation announced new partnerships in Saudi Arabia, following recent agreements aimed at establishing eVTOL services in the Gulf region.
Heart Aerospace has revealed a design change to its regional hybrid-electric ES-30, moving towards demonstrating a new “independent hybrid propulsion system.”
Airbus UpNext launched the Cryoprop demonstrator to accelerate the maturation of superconducting technologies for use in electric propulsion systems of future hydrogen-powered aircraft.
Piasecki Aircraft Corp. was awarded an SBIR contract by the U.S. DOE to evaluate the feasibility of hydrogen fuel cell powered urban air mobility rotorcraft.
Lilium is building a certification test facility for its eVTOL aircraft in Munich, designed to simulate flights and verify performance in different flight profiles.
GOLIAT Project will prepare for Liquid Hydrogen operations at airports - Aviation International News
Airbus launched the GOLIAT project to demonstrate how handling and refueling technologies for liquid hydrogen can be developed for airport operations, backed by an EU grant.