#Sustainability20: Harbour Air Sets First ePlane Commercial Flight For 2026 & More
Weekly Roundup - 14/06/24
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 Congressional Sustainable Aviation Caucus has been formed by a bipartisan group of US House Representatives to reduce the aviation industry's environmental impact by advancing SAF adoption and fuel-efficient technologies.
Vietnam Airlines joined IATA's CO2 Connect project, committing to provide data for calculating CO₂ emissions per passenger, allowing for greater transparency in its net-zero by 2050 commitment.
The Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking and the City of Hamburg signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to accelerate the demonstration of low-emission aircraft technologies for airline service by 2035.
SKYPRO aims to work only with airlines that recycle their uniforms by 2026, confident that its existing clients will be retained as airlines prioritise sustainability.
Alaska Airlines highlights its sustainability achievements in 2023, such as fuel efficiency, inflight recycling, plastic reduction, food waste reduction, community support, and SAF advancement.
CLIMATE WATCH: Missing a Global Climate Target Could Spell Disaster for These Polar Bears - NYT
A study suggests that polar bears in the southern Hudson Bay could go extinct as early as the 2030s due to thinning sea ice, affecting their ability to hunt.
Infrastructure and operational efficiencies
Milan airports management company SEA and construction company Costim plan to transform the area adjacent to Milan Linate Airport into a smart district called Linate Airport District with green spaces and new buildings.
dnata achieved significant improvements in environmental performance metrics, cutting carbon intensity and diverting waste from landfills across its airport, travel, and catering businesses.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
SkyNRG reports an anticipated increase in global SAF capacity to 17.3 million tonnes by 2030, driven by regulatory frameworks and voluntary adoption, but challenges remain for announced projects.
Synhelion and Pilatus Aircraft have entered a strategic cooperation to accelerate the scaling of solar fuels for aviation, with Pilatus aiming to use Synhelion's solar fuel for its own fleet and offer it to customers.
Emirates joined the Aviation Initiative for Renewable Energy in Germany (aireg), becoming the first international airline to do so and contributing to efforts to ramp up locally produced SAF.
Zero Petroleum and Airbus signed an MoU to advance the development of synthetic SAF and enable commercial-scale adoption, demonstrating a commitment to aviation's 2050 net-zero goals.
Emirates began using SAF from Neste on flights departing from Singapore Changi Airport, integrating around 3.3 million litres of blended SAF into the airport's fueling system.
India's state-owned power giant NTPC is exploring the production of cleaner aviation turbine fuel by combining green hydrogen and carbon recovered from its thermal power plant, aiming for an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes.
New technology: Electric and Hydrogen
Harbour Air aims to make its commercial debut with its ePlane as soon as 2026, transforming its entire seaplane fleet to fully electric aircraft.
Archer Aviation conducted the first transition flight on its Midnight eVTOL aircraft, successfully completing the transition from hover to wing-borne flight and reaching speeds of around 100mph.
Lilium signed a collaboration agreement with the Bao'an District in Shenzhen, establishing its APAC regional headquarters and solidifying its commitment to becoming a leading player in the region's aviation industry.
EHang's EH216-S pilotless eVTOL aircraft completed its first autonomous air taxi flight in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, highlighting the transformative potential of pilotless eVTOL for the region's transportation system.
Volocopter has secured further funding from existing shareholders, aiming to achieve development milestones toward type certification and fly in Paris during the summer Olympics.
Bertrand Piccard aims to fly around the world on a hydrogen-powered aircraft called "Climate Impulse" and is in conversations with promoters of a hydrogen-powered airship project in France.
Aria Hotels has outlined a €50 million "pioneering project" to develop four vertiports and ferry passengers to the Greek islands using 10 all-electric eVTOLs by late 2026.