#Sustainability30: Ambitious Sustainability Initiatives Announced At Farnborough Airshow 2024
Weekly Roundup - 26/07/24
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
Boom Supersonic promises a revolutionary passenger experience with four-hour transatlantic flights by 2029. CEO Blake Scholl criticised the Boeing-Airbus duopoly. He envisions over 1,000 Overture aircraft are needed for supersonic airlines.
Boeing showcased sustainable technologies at Farnborough Airshow, focusing on aircraft design, manufacturing automation, and operational efficiency. Innovations include the X-66 collaboration with NASA and Wisk Aero's electric air taxi concept.
The UK government has announced a SAF mandate starting January 2025, aiming to boost SAF demand and reduce emissions. The mandate will increase from 2% in 2025 to 22% by 2040.
Cathay has expanded its annual '1 Ticket, 1 Tree' initiative across Southeast Asia, now including cargo shipments. One mangrove tree will be planted for each flight ticket or tonne shipped during the 25-31 July period.
Amadeus has signed a letter of intent to invest in Clear Sky's debut fund, focusing on sustainable aviation technologies. The partnership aims to build a more sustainable travel industry, aligning with IATA's Net Zero by 2050 ambition.
United Airlines and NOAA are partnering to fit atmospheric testing equipment on a United 737. The initiative aims to measure greenhouse gases and improve weather forecasting, potentially expanding to a larger network of instrumented aircraft.
Climate activists disrupted flights at Frankfurt and Oslo airports, demanding an end to fossil fuels by 2030. Protesters from various groups blocked check-in lanes and glued themselves to tarmac, drawing criticism from authorities.
CLIMATE WATCH: Climate hero or villain? Fossil fuel frenzy challenges Norway’s green image - The Guardian
Norway, known for green initiatives, faces criticism as a 'climate hypocrite' due to high petroleum extraction per capita. The paradox of clean technology adoption and fossil fuel drilling divides opinion on climate leadership.
Infrastructure and operational efficiencies
CFM International is ramping up efforts on the RISE technology programme, aiming to reduce fuel consumption by 20% compared to current engines. The initiative also addresses noise pollution and contrail formation issues.
IATA and Aviation Sustainability Forum will launch the Cabin Waste Composition Audit in September. The programme aims to reduce cabin waste, with preliminary results indicating 3.6 million metric tonnes generated annually.
Toyota Industries and ANA trialled a driverless vehicle for towing cargo containers at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. The Level 4 autonomous vehicle aimed to address labour shortages, with full operation expected by the end of next year.
Dubai Duty Free has partnered with Veolia's Recapp to recycle empty perfume tester glass bottles at Dubai International Airport. Thirty recycling boxes will be placed across perfume outlets to optimise end-of-life product recovery.
The Envision Group and DHL Group have signed a partnership for logistics solutions and sustainability targets. The agreement covers logistics, sustainable aviation fuel, green energy, and development of a net-zero industrial and logistics park.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
Airbus has joined as an anchor investor in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Financing Alliance fund, aiming to accelerate SAF production. The $200 million fund targets mature SAF-producing projects, focusing on waste-based feedstocks.
Signature Aviation has stocked a limited supply of SAF at Paris Le Bourget FBO for the Olympics. The 20% SAF blend from Shell reduces lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by 16% compared to standard fuel.
HIF Global and Airbus have signed an MoU to advance e-fuels development for aviation via the methanol-to-jet fuel pathway. The collaboration covers technical, project development, commercial, and advocacy aspects of eSAF production.
The FAA has launched a $1 billion funding opportunity for US airports to develop SAF infrastructure. Part of the Airport Terminal Program, grants are available for projects addressing ageing infrastructure and environmental sustainability.
Neste commissioned terminal capacity at ONEOK's Houston facility for blending and storing SAF. The move expands SAF availability to airlines operating from airports east of Rocky Mountains to the East Coast.
Boeing has released guidance allowing defence aircraft to operate on up to a 50% SAF blend. The Global No Technical Objection applies to all Boeing-built defence aircraft and derivatives.
American Express GBT and Shell Aviation have extended the Avelia SAF programme to support aviation decarbonisation. The partnership aligns with King Charles' recent speech supporting SAF production.
DHL and Google are partnering to use SAF for express shipping of Google devices globally. The collaboration builds on a successful pilot project, aiming to promote decarbonisation in air cargo transportation.
New technology: Electric and Hydrogen
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is partnering with ZeroAvia to plan a demonstration flight using liquid hydrogen fuel for regional turboprop aircraft. The flight is planned for 2026 using ZeroAvia's ZA2000 hydrogen-electric engines.
SEA, Lilium, and Skyports Infrastructure are partnering to create an electric vertical take-off and landing network in Italy's Lombardy region. The collaboration aims to launch a vertiport network by 2027.
Airbus will invest in LanzaJet to support the development of alcohol-to-jet sustainable aviation fuel pathways. The partnership aims to scale production of eco-friendly biofuels and reduce aviation emissions.
GKN Aerospace unveils H2FlyGHT initiative to develop a 2-megawatt cryogenic hydrogen-electric propulsion system. The project aims to demonstrate integrated hydrogen fuel cell power generation for larger sustainable aircraft.
Rolls-Royce, easyJet, and NASA initiated a hydrogen engine test programme at Stennis Space Center. Project aims to demonstrate 100% hydrogen fuel operation on a modified Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 engine.
Eve Air Mobility has secured funding through 2027 for its eVTOL programme, and has announced new suppliers. A full-scale prototype was unveiled for remotely piloted flight tests later this year.
EHang has announced CAAC acceptance of Air Operator Certificate applications for pilotless passenger-carrying eVTOL operations. The milestone paves the way for the world's first commercial operation standard system for passenger-carrying eVTOL.
Dutch aircraft developer Maeve is collaborating with Pratt & Whitney on M80 hybrid-electric regional aircraft design. The 80-seater aims to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by 40% compared to regional jet competitors.
Embraer plans to expand its Energia sustainable aircraft concepts to 50-seater models, exploring hydrogen gas turbine and dual fuel technologies. The Energia Advisory Group will guide development, focusing on comprehensive feasibility for future commercial viability.