Hong Kong-based Volar Air Mobility, a company developing a fossil fuel-free aerial ride hailing platform that will use electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft developed by a partner in China, is one of the latest to signal interest in the UAE.

The firm signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Abu Dhabi-based Inovartic Investment, laying the groundwork for a partnership that would commercialize a family of zero-emission aircraft in the country.

Agreed upon in advance of the inaugural DriftX—an Abu Dhabi-based conference that last week showcased cutting-edge technology in air, land, and sea transportation—the collaboration will cover aircraft distribution, post-sale services such as maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), crew training, and, potentially, manufacturing and assembly capabilities in the UAE.

“This partnership marks a significant step towards integrating sustainable technologies in aviation, which is crucial for environmental conservation and technological advancement,” said Henry Hooi, CEO of Volar. “This aligns with the goals as outlined in the ‘UAE’s Net Zero by 2050’ agenda.”

Volar seeks to commercialize aircraft that are safe to fly, affordable, and offer on-demand flexibility and zero carbon emissions: a set of criteria it dubs “SAFE.” Its goal is to enhance regional accessibility to private aviation in suburban areas, where environmental concerns and existing aircraft configurations can make traditional airline operations impractical.

Volar’s proprietary, aircraft-agnostic platform is designed to facilitate air taxi ride hailing, complete with booking, check-in, and flight status updates. The first aircraft to join its fleet will be the RX4E: a four-seat eSTOL design being developed by partners at Liaoning General Aviation Academy, which works with the Chinese state-owned aerospace and defense conglomerate Aviation Industry Corporation of China.

The RX4E is built for one pilot plus four passengers, with a maximum takeoff weight just under 2,650 pounds. It will have a range of about 186 sm (162 nm) and cruise speed of 124 mph (108 knots). Batteries can be swapped out in about 10 minutes, minimizing downtime.

Volar deliberately picked an eSTOL configuration over an eVTOL or a drone for several reasons, Hooi told FLYING at DriftX. For one, Hooi said, it offers greater range and endurance. In addition, the company claims on its website that the RX4E will be more affordable and offer greater time savings compared to “conventional” private aviation options. One of the biggest benefits, though, is ease of certification.

“We believe that, from a regulatory perspective, eSTOL will be quicker to be adopted,” Hooi told FLYING.

The RX4E first flew in 2019 and is in the type certification process with China’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAC). Volar claims the design will be the first commercial four-seat electric aircraft with Part 23 certification, which it expects to obtain by year’s end.

Unlike the tiltrotor designs common in the eVTOL space, Volar’s eSTOL uses a fixed configuration. The company says this will allow it to leverage regulatory frameworks similar to those for existing fixed-wing models.

The design also lacks the unique infrastructure needs of eVTOL aircraft, such as vertiports. In fact, Volar could reduce infrastructure requirements for operators, owing to the eSTOL’s ability to operate from shorter runways. According to Hooi, the company is developing models that can land on land, snow, or water.

Use cases for the eSTOL overlap somewhat with those proposed for eVTOL designs: private aviation, interisland transport, eco-tourism, medical logistics and evacuation, and services in rural areas with limited road infrastructure, to name a few.

But unlike many eVTOL air taxi companies, Volar’s focus is on the developing world, where it believes zero-emission aircraft can derive regional sustainability, accessibility, and economic benefits from aviation.

The firm envisions operations primarily in regions considered part of the “Global South.” It will first launch in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, a bloc of 10 nations that the company finds attractive due to its rapid economic growth and proximity to mainland China. After that, it will expand into African and Middle Eastern countries, such as the UAE.

“We fundamentally believe that the UAE is a fantastic hub for the potential development of green aviation in the region,” said Hooi.

Hooi said, for example, that he was recently approached with a proposition from a regional government in Southeast Asia. One of the country’s tourism sites lies atop an active volcano, requiring a three-day hike to reach it. The site is visited by as many as 100,000 tourists annually, who often leave a trail of rubbish in their wake.

Volar proposed flying tourists to the top of the volcano using an electric seaplane. Hooi said this could reduce the amount of trash on the trails and attract additional tourists by opening access to people incapable of making the three-day trek. He also suggested that by reducing travel time to the summit, visitors might spend more money at local restaurants and bars, bringing more economic activity to countries that rely heavily on tourism.

“You and I are not going to make an iota of difference if we cannot engage the rest of our communities to participate in collectively working towards a green environment,” Hooi said.

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The new rule requires manufacturers to incorporate improved fuel-efficient technologies into airplanes manufactured after January 1, 2028. It also applies to subsonic jet airplanes and large turboprop and piston-engine airplanes that have not yet been certified, the FAA said.

• READ MORE: FAA Proposed Rule Targets Turbine, Turboprop, and Piston Aircraft Fuel Efficiency

“We are taking a large step forward to ensure the manufacture of more fuel-efficient airplanes, reduce carbon pollution, and reach our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050,” said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker.

Among the aircraft that will be required to meet the new standards are the Boeing 777X and newly built versions of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner; the Airbus A330neo; business jets including the Cessna Citation; and turboprop transports such as the ATR 72 and Viking Air Limited Q400. The regulation does not affect airplanes currently in service. 

• READ MORE: ‘We Need to Fly Aircraft—We Don’t Fly PowerPoints’

Civil aircraft such as those listed contribute 9 percent of domestic transportation emissions and 2 percent of total U.S. carbon pollution, according to the FAA. 

The final rule, which can be found in the Federal Register, is part of the U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan aimed at achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from the American aviation sector by 2050.

The post FAA Releases Final Rule on Aircraft Fuel Efficiency for Emissions appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

United launched the fund in February 2023, and it has since grown to include 22 corporate partners. The airline and its partners have committed more than $200 million to invest in companies working to decarbonize air travel. 

• READ MORE: Embraer Executive Jets Follows Up on Sustainability Targets

“Embraer is proud to join United Airlines Ventures’ Sustainable Flight Fund, which is aligned with our commitment to develop and support innovative solutions to address the growing need for a clean energy transition in aviation,” said Leonardo Garnica, head of corporate innovation at Embraer. “In a joint collaborative effort with our partners, we can accelerate large-scale SAF production as the aviation industry progresses toward the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.”

• READ MORE: Embraer Unveils Plans for Hybrid Electric, Hydrogen Electric Aircraft

The use of renewable energy sources can cut greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 80 percent, Embraer said. Boosting the availability of SAF is among the company’s goals within its plan to reach carbon-neutral operations by 2040.

Embraer said the pursuit of sustainability remains a key part of its business strategy. The company has conducted flight tests using 100 percent neat SAF and is exploring new methods for accelerating development of zero-emission propulsion systems.

The post Embraer Says It Will Join United Airlines Ventures’ Sustainable Flight Fund appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Daher’s position demonstrates well the state of the global aerospace market.

“We are in a paradox situation—some are happy; some are not happy,” said Patrick Daher, board chair for the Daher group, in kicking off the company’s performance review for 2023 in Paris on February 7. “We are feeling the impact of the international situation, and then we are still recovering from COVID, but the COVID crisis is over for us…But some international threats—for example the war in Ukraine and the Middle East, the future elections, the situation in China—all these events have created a political instability that is really worrying for the future.”

Yet industry events such as the 2023 Paris Air Show indicate where the future lies—with caution as to the expense of making change. “As chairman [of] the Salon de Bourget in 2023 and chairman of Daher…I have the chance to see that energy transition is coming with a really high price,” said Daher. “Speaking about industry, we have really good news in terms of an increase in production.”

In 2023, Daher recorded strong deliveries of both its TBM and Kodiak series turboprops, with a total of 56 TBMs and 18 Kodiaks, for a total of 76 units. In addition, it counts more than 100 turboprops in its order book, taking it well into 2025.

READ MORE: Daher Delivers 100th TBM 960

An Industry Overview

At the same time, major Daher client and partner Airbus has never manufactured so many aircraft—a record number went out the door in December, as Daher noted in the report. That is in spite of the constant pressures brought on by inflation, provisioning difficulties, recruitment challenges, rise in wages, and lowering margins. Collectively these have led to soft pricing models that have persisted through the past couple of years.

“We have forgotten how to deal with such problems of inflation that we experienced 20 years ago,” said Daher. “It was really hard to find raw materials, and this was linked to geopolitical problems, [such] as the war in Ukraine. We were missing material. This lack of raw materials is linked to the mismanagement of the supply chain—the suppliers failed to ship what we needed to manufacture our aircraft—and to produce what our clients asked us to do.”

Another problem Daher noted has been the lack of employee candidates. “It is not easy to recruit the right profiles…The COVID crisis changed behaviors in terms of wages and employees, so it is really hard for us to hire and find talents.” This has driven companies like Daher to invest heavily in training—because like never before they have had to recruit from outside the aviation industry.

“All these factors in 2023—after COVID, we were expecting 2021 and 2022 to be difficult—but these problems arrived in 2023,” Daher said. “All of these factors resulted in our weakened profitability. We need to consider the energy transition and the decrease in carbon intensity…2023 highlighted the emergency but also the [convergence], vis-à-vis the problem of decarbonization.”

The Daher group considers government support crucial—specifically CORAC, the French council for civil aviation research—and 300 million euros per year have been earmarked by CORAC to help fund the energy transition. “Aviation industry, all research efforts, have converged, because in the past each company focused on a specific research field, but right now there is a really clear target: low-carbon, low-emission aircraft,” Daher said.

Eco-Pulse Update

For the French OEM, the convergence flies today via its hybrid-electric Eco-Pulse technology demonstrator, which uses a TBM airframe, electric motors and powertrain components form Saran, and electric power storage by Airbus in a distributed lift model (simply put) to test various components and how they interact in actual flight operations. The Eco-Pulse retains a Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop engine, but in December made its first flight segments completely powered by the six electric motors.

“It is a major step towards decarbonization,” said Daher. “Because high voltage electricity can be a good solution…we are continuing with some hybrid tests. This is the first step…People thought I was crazy [last year] when I spoke about this target [to have a marketable product by 2027], but we are headed in that direction.” It will be a TBM or Kodiak because those are the models Daher has in its portfolio, but the company has yet to determine which will be chosen and exactly what that will look like.

FLYING asked if the OEM could share any feedback—including any performance data, if possible—from those first flights. Christophe Robin, vice president of engineering for Daher’s aircraft division, provided this insight: “EcoPulse is a technology demonstrator, therefore, aircraft performance is not the goal. The EcoPulse configuration has been chosen with the strategy of increasing the level of complexity in hybridization to develop a ‘maturity picture’ for all of the technologies involved—including examining side effects such as weight penalties, as well as issues induced by HIRF (high-intensity radiated field) and lightning.”

READ MORE: We Fly: Daher TBM 960

Log’in, Shap’in, Fly’in

To support innovation efforts, Daher launched its second tech center, Log’in, in Toulouse, also geared toward decarbonization. “Out of 7 million tonnes [of carbon emissions] we realized that a big quantity is related to our clients, and we want to work on these figures [as well] in order to work on decarbonization,” said Daher.

Fly’in will be the third tech center Daher launches, in Tarbes, focused on aircraft development, “stepping up” in both technology and the drive towards net-zero emissions.

FLYING also asked Daher to expand on the current projects that have already been realized from the new technology centers and Eco-Pulse. Robin shared a portion of what the group has learned thus far, and what it expects to benefit from. 

“In addition to the aspects of EcoPulse that are linked to aircraft hybridization, another important focus is demonstrating the application of advanced composites on aircraft,” said Robin. “Under the guidance of Daher’s research and technology teams, EcoPulse is using composites for the aircraft’s winglets, engine pylons, Karman and battery fairings, as well as the air inlet—which were produced primarily with an infusion-based carbon/cork micro-sandwich. A goal of EcoPulse is to make it possible to evolve the performance and feasibility of integrating these technologies on secondary parts/components of Daher-built aircraft, while developing rapid prototyping skills used within the aviation framework.”

This is complementary to other developments underway at Daher—including projects in cooperation with partners such as CORAC (the French Council for Civil Aeronautical Research).

Pascal Laguerre, chief technology officer for Daher, provided significant insight beyond the Eco-Pulse demonstrator. “Taking a wider view for activities outside the framework of EcoPulse, Daher devotes a significant part of its overall R&D budget to thermoplastics,” said Laguerre. “This material is particularly promising in the world of aerostructures for future applications on production aircraft. It lends itself more easily to the automation of production (issue of throughput), and it is recyclable, repairable and weldable. Its mechanical properties make it possible to use less material and, overall, make structures lighter—all of which are key qualities with a view toward reducing carbon emissions. This is focused on accelerating the development of real applications in the future for the benefit of its customers, including [several more widely focused] projects.”

For example, as part of CORAC, Daher leads the largest French research project on thermoplastics in current execution, called TRAMPOLINE 2 (TheRmoplAstic coMPosites for hOrizontaL tail plaNE), as well as utilizing induction welding instead of riveting—with a weight savings of 15 percent.

Also, the investment has already borne fruit in components that will be found on the company’s current TBM product lines.

“After more than three years of R&D work, Daher succeeded in manufacturing rudder pedals in recycled high-performance thermoplastic composites from production scraps to equip the TBM, which have been certified for flight on production TBMs,” said Laguerre. “In addition to being lightweight, thermoplastics have low thermal conduction, as well as equal or better physicochemical and mechanical properties: It’s a win-win for Daher customers. And beyond the environmental benefits, the cost of these parts is significantly reduced compared to metal machining.

“In addition, Daher has obtained the first results of an R&D project called CARAC TP, carried out in collaboration with a set of academic laboratories competent in composite materials. The objective [is] to identify and characterize the thermoplastic composites best suited to aeronautical applications and compare them to thermoset materials. The project makes it possible to study materials in depth through multiple tests that go beyond the scope of qualification programs carried out in the industry: impact resistance, fire resistance, environmental aging (ozone, UV, fluids), impact of manufacturing processes on physicochemical properties, material performance, etc.”

Daher looks also outside its walls to new small businesses to help drive this innovation charge. Encouragingly, more than 300 aerospace-relevant startups took part in the Paris Air Show.

“We had 25 of these startups at the Daher stand at Le Bourget,” said Daher, noting that the company looks forward to engaging with these innovators, perhaps through acquisition or collaboration, on various projects.

WATCH: We Fly the Kodiak 900, Ready for Grand Adventures

The Takeoff 2027 Strategy

Daher reported a strengthening bottom line but noted there is room for improvement. At the press conference, Daher CEO Didier Kayat indicated the belief that Daher would become profitable based on its strategic realignment to better serve four sectors: aircraft, industry, industrial services, and logistics. The company also plans a transformation of the organizational structure by 2025, to help align and draw down any existing silos between the business functions.

To this end, Daher made a quartet of additions to its executive committee in the later part of 2023. On October 1, Alain-Jory Barthe joined Daher’s Industry division as senior vice president. Then, on January 1, Cédric Eloy became the head of the Industrial Services division as senior vice president of manufacturing services, and Julie de Cevins became the group’s chief sustainability officer—a key appointment, given the group’s charge to attain net-zero goals by 2050. Finally, on February 1, Aymeric Daher became senior vice president of the Logistics division.

Daher is adapting its organization to support the four business units, with the following actions:

• To create a managerial culture that is based in what it calls the “Daher Leadership Model”—effectively empowering a cadre of 1,500 leaders within the company to act with an entrepreneurial spirit
• To anticipate challenges and innovate toward decarbonisation solutions, with Eco-Pulse among other projects
• To support the acquisitions needed for growth across the four sectors.

Acquisitions have already borne fruit for the company, including the Stuart, Florida, facility.

“The acquisition of AAA strengthened the Industrial Services division, for example,” Daher said. “We are now the leader of industrial services…We can support aircraft manufacturers in peak periods.”

If Daher can make its way through the concurrent challenges of acquisition-driven growth, corporate restructuring, price pressures, and order fulfillment, its plan for the years ahead puts it on track to form part of the global solution to decarbonization—as well as providing the aircraft the customer demands for the future.

The post Daher’s Decarbonization Plans Drive Towards Hybrid-Electric Aircraft, Composites appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The campaign is considerably broader in scope than NBAA’s and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA)’s No Plane, No Gain advocacy program, which launched in February 2009 in the wake of the big three automakers being skewered by Congress and the media for using business jets to fly to Washington, D.C., to seek federal bailouts to avoid bankruptcy. Climbing Fast now replaces No Plane, No Gain.

• READ MORE: No Plane, No Gain

Climbing Fast seeks to educate the public and promote a positive image of business aviation as an ecological means of flying people where they need to go, when they need to go for the benefit of all sectors in the community. It was announced and explained by Bolen, NBAA chairman Monte Koch, GAMA president and CEO Peter Bunce, and GAMA chairman Eric Hinson at a Tuesday morning press breakfast at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas. Bolen said that coalition includes the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Experimental Aircraft Association, the Helicopter Association International, the International Aircraft Dealers Association, the International Business Aviation Council, the National Aircraft Finance Association, the National Air Transportation Association, and Women in Corporate Aviation, among advocacy organizations. 

Bunce said business aviation is under attack by European legislators who seek to prohibit any new investment in corporate aircraft. He pointed to the role that GA agricultural aircraft, converted into water bombers, have played in helping to suppress the 2023 Greek wildfires. Bolen added that helicopter operators volunteered to transport more than 35 tons of relief supplies to survivors in Lahaina in the aftermath of its devastating 2023 wildfires. GA aircraft thus provide benefits to entire communities, not just those who operate them. 

Hinson highlighted business aviation as an “innovation incubator,” citing its being an early adopter of ADS-B In, satellite navigation, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF/bio-jet). Bolen said that business aviation is well on its way to attaining net-zero carbon emissions by mid-century, noting that business aircraft emissions have been slashed by 40 percent in the past four decades and that today’s new jets are 30 percent more fuel efficient than the aircraft they replace.

• READ MORE: Net-Zero Emissions Target Set By ICAO for 2050

Achieving net zero is critically dependent upon boosting production of bio-jet SAF, the green replacement fuel for fossil jet-A. Currently SAF production stands at about 0.1 percent of all jet fuel consumed, close to 100 million gallons per year of the 100 billion gallons consumed by all aviation users. Hinson suggests that a federal government mandate to blend in a small percent of SAF—for example, 5 percent—into fossil jet fuel by 2030, similar to the federal government mandate to blend in ethanol to auto gas, would provide a strong incentive for fuel producers to increase SAF production. He further suggests that future “blend creep” mandates, increasing the required proportion of SAF in jet-A by a series of deadlines, would enable the aviation industry to achieve 100 percent use of SAF by 2050. As for available bio-jet feedstocks, he cited the U.S. Department of Energy’s Billion Ton Update, a report that provides clear and convincing evidence that the U.S. has well in excess of a billion tons of dry mass biofuel feedstock, part of which could be refined into bio-jet SAF. 

Bunce said U.S. farmers are potential strong allies of SAF advocates, citing U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s September 12 statement urging conversion of part of ethanol production for SAF. Vilsack says 16,700 farms, mostly small family owned, and 6.9 millions acres of arable land have been lost in less than seven years. That land could be used to produce millions of tons of biofuel feedstocks. Bunce says that ethanol-to-jet promises a 40 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, perhaps greater as conversion processes are improved. 

Bolen added that now there are eight, not just six, primary SAF feedstock “pathways,” including ethanol-to-SAF, municipal solid waste, cellulosic waste, camelina, jatropha, halophytes, salt water algae, power-to-liquid conversion, and sun-to-liquid. 

Michael Amalfitano, president and CEO of Embraer Executive Jets, commented that 54 percent of respondents in a recent survey of business aircraft operators say they intend to use SAF, if it’s available. This is up from 31 percent of respondents in Embraer’s 2019 operator survey. 

All panelists agreed that federal government incentives and international agreements will be needed to scale up production to meet increasing demand and reduce the eye-watering price disparity between SAF jet-A and fossil jet-A. Panelists also noted that commercial airlines will be the largest consumers of SAF by wide margins in the future, making it even harder to supply SAF to small GA airports.

The post Climbing Fast Soars Past No Plane, No Gain appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The aerospace company’s technology, available through a program called the Airbus Carbon Capture Offer, uses direct air carbon capture and storage, or DACCS, that allows airlines to gain carbon removal credits and support the movement to decarbonize aviation.

DACCS uses fans and filtration to extract CO2 from the air so it can be stored in underground reservoirs. While CO2 emissions from aircraft operations cannot be eliminated at source, the companies said, an DACCS can remove an equivalent amount from the air. EasyJet and Airbus said the technology is complementary to other carbon reduction efforts including sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF.

• READ MORE: Rolls-Royce and EasyJet Join To Develop Aircraft Engines Using Hydrogen Combustion

 “Decarbonising a hard to abate sector, such as aviation, is a huge challenge and we believe carbon removal will play an important role in addressing our residual emissions in the future, complementing other components to help us achieve our pathway to net zero,” said Thomas Haagensen, group markets director at EasyJet. “Our ultimate aim is to achieve zero carbon emission flying and, as well as investing into important projects like direct air carbon capture technology, we are working with multiple partners—including Airbus—to accelerate the development of zero carbon emission aircraft technology.”

EasyJet was one of the first airlines to sign an agreement with Airbus in 2022 to negotiate regarding the possible pre-purchase of carbon removal credits. The credits EasyJet will receive through the deal with Airbus will last from 2026 to 2029, the companies said.

“EasyJet is a strong advocate of decarbonisation, for its operations and the wider aviation sector. This agreement demonstrates the airline’s willingness to extend its environmental commitment through Airbus’ Carbon Capture Offer,” said Julie Kitcher, executive vice president of communications, sustainability, and corporate affairs at Airbus. “Initiatives such as this one underline Airbus’ commitment to decarbonisation solutions for our industry and to, bringing together airlines and industry players from all sectors in order to build a sustainable aviation ecosystem.”

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While heliports figure to do some of the legwork, the U.S. will require more vertiports designed specifically for eVTOL aircraft. Volatus Infrastructure, one of the firms building those airfields, on Tuesday announced its third planned vertiport at Greenport International Airport (GIA), a sustainable airport project currently under construction near Austin, Texas.

Volatus’ letter of intent with Greenport builds on the firm’s commitments to construct vertiports at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and Bellefonte Airport (KN96) in Pennsylvania. The company also has strategic agreements with eVTOL manufacturers such as SkyDrive, Air, and Plana to allow them to use its facilities and will be the exclusive vertiport provider for eVTOL fleet management company EVFly.

Each Volatus vertiport will receive eVTOL traffic management services from Embraer’s Eve Air Mobility and will be outfitted for drone delivery services through a partnership with Valqari. Agreements with real estate companies such as JLL, meanwhile, will support the company’s efforts to open more locations across the U.S.

Volatus’ Greenport vertiport is expected to open in early 2024.

“This partnership is revolutionary for the AAM industry,” said Grant Fisk, co-founder of Volatus and a member of the National Air Transportation Association’s AAM Committee. “Greenport is going to set the tone and create standards for the U.S. vertiport market by being one of the first FAA-compliant, fully operational eVTOL vertiports open.”

Greenport International Airport—a 2,600-acre project under construction in Bastrop County, Texas, 17 miles outside Austin—is expected to be “fully sustainable off-grid” and privately owned and operated. It will feature a 10,000-foot runway, 2.9 million square feet of hangar space, and now a vertiport, primarily serving large business jets and AAM aircraft.

The airport will be surrounded by the 2,800-acre Greenport International Technology Center, a corporate campus with 9 million square feet of data center space and research and development facilities. Both projects are supported by real estate developer CBRE Group and Carpenter and Associates, a local corporation that first unveiled the concept in 2010.

Greenport also has its share of detractors, who claim the development would pose a danger or nuisance to local residents. They add that the decision to undertake the project was made without public input. And interestingly, opponents say the airport may actually harm the environment.

CBRE and Carpenter and Associates did not immediately respond to FLYING’s request for comment.

Greenport is billed as “the world’s first green airport,” but others claim they have already achieved net-zero operations.

Swedavia, a Swedish airport group, eliminated Scope 1 and 2 emissions at 10 facilities in 2020, reaching net-zero airport operations. The group does not address Scope 3 emissions, which come from aircraft themselves. But Airports Council International (ACI) Europe lists Swedavia as the only operator to achieve the organization’s net-zero goals.

Vertiports, like the ones Volatus plans to build, could speed international aviation sustainability goals by promoting the use of electric aircraft.

In June 2021, ACI World, its five member regions, and its 1,950 member airports committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions from airport operations by 2050. Industry leaders at the National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition would announce the same target a few months later.

This spurred the U.S. to roll out its own “net-zero by 2050” goal in November 2021. The following April, the FAA got involved, partnering with U.S. airports to eliminate carbon emissions from airport operations. The U.K., too, is targeting zero-emissions airport operations by 2040.

In fact, 235 airports across 29 European countries pledged to do away with carbon emissions in 2021, a number that expanded to over 300 airports last month. Of those, 132 are set to fully decarbonize by 2030.

ACI World publicly promoted the International Air Transport Association’s Net-Zero Roadmaps, released in June, as a model for airports making the switch. It also teamed with the World Economic Forum to launch the Airports of Tomorrow initiative, which aims to bring together public and private stakeholders committed to reducing airport emissions.

Volatus and Greenport, though, may offer a complementary solution: constructing a net-zero airfield from the ground up. So far, no airport operator has launched carbon-free operations from the jump. But, if construction stays on schedule for early 2024, that could soon change.

The post Volatus to Add Vertiport to Texas ‘Green Airport’ Project appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

How ironic that the Gulfstream G800 one pair handcuffed themselves to had indeed flown across the Atlantic from Savannah, Georgia, on a blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as a regular part of its flight testing—not as a publicity stunt?

In fact, it’s easier to count those OEMs that haven’t implemented SAF and other short- and mid-term measures than those who have—because it’s a straightforward, here-and-now step most are happy to take. Many OEMs, from Embraer to Textron Aviation, fueled at their headquarters with SAF for the journey, and topped off with more on arrival. SAF is for the moment normally blended with regular jet-A, with testing toward blends up to 100 percent SAF in various stages depending on the airframe and powerplant manufacturers.

Getting to a 100-percent blend aside, SAF is not without its challenges—particularly in its boutique pricing and distribution to FBOs and other airport service providers that can deliver it to those operators wishing to use it.

A Case Study

At EBACE this week, Daher presented its experiences in covering that “last mile” between the delivery of SAF and distribution to its fleet. The company began the project to use SAF at its Aircraft Division facilities in Tarbes, France, in its operations, which include production, testing, training, and ferrying/delivery flights. Nicolas Chabbert, senior vice president of the division, related that, though the company is eager to set an example, availability of the fuel has been sporadic. 

“Therefore,” said Chabbert, “we took the initiative of going a step further by joining with the Spanish airline Volotea—a carrier that connects small and mid-sized cities in Europe which flies from Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrenees Airport (LFBT) as part of its route network—to convince the fuel provider World Fuel Services to supply SAF on the platform. We expect our example will bring other operators to use renewable energy on (their) airplanes.”

The SAF in question is a blend with 30 percent of Neste MY SAF delivered to the airport by World Fuel Services, provider of jet fuel and other FBO/airport solutions in France, Germany, South Africa, Canada, and Australia. Neste’s MY SAF is produced from sustainably sourced renewable waste and residue raw materials and, in its pure form, is calculated to reduce emissions by up to 30 percent over the fuel’s life cycle.

“With Daher’s adoption of SAF for its needs at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport, all users at this facility can now benefit from our supply of Neste-blended jet-A fuel,” said James Hardacre, World Fuel Services’ vice president of sales for business aviation in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. 

This collaboration with commercial aviation at an airport made the sourcing and reliable delivery possible—but other business aviation operators in both Europe and North America have not been as successful in connecting the dots. It looks simple on paper, but it takes persistence and commitment to bring the fuel to the pump.

The post The ‘Last Mile’ for SAF Presents an Achievable Challenge appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Airbus said the partnership with Renault, which has many years of experience developing and manufacturing hybrid and electric vehicles, will help it develop hybrid-electric power technology for future aircraft.

As part of the agreement, engineering teams from Airbus and Renault “will join forces to mature technologies related to energy storage, which remains one of the main roadblocks for the development of long-range electric vehicles,” Airbus said.

The companies’ cooperation is expected to focus in part on improving energy management and battery weight, and finding the best ways to move beyond today’s lithium-ion battery designs. Airbus said future generations of batteries with so-called solid-state construction “could double the energy density of batteries in the 2030 timeframe.”

The companies also plan to study the potential life cycle of future batteries including environmental implications of their production, service life and potential for recycling.

“For the first time, two European leaders from different industries are sharing engineering knowledge to shape the future of hybrid-electric aircraft,’’ said Gilles Le Borgne, EVP, Engineering, Renault Group. “At Renault Group, our 10 years of experience in the electric vehicle value chain gives us some of the strongest feedback from the field and expertise in the performance of battery management systems.” 

“This cross-industry partnership with Renault Group will help us mature the next generation of batteries as part of Airbus’ electrification roadmap,” said Sabine Klauke, chief technical officer for Airbus. “Reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is a unique challenge that requires cooperation across sectors, starting today.”

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