Thai Airways carries out Asia's first commercial passenger biofuel flight and rounds off successful year for SkyNRG
Wed 21 Dec 2011 - Thai Airways today carried out Asia's first passenger flight to be powered using sustainable jet fuel, which was supplied by Dutch supplier SkyNRG. A special flight of a Boeing 777 from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport carried VIPs, representatives from companies involved in the project such as Boeing and Rolls-Royce, and around 100 students and teaching staff. The aircraft was powered in both engines by a 50/50 blend of used cooking oil sourced from the United States and conventional jet kerosene. Tomorrow, a scheduled passenger flight between Bangkok and Chiang Mai will use the same biofuel blend. The flights cap a high-profile year for Amsterdam-based SkyNRG, with THAI becoming its tenth contracted customer worldwide and follows similar flights by KLM, Finnair, Thomson Airways, Air France and Alaska Airlines. Read more ...
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ECJ ruling in favour of EU's right to include non-EU airlines in its ETS unlikely to stem US political pressure
Wed 21 Dec 2011 - As expected, the European Court of Justice has ruled the EU has complied with both international customary law and the EU-US air agreement in including non-EU airlines serving European airports into its Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). The case has been brought by the Air Transport Association, now Airlines for America, and three leading US airlines who argued that their inclusion infringed principles of sovereignty, the Chicago Convention and the Kyoto Protocol, and was also not in compliance with the Open Skies Agreement. The judges have agreed with the Opinion delivered by Advocate General Kokott in October, which will come as no surprise to many following the case. With little over a week before the EU ETS formally includes airlines into the scheme, the US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, has joined in the row by urging the EU to halt or review its plans. (updated December 22 & 23) Read more ...
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US demands data from European and US airlines as it fires off first retaliatory salvo in growing dispute with EU over ETS
Mon 19 Dec 2011 - Without waiting for the ruling by the European Court of Justice this Wednesday (Dec 21) on the case brought by major US airlines against their inclusion in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), the US Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued an order against nine European carriers requiring them to submit traffic and carbon allowance data to it by specified dates. An order has also been served on seven US airlines requesting similar data and additional financial information on allowance costs and income. The orders do not specify why they require such details and what they will be used for but the inference is that it will help inform potential retaliatory financial measures on EU airlines flying to the United States. The move follows a call by the China Air Transport Association last week urging its airline members not to comply with the EU's environmental legislation. Read more ...
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New technology tested to find if electric power can propel taxiing aircraft to a greener future
Fri 16 Dec 2011 - The amount of fuel burnt by aircraft as they taxi to and from the runway, and the resulting emissions and impact on air quality at and around airports, are not inconsiderable and various technologies and operational measures have been applied to avoid engine use as much as possible. New tests have just been carried out on systems that allow aircraft to taxi without requiring the use of aircraft engines. The first system, developed by a partnership involving L-3, Lufthansa and airport operator Fraport, with support from Airbus, integrates electric wheel drives into the main landing gear to propel the aircraft during ground operations. The other, an initiative of Honeywell and Safran, uses the aircraft's Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) generator to power motors in the main wheels. Both systems also eliminate the need for aircraft pushback and repositioning by tugs and have the added attraction of less noise in the airport environment. Read more ...
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Environmental travel award caps a year of international recognition for Etihad and its green initiatives
Thu 15 Dec 2011 - Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has won the Environmental Contribution of the Year Award for 2011 by China's Top Travel magazine. Presented annually to travel companies for demonstrating global leadership in corporate social responsibility, the award was in recognition of Etihad's efforts in saving washing water and cleaning fluids, and for an improvement in fuel efficiency from reduced aircraft drag. The airline has just operated two environmental best practice research flights from Australia to Abu Dhabi in cooperation with various air traffic control centres, which followed on from a similar initiative undertaken in July as part of the Indian Ocean Strategic Partnership to Reduce Emissions (INSPIRE). This year has also seen the appointment of Etihad's Linden Coppell as the new chair of IATA's Environment Committee. Read more ...
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Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand sign agreements with Australian company Licella to develop aviation biofuels
Wed 14 Dec 2011 - Australian biofuel company Licella has signed Memoranda of Understanding with both Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand to assist with the development of the Licella's technology to convert ligno-cellulosic biomass such as wood waste into sustainable jet biofuel. The 'supercritical' water technology involves a patented process using a Catalytic Hydro Thermal Reactor (CAT-HTR) that breaks down pulverised biomass to produce high-quality bio-crude oil. The process has been developed over the past three and a half years at Licella's pilot facility in Somersby, NSW, and today a new demonstration plant was opened. Virgin Australia and Licella will jointly explore and test the potential of CAT-HTR to produce aviation fuel with the aim of supporting certification and reaching a commercial off-take agreement. Under the Air New Zealand MoU, the two parties will explore the potential of the technology to produce aviation biofuel in New Zealand. Read more ...
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Difficulties remain on moves towards a global solution on aviation emissions but Durban talks bring some hope
Tue 13 Dec 2011 - The now familiar pattern of a last-minute balancing act between success and failure at UNFCCC COP climate negotiations at least this time resulted in decisions taken at COP 17 in Durban that will lead the process through the rest of the decade. More so than in recent years, international aviation received some high-profile attention, mainly as a result of discussions over sources of long-term funding for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and an attempt by India to raise the issue of unilateral trade measures imposed by richer countries at the expense of the developing world, a move partly aimed at heading off the inclusion by Europe of airlines from non-Annex I countries into the EU ETS. Once again, negotiations over action on dealing with emissions reduction from international aviation and shipping (bunkers) got nowhere. With the winding up of the working group concerned (AWG-LCA) by the time of the next COP in Qatar, to be replaced by another, difficulties remain on how to deal with conflicting UN principles. Read more ...
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Thai Airways set to operate Asia’s first commercial passenger biofuel flight, with Qantas to follow in early 2012
Sun 11 Dec 2011 - Thai Airways is to operate Asia's first commercial passenger flight to be powered using a biofuel blend. An inaugural VIP flight of a Boeing 777-200 aircraft will take place on December 21 and the following day a scheduled passenger flight will fly from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Details of the source of the biofuel and the blend mix have not yet been released by the airline, which says it is looking to pioneer the use of sustainable biofuels in Asia and Southeast Asia, and is encouraging other airlines in the region to follow suit. Meanwhile, Qantas is planning Australia's first sustainable biofuel commercial flight in early 2012, according to CEO Alan Joyce. Seen as a gateway to the Asia-Pacific region, Boeing is to collaborate on a project that aims to bring renewable aviation biofuel production to Hawaii. Read more ...
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Air New Zealand first to benefit from new Airbus and Boeing environmental and fuel-saving initiatives
Fri 9 Dec 2011 - The two aircraft manufacturers have each recently carried out initiatives to improve the environmental and fuel-saving capabilities of new aircraft coming into service. Airbus has performed a first flight test (right) of the Sharklet wingtip devices that will replace the current wingtip fence of the Airbus A320 Family. Offered as an option on new-build aircraft, Sharklet-fitted aircraft could reduce fuel burn by up to 3.5 per cent, corresponding to an annual CO2 reduction of 700 tonnes per aircraft through enhanced performance. Boeing's 777 programme is implementing 10 actions aimed at eliminating 5.5 million pounds (2,500 tonnes) and 300,000 gallons (1.1m litres) of jet fuel used during the 777 delivery process. Air New Zealand is the Sharklet launch customer and is also participating in the Boeing initiatives. Read more ...
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Following House passage, mirror bill introduced into US Senate to block US airlines from participating in EU ETS
Thu 8 Dec 2011 - Following the adoption of the H.R. 2594 bill in the US House of Representatives late October, Senator John Thune has introduced a mirror bill in the Senate. The bill instructs the US Secretary of Transportation to prohibit US civil aircraft operators from participating in what it describes as the EU's unilaterally established scheme, similar language to that of H.R. 2594. The move was welcomed by trade body Airlines for America, formerly the Air Transport Association, who estimate the EU ETS will cost US airlines and passengers more than $3.1 billion between 2012 and 2020. The EU ETS issue is to be discussed at a regular meeting coincidentally being held today of EU and US representatives under the US-EU bilateral Open Skies air transport agreement. Meanwhile, the EU's Connie Hedegaard yesterday said the EU would not change its legislation Read more ...
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US DOT official warns of damaging trade war between US and EU over EU ETS as ECJ announces date of ruling on US airline case
Tue 6 Dec 2011 - The EU will find it very difficult to enforce its unilateral Aviation EU ETS legislation on the rest of the world, Paul Gretch, Director of the Office of International Aviation at the US Department of Transportation (DOT), told a London conference today. "I fear we're heading towards a trade war airlines and the economy cannot afford," he said, adding that despite an anticipated ruling by the European Court of Justice to the contrary, the scheme was illegal and contravened US-EU bilateral agreements. Gretch revealed that President Obama had "forcibly" made clear the US opposition to European Commission President Barroso at a recent summit meeting. Meanwhile, the European Court of Justice is now expected to deliver its ruling on December 21 concerning the case brought by US airlines over their inclusion in the EU ETS. Read more ...
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LanzaTech main beneficiary of $7.7 million FAA contract awards and ranking from new renewable jet fuel website
Mon 5 Dec 2011 - The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding $7.7 million in contracts to eight companies to help advance alternative and sustainable jet fuels. Contracts worth over $1 million will go to Honeywell UOP, Virent Energy Systems and Velocys, with $3 million going to LanzaTech, an alcohol-to-jet fuel company which is rapidly becoming a potentially big player in alternative jet fuels since its partnership with Virgin Atlantic was announced in October, along with recent grants from US defence research agency DARPA and the US Department of Energy. Meanwhile, the Carbon War Room, the business initiative started by Virgin's Sir Richard Branson, has launched an open access website called RenewableJetFuels.org to help assess the progress of companies planning to produce commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuels. Read more ...
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European airport carbon scheme extends to Asia as Abu Dhabi becomes first in the region to be certified
Thu 1 Dec 2011 - ACI Europe's flagship climate change initiative, the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme, has been formally extended to the Asia-Pacific region. The announcement was made at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi during the Airport Exchange 2011 event held by ACI Europe and ACI Asia-Pacific. The launch saw Abu Dhabi International Airport become the first airport in the region to achieve certification within the programme. Bangalore Airport has also committed to becoming accredited within 12 months. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has agreed to join the programme's Advisory Board. Read more ...
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India seeks to raise opposition to unilateral trade measures at COP 17 in attempt to derail Aviation EU ETS
Mon 28 Nov 2011 - The UNFCCC COP 17 climate talks get underway today in Durban with little of the expectations that have been a feature in recent years, notably Copenhagen in 2009. With the Kyoto Protocol expiring next year and no enthusiasm from developed countries outside of Europe, Australia and New Zealand for its extension, a new binding deal is not now expected before 2015 at the earliest. Without a new deal, the chances of reaching a global agreement on ambitious binding emissions reduction targets for international aviation look similarly slim for the foreseeable future. Attempts at progressing negotiations on aviation and shipping emissions in the UNFCCC AWG-LCA stream have so far produced little, although they will continue during the Durban session. Interest by aviation industry representatives attending COP 17 is likely to focus on a possible contribution to the $100 billion Green Climate Fund from an airline levy and also an item submitted by India for the main agenda concerning unilateral trade measures. Read more ...
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European regional airline body calls for less biased and more balanced rail versus air policy debate
Fri 25 Nov 2011 - A report published by the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) says there is a blatant bias in favour of rail travel over air by European policy-makers, typified by unsubstantiated green claims. The report, 'Air and rail: Setting the record straight', says the economic and environmental case for preferring high-speed rail (HSR) over air is unproven and a more balanced debate is required. The ERA says the purpose of the report is not to attack rail or that air should receive preferential treatment but is part of a campaign to rebalance attitudes. Accepting that comparing the environmental impacts of the two modes is difficult, the report seeks to show that on a full life-cycle basis, rail is a questionable green alternative to air. Read more ...
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UN environment chief slams airlines for their opposition to the EU ETS - "They should be champions of the scheme"
Wed 23 Nov 2011 - Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN Under-Secretary-General, today described as "very regrettable" the actions of airlines who were opposing the introduction of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). He said it was wrong to expect others less fortunate to pay the environmental cost of the emissions of those who took flights and said the issue merited much more public discussion. Steiner made his remarks via video link from UNEP's Nairobi HQ during the launch of its scientific report 'Bridging the Emissions Gap' ahead of next week's UN COP 17 climate talks in Durban and next year's Rio+20 summit. The report devotes a chapter to global aviation and shipping emissions and how the two sectors could contribute to narrowing the gap by 2020. Read more ...
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IATA chief urges governments to adopt a six-step policy approach to promote aviation biofuels commercialisation
Tue 22 Nov 2011 - IATA Director General Tony Tyler has called on governments to implement policies that encourage research, investment and incentives to help develop and commercialise a sustainable aviation biofuel industry. With the approval of such fuels now in place and airlines using them in commercial operations, he said they had the potential to become a game-changer in cutting aviation's carbon footprint, but they were still expensive and supply was limited. "I am under no illusions that this will be an easy process," he added in a speech to the IATA Fuel Forum in Paris. "But there is no shortage of commitment from the industry." Meanwhile, next week's annual meeting of the industry-led Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) promises to be the biggest yet with strong participation from fuel companies, buyers and US government agencies and states. Read more ...
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European politicians call on EU to ensure international aviation emissions are addressed at Durban climate talks
Fri 18 Nov 2011 - In a resolution adopted at a plenary session of the European Parliament, MEPs have urged the European Union to push for binding reduction targets on international aviation emissions at the forthcoming UNFCCC COP 17 climate talks in Durban. Negotiations at UNFCCC over international aviation and maritime carbon emissions have been largely stalled for some time and the MEPs say resolution of the issue has become increasingly pressing. The MEPs have also called on the EU to back a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol post-2012 and agree a legally binding commitment. In its report to be presented during COP 17, ICAO says it is taking active steps towards developing global solutions to tackling aviation GHG emissions. Read more ...
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Aeromexico continues its jet biofuel programme with regular regional flights using Honeywell's Green Jet Fuel
Mon 14 Nov 2011 - Following Aeromexico's biofuel commercial flight from Mexico City to Madrid in August, the first of its kind across the Atlantic, the carrier is now operating a series of weekly flights between Mexico City to San Jose, Costa Rica. The transatlantic flight used a 30 per cent blend containing biofuel sourced from Mexican-grown jatropha but the regular commercial flights of a Boeing 737-700 are using a 15 per cent blend of Honeywell Green Jet Fuel sourced from camelina grown in the US northwest. The biofuel was blended by Mexico's airport operator and jet fuel supplier Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares (ASA). The agency has developed a programme that is focused in identifying and analysing elements of a sustainable aviation biofuels supply chain in Mexico. Read more ...
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Lufthansa Cargo looks for innovative solutions in providing the airfreight industry with a greener future
Thu 10 Nov 2011 - Lufthansa Cargo, one of the world's biggest airfreight carriers, has launched what it describes as an innovation platform that has the aim of developing green solutions for the industry supply chain. The airline has invited all-comers - particularly airfreight customers, logistics experts and academics - to participate in a contest and submit innovative ideas and future visions for environmental products and processes. The contest closes on December 19, after which a jury of Lufthansa Cargo experts will select the best proposals and invite winners to Frankfurt to present their ideas to a team of senior airline management. Prizes include a training session in a Lufthansa flight simulator. Read more ...
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UK CAA sets incentivised air navigation flight efficiency targets to deliver fuel and carbon savings from 2012
Wed 9 Nov 2011 - In a world first, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the UK’s air navigation service provider NATS have agreed proposed annual efficiency targets that aim to reduce airline fuel costs by £120 million ($190m) and save 600,000 tonnes of CO2 over the next three years. NATS has developed a new '3Di score' metric that is broadly related to the difference in airline fuel burn between the actual flight and an optimal or preferred flight trajectory. The metric sets a 'par value' based in units and NATS will be financially rewarded or penalised depending on performance achieved against the metric. A final consultation is now underway and is to be concluded in a month's time, with 1 January 2012 as the start date. Airlines, faced with mounting fuel costs and the introduction of the EU ETS, have welcomed the incentivised targets. Read more ...
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Alaska Air prepares for a series of used cooking oil biofuel flights using Boeing and Bombardier aircraft
Tue 8 Nov 2011 - Alaska Airlines and sister carrier Horizon Air will tomorrow start a series of 75 biofuel-powered commercial flights over the next few weeks from Seattle to Washington DC and Portland. The flights will use a 20/80 blend of used cooking oil and jet kerosene that is being supplied by Dutch-based SkyNRG and produced by Dynamic Fuels at its Louisiana plant. The biofuel source is the same that has been used for sustainable biofuel flights carried out by KLM, Finnair, Thomson and Air France in Europe since so-called HEFA fuels were certified for commercial aviation use in July. Tomorrow's flights will involve a Boeing 737 Alaska Airlines flight to Washington DC and the other a Horizon Air trip to Portland that will mark the first commercial biofuel flight of a Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft. Read more ...
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United Airlines makes historic first US commercial biofuel flight using Solazyme's algae-derived Solajet
Mon 7 Nov 2011 - United Continental subsidiary Continental Airlines today operated the first US commercial flight to be powered by a sustainable biofuel blend. The Boeing 737-800 aircraft made the two-and-a-half flight 1403 from Houston to Chicago using a blend, believed to be 40/60, of algae-derived biofuel and conventional jet kerosene. Although commercial jet biofuel flights have already taken place in Europe, China and South America since certification in July, this is the first time algae has been used as the sole source of the biofuel, which is considered a major next generation advance on crop-based fuels. The algae oil was supplied by San Francisco-based Solazyme and was refined into jet fuel in Houston by Honeywell UOP's process technology. In another landmark, United announced it has signed a Letter of Intent with Solazyme to negotiate the purchase of 20 million gallons per year of the company’s Solajet fuel, with delivery slated for as early as 2014. Read more ...
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Swiss-based Aviaso signs licensing deal with P&W to provide data analysis software for fuel conservation programme
Mon 7 Nov 2011 - Aviation software company Aviaso has signed a licensing agreement with Pratt & Whitney (P&W) and Flight Sciences International (FSI) to provide data analysis software for EcoFlight Solutions, a collaborative fuel conservation programme for airlines run by P&W and FSI. P&W claims EcoFlight Solutions can typically save an airline between 3 and 8 per cent in fuel costs annually, even for those carriers with conservation programmes already in place. Under the agreement, the Aviaso software will provide EcoFlight clients with a suite of customisable reports, alerts and dashboards, including an easy-to-read application summarising a customer's current fuel savings along with opportunities for further reductions. Read more ...
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Norwegian airports operator to investigate viability of establishing a national aviation biofuel production sector
Mon 7 Nov 2011 - Avinor, which operates Norway's airport and air navigation network, has initiated an investigation into whether the country should produce its own aviation biofuel supplies or rely on imported sources. It is currently in the process of obtaining tenders from Norwegian consultants to carry out the study, which will consider what it would take to establish commercially-viable biofuel production in the country and also consider which types of biofuels have the most positive impact from a climate and sustainability perspective. The study will be a cross-sector initiative with airlines and the Federation of Norwegian Aviation Industries (NHO Luftfart) represented on the study's steering group. Read more ...
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States opposed to Europe's emissions trading scheme win ICAO Council backing but EU remains defiant
Thu 3 Nov 2011 - The working paper submitted by 26 states - including China, Russia, India and the United States - that calls on the EU and its member states to exclude non-EU carriers from the EU ETS was endorsed by the ICAO Council yesterday. All 26 states are members of the 36-strong Council, leaving 8 EU states to oppose the adoption and two abstentions - Australia and Canada. It was made clear during the meeting that the adoption of the paper had no legally binding effect on any member state or the Council but it will serve as another political reminder of the strong opposition to Europe's climate reduction policy on aviation emissions. There were calls during the meeting for re-engagement and accelerated action by ICAO towards a global agreement on market-based measures for emissions mitigation. However, a next move could well be the filing of an Article 84 dispute resolution procedure by one of the 26 states sponsoring the paper. Read more ...
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Despite progress of US airline prohibition bill, Hedegaard confident United States will respect EU legislation on ETS
Tue 1 Nov 2011 - Just a week after the US House of Representatives passed the H.R. 2594 bill that prohibits US airlines from participating in the Aviation EU ETS, the EU's Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard said Europe was confident that the United States will in the end respect EU legislation "just as the EU respects US legislation and US lawmakers' authority in US airports". She said the bill was "unusual" and "a rather unorthodox course of action" in wanting to tell US airlines not to respect an EU law. Her comments came on the eve of discussions within the ICAO Council tomorrow of an anti-EU ETS paper submitted by 26 nations that urges Europe to exclude flights by non-EU carriers that fly to its airports from the emissions scheme. Meanwhile, European NGO Transport & Environment accuses the US FAA of drafting the Delhi Declaration that led to the ICAO paper and colluding with airline lobbyists. Read more ...
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China joins the sustainable jet biofuel flight club as Air China and Boeing conduct two-hour demonstration
Fri 28 Oct 2011 - Air China and its US and Chinese partners today conducted China's first-ever sustainable biofuel flight. The two-hour demonstration flight from Beijing Capital International Airport of a Pratt & Whitney powered Boeing 747-400 used a blend of conventional jet kerosene and a biofuel sourced from China-grown jatropha. PetroChina, along with Honeywell's UOP, sourced and refined the biofuel and was blended by China National Aviation Fuel. Air China and Boeing are working on plans for a trans-Pacific flight between China and the United States with biofuel sourced from both countries. Earlier in the year, Air China said the demo flight would help verify the feasibility, supply capacity and commercial potential of Chinese-produced biofuel that met ASTM fuel standards, and aims to build a platform for an industrial supply chain in the country. China's consumption of jet fuel is currently increasing by an average 13.6 per cent annually. Read more ...
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Boeing and Embraer hook up with Brazilian research foundation to explore long-term aviation biofuel R&D
Thu 27 Oct 2011 - Aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Embraer have joined forces to collaborate with the Sao Paulo State Research Foundation (FAPESP) on long-term aviation biofuels-related research and development. Initially, a detailed report will be developed to look into the opportunities and challenges of creating a cost-effective, bio-derived and sustainable jet fuel production and distribution industry in Brazil. A series of public workshops are scheduled for 2012, with a wide range of stakeholders and a strategic advisory board providing input to the study. A further plan is to create a sustainable aviation biofuels research centre in the country that will be jointly funded by FAPESP and industry. Four Brazilian airlines - Azul, GOL, TAM and TRIP - will act as strategic advisors to the programme. Read more ...
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US lawmakers pass bill to prohibit US airlines from complying with EU law as US politicians drum up support at ICAO
Tue 25 Oct 2011 - The US House of Representatives last night passed the H.R. 2594 bill that would prohibit US airlines from complying with the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). The bill is now likely to progress to the Senate for consideration. The vote follows a visit to Montreal on Friday by a US Congressional delegation made up of the bill's key sponsors to meet with senior officials of ICAO and representatives of ICAO member states, including the United Kingdom and the EU. Lead sponsor John Mica warned that if the EU ETS was imposed on the January 1 start date then direct travel from most US airports to Europe could be closed down. Meanwhile, the issue will be raised by the United States and 25 other states during the upcoming meeting of the ICAO Council. In London, a European Commission official said on Friday the EU had tried to find a consensus in meetings with their Washington counterparts but had received no response to a number of questions they had presented. Read more ...
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Asia-Pacific airports launch Green Airports Award to help promote and reward environmental best practices
Thu 20 Oct 2011 - A new initiative has been launched by airport industry body Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific in which airports in the region are invited to participate in the Green Airports Award. The objective, it says, is to promote environmental best practices and recognise ACI airport members who have achieved "outstanding accomplishments" in their environmental projects. The awards for 2011 will be presented at the ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Assembly to be held in Singapore in May 2012. Read more ...
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Airbus to support Boeing’s lead role in Greener Skies follow-up initiative to maximise US air navigation efficiency
Thu 20 Oct 2011 - Following a $3.1 million task order award from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Boeing is to lead a team to evaluate and analyse how GPS-based precision navigation can be utilised to reduce fuel burn, lower emissions and decrease noise in the national airspace system. The Greener Skies initiative seeks to improve air traffic management (ATM) efficiency through the expanded use of Performance Based Navigation (PBN) including Required Navigation Performance (RNP), area navigation (RNAV) and Optimised Profile Descents (OPDs). It builds on the Greener Skies Over Seattle project started in 2009 involving Alaska Airlines, which showed how fuel burn and emissions could be cut by 35 per cent through the use of RNP compared to a conventional landing. Read more ...
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Air France and Airbus claim the world’s greenest flight after combining biofuel and ATM technologies
Thu 13 Oct 2011 - Air France today completed a flight today from Toulouse to Paris-Orly that achieved a fuel efficiency of 2.2 litres per passenger-100km, cutting in half the CO2 emitted compared to a normal flight. The Airbus A321 aircraft commercial flight was powered by a 50 per cent blend of biofuel, believed to be used cooking oil supplied by Dutch aviation biofuels company SkyNRG, in each engine - the maximum blend permitted. In addition, optimised air traffic management (ATM) procedures were employed, including a Continuous Descent Approach (CDA). Combining the use of biofuel and efficient ATM allowed the flight to claim CO2 emissions of just 54 grams per passenger-kilometre. The best performing airlines average over 100 grams per passenger-km. Read more ...
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German aviation biofuel initiative aireg gets off the ground as it elects the officials to take it forward
Thu 13 Oct 2011 - Following its launch in June, the Aviation Initiative for Renewable Energy in Germany (aireg) has held its Constituent General Assembly in Berlin. The number of founding members has increased from 20 at the launch to 25, with Boeing now joining the group. Airline members include Air Berlin, Condor, Lufthansa and TUIfly, with Munich Airport as the sole airport representative. Other members include manufacturers and organisations from areas of science and research. The assembly elected a Board, with EADS Deutschland's Siegfried Knecht as Chairman and Joachim Buse, Lufthansa's Vice President for Aviation Biofuel, as Deputy Chairman. Delegates also elected Dr –Ing Klaus Nittinger as the association's President for Industry and Aviation and Prof Dr –Ing Joachim Szodruch as President for Science and Research. Read more ...
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Athens International begins operation of the world's largest airport photovoltaic installation
Wed 12 Oct 2012 - The largest unified photovoltaic (PV) installation at any airport worldwide has been officially launched at Athens International Airport (AIA). The 8 MWp (megawatt peak) PV Park has been developed at a cost of around 20 million euros ($28m) on a 160,000 square metre area within the airport site, with the project taking six months to complete. The Park will contribute significantly to the airport company's target of reducing the carbon footprint of its installations. It is expected to produce 11 million kWh annually, corresponding to almost 20 per cent of the company's electricity consumption and representing nine per cent of the airport community's overall needs. As a result, CO2 emissions will be reduced by at least 10,000 tonnes per year for a period of at least 25 years, claims AIA. Read more ...
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Heathrow pods offer passengers a glimpse of the future as new transport system reduces time and emissions
Wed 12 Oct 2011 - Nearly six months after the service started, London's Heathrow Airport has officially unveiled its unique pod system at Terminal 5 that transports passengers and their luggage from the Business Car Park to the main terminal. The system has been developed at a cost of £30 million ($47m) over six years by UK company ULTra and airport operator BAA. It consists of 21 low-energy, battery-powered, driverless, zero-emission vehicles capable of carrying four passengers along a dedicated 3.8km guideway at a speed of up to 25mph (40kph). The five-minute journey is on demand and non-stop from start to destination at the touch of a computer screen. Over 100,000 passengers have used the service, which is capable of handling 500,000 annually, since the bedding-in started on April 18. Read more ...
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Virgin Atlantic partners with LanzaTech on 'breakthrough technology' to convert waste gases to jet biofuels
Tue 11 Oct 2011 - Nearly four years after it carried out the industry's first jet biofuel flight, Virgin Atlantic is firmly back in the biofuel big time with the announcement of a partnership with New Zealand-based clean energy company LanzaTech. Describing LanzaTech's industrial waste gases to fuel technology as the most exciting of the biofuel breakthroughs so far, the airline's President, Sir Richard Branson, said a demonstration flight is planned in 12-18 months time and he hoped to begin using the new jet fuel on operations from India and China to London within three years. The technology essentially involves taking waste gases such as carbon monoxide from steel, aluminium and other industrial plants and converting them to ethanol. This is then converted into jet fuel using technology developed by partner Swedish BioFuels. Virgin's exact role in the venture has still to be determined but the airline will help facilitate the certification, sustainability criteria and commercial development of the product. Read more ...
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ECJ Advocate General finds the inclusion of third country airlines into the EU ETS is compatible with international law
Thu 6 Oct 2010 - In a 65-page opinion published today, the European Court of Justice's (ECJ) Advocate General, Juliane Kokott, has concluded the inclusion of international aviation into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) does not infringe the sovereignty of other states under international law and is compatible with relevant international agreements. The Advocate General also finds that as a market-based measure, the application of the EU ETS does not constitute a tax or charge on airlines. Although this is not binding on the judges hearing the case, the opinion's emphatic dismissal of the arguments made by the Air Transport Association of America and leading US airlines is a significant victory for the EU. However, the opinion is unlikely to reduce mounting international opposition from major states to the EU ETS. The ECJ ruling is expected around the turn of the year and will then be sent back to the High Court in London. Read more ...
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UK first as Thomson Airways' three-year biofuel commercial flight programme finally takes off
Thu 6 Oct 2011 - A Thomson Airways Boeing 757-200 today conducted the UK's first commercial flight to use biofuel. Using a 50/50 blend of used cooking oil and conventional jet kerosene in one engine, the aircraft will make a four-hour flight from Birmingham Airport to Arrecife in the Canary Islands. The flight marks the start of regular daily flights using a dedicated aircraft as part of trials to quantify any differences in performance or fuel burn of the engine when compared with the non-biofuel engine. The inaugural flight was originally scheduled for the end of July but was postponed due to "unforeseen delays" in the fuel delivery. Two UK environmental groups have condemned the biofuel flight as "self-seeking and irresponsible greenwash" but the airline has hit back at the criticism. Read more ...
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Camelina derived oil contributes to Spain's first commercial biofuel flight carried out by Iberia
Wed 5 Oct 2011 - For the first time, a blended jet biofuel sourced from the camelina sativa plant has been used on a commercial flight. Flying from Madrid to Barcelona, an Iberia Airbus A320 burned around 2,800kg of a mixture of 75 per cent conventional Jet A-1 fuel and 25 per cent biofuel in both engines. The camelina was grown in the United States and supplied by Sustainable Oils. The camelina oil was sent from Montana to Honeywell UOP's Houston tolling facility in Texas where it was converted to the company's Green Jet Fuel. The fuel was then blended with conventional jet fuel by ASA in Mexico and evaluated and certified by Spanish energy giant Repsol. The flight was part of Spain's pioneering 'Green Flight' programme to advance the use of biofuels in aviation. Iberia claims the fuel mix brought a saving of nearly 1,500kg of CO2 emissions, representing an emissions reduction of almost 20 per cent. Read more ...
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Europe misguided over EU ETS, says IATA chief, as airline industry queues up to give the scheme a kicking
Wed 5 Oct 2011 - "The challenges facing aviation over climate change issues are critical for the industry," said Cathay Pacific Airways COO Ivan Chu in his welcome address to the Greener Skies conference in Hong Kong last week. The event was sharply defined by attacks from airline industry representatives on Europe's own flagship policy solution to the problem, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). Making his first speech on environmental issues since taking over as IATA's Director General and CEO, ex-Cathay boss Tony Tyler said Europe was misguided in its determination to include international aviation in its scheme and was distracting governments from achieving a global system under ICAO leadership. Ahead of the European Court of Justice legal opinion to be delivered tomorrow (Oct 6), Nancy Young of the US ATA and Mary Veronica Tovšak Pleterski of the European Commission squared up over the rights and wrongs of including non-EU airlines into the regional trading scheme. Read more ...
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BRICS, United States and others join in Delhi declaration to oppose EU's imposition of ETS on their airlines
Mon 3 Oct 2011 - Twenty-six countries representing both the developed and developing world convened in New Delhi on Thursday and Friday (Sept 29-30) to discuss moves on how to oppose the "unilateral" inclusion of their aircraft operators into the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme, which starts in less than three month's time. Amongst the 70 delegates were representatives from the major emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, as well developed countries such as Canada, Japan and the United States. A concluding statement said the inclusion of non-EU states into the scheme was inconsistent with applicable international law and the states would present their opposition in a working paper to the ICAO Council for consideration. At a briefing to the ICAO Council on Thursday, a European Commission official said the EU ETS was fully in compliance with both ICAO and UNFCCC principles. Read more ...
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EC sets benchmarks for EU ETS free emission allowances but Hedegaard upsets airlines over investment remarks
Fri 30 Sept 2011 - The long-awaited publication by the European Commission of the benchmark values from which aircraft operators joining the EU ETS can calculate their free emission allowances has been overshadowed by European airline industry anger over comments by Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard. She said that the free allowances, potentially worth €20 billion ($27bn) over the 2012-2020 period, would allow airlines to invest in new aircraft, improve fuel efficiency and use alternative fuels. Three airline associations condemned the remarks as grossly misleading and a blatant misunderstanding of economic reality. From an original list of over 4,000 potential operators identified by the Commission, around 900 operators have been allocated free allowances. The UK has today published a list of the 249 operators it has been assigned and their allowances. British Airways, Emirates, easyJet, Virgin Atlantic, American and United are the biggest 'beneficiaries'. Read more ...
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China and Russia join forces to oppose EU ETS, threatening taxes or charges on EU airlines in retaliation
Thu 29 Sept 2011 - Russia and China have agreed to work together in opposing the inclusion of their airlines into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). The two powers issued a joint statement on Tuesday saying the inclusion breached the Chicago Convention and the sovereignty of other states, and undermined "booming" international cooperation on addressing climate change. They say they will each develop their own response and "reciprocal measures" if the EU does not change its position. A Chinese government official said this could include imposing punitive taxes or charges on EU carriers serving the country. Speaking at the Greener Skies conference in Hong Kong on Tuesday, the Director General of the China Air Transport Association (CATA), Wei Zhen Zhong, said the "illegal" EU policy risked triggering a trade confrontation. Read more ...
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International opposition risks EU ETS success and European airline competitiveness, says AEA and Virgin chief
Mon 19 Sept 2011 - Legal challenges, threatened trade wars and other implementation difficulties are risking the success of aviation's inclusion in the EU ETS, claimed Steve Ridgway, Virgin Atlantic CEO and Chairman of the Association of European Airlines (AEA), at a European Aviation Club speech in Brussels. He said Virgin had lobbied consistently for an environmentally effective and economically efficient EU ETS but airline concerns over the scheme must now be taken seriously by the Commission and EU states. Until 2020, he estimated the EU ETS will cost European airlines €3.1 billion ($4.2bn) annually, of which €1.1 billion ($1.5bn) will go to the treasuries of European governments. Ridgway called for an international agreement on deadlines for progress towards a global CO2 sectoral solution. Read more ...
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Aviation legal experts propose an incremental approach in reaching a global sectoral agreement on emissions
Fri 16 Sept 2011 - Rather than attempting a 'big bang' solution in reaching a global aviation sectoral agreement on reducing international aviation emissions, an incremental approach involving collaboration between like-minded states is likely to offer the most feasible route. So argue two international air law experts, Brian Havel and Gabriel Sanchez, in a new paper 'Toward a Global Aviation Emissions Agreement'. The two authors advocate a multilateral, consensual, sectoralised and incremental emissions treaty, created outside the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) but compliant with ICAO benchmarks. The paper also examines in detail legal arguments to show that Europe's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) falls foul of a number of key articles forming the international civil aviation treaty, the Chicago Convention. Read more ...
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Amsterdam Schiphol and KLM start sustainable ground vehicle project using 100 per cent biodiesel
Fri 16 Sept 2011 - Around 40 ground vehicles operated by Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and KLM are being switched over the next four months to run on 100 per cent biodiesel sourced from used cooking oil supplied by SkyNRG, the company that also provided jet biofuel for the recent commercial flights undertaken by KLM, Finnair and Thomson Airways. Both the airport and KLM are investing efforts in introducing more sustainable transport vehicles at Schiphol. Although a number of electrically-powered vehicles are already in use, this is not currently suitable for all types of vehicles and so biodiesel presents a sustainable alternative. Read more ...
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Aerospace companies set up group to develop common international understanding on environmental standards
Fri 16 Sept 2011 - Eleven major aerospace companies have come together to form the International Aerospace Environmental Group (IAEG) to help develop industry understanding of global environmental requirements. The group says different laws and regulations impacting health and the environment are in place around the world and the complexity and variability has led to a heavier burden and substantial costs for the supply chain. IAEG will aim to develop voluntary consensus standards addressing environmental concerns and create a forum for dialogue on industry approaches. The group will be administered by automotive and aerospace standards organisation SAE International. Read more ...
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Singapore Airlines looks to biofuels as it becomes latest airline to join Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group
Thu 15 Sept 2011 - Singapore Airlines has become the latest member of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG) that was set up in 2008 to accelerate the development and commercialisation of lower-carbon renewable aviation fuels derived from environmentally and socially sustainable sources. This now brings the number of airlines to have joined the group to 23, which collectively represents around 15 per cent of total global aviation fuel demand. SAFUG receives support and advice from environmental organisations such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Meanwhile, Australian renewable biofuels company Jatenergy, which has supplied Indonesian-sourced jatropha oil for SAFUG member Lufthansa’s biofuel programme, says it is struggling to meet demand. Read more ...
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Airberlin’s emissions savings efforts recognised as it becomes the first airline to win German environmental award
Mon 12 Sept 2011 - Germany's second-largest airline Airberlin has been awarded an ÖkoGlobe 2011 for "pioneering innovations" in controlling carbon emissions through its 'Eco-efficient Flying' corporate programme. The ÖkoGlobe awards are now in their fifth year and this is the first time it has gone to an airline, in this case under the 'Vehicle innovations in public transport' category. The Airberlin programme was started in 2008 and the airline claims its fuel consumption of 3.6 litres per 100 revenue passenger kilometres is the most efficient compared to other European scheduled carriers. The airline says aviation tax will amount to €180 million this year, "considerably thwarting" efforts to modernise and reduce the age of its fleet. Read more ...
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US Department of Energy awards grants to LanzaTech and Virent to help fund alternative jet fuel technologies
Thu 8 Sept 2011 - Advanced fuel technology companies LanzaTech and Virent Energy Systems have each been awarded grants of up to $4 million towards their development of conversion technologies to produce sustainable, drop-in alternative jet fuels. The grants from the US Department of Energy will help fund small-scale projects that employ innovative thermochemical processes to convert biomass into liquid and gaseous intermediates which can then be chemically converted into fuels and other products. Following the announcement last month by President Obama of a $510 million investment into developing an advanced aviation and marine biofuels industry in the US, the Secretaries of Agriculture, Energy and Navy have issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input to help better understand the challenges necessary to accelerate commercialisation. Read more ...
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Engine manufacturer GE extends its aviation biofuel development activities in Brazil and Australia
Tue 6 Sept 2011 - Embraer and GE have concluded a series of test flights to benchmark the operational characteristics of the Brazilian manufacturer's Embraer 170 aircraft and its CF34-8E engines when powered by ASTM-approved sustainable HEFA biofuels under a broad range of unique flight conditions. The flights involved powering one of the two engines with the maximum 50 per cent permissible mix of biofuel with Jet-A kerosene. The biofuel for the flights was derived from camelina and the two companies say they are stepping up efforts to support the testing and development of a broader range of sustainable aviation biofuels. Meanwhile, GE has announced it is joining an Australian consortium that includes Virgin Australia to research and develop aviation biofuels sourced from mallee eucalpyt trees. Read more ...
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Airbus to seek customer airline support as it becomes ambassador for international reforestation project
Mon 5 Sept 2011 - Airbus has become an 'ambassador' of the newly founded 'Global Restoration Council and Coalition', lead by former Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson. Launched at last week's 'Bonn Challenge' international reforestation summit held in Germany, the aim of the project is to reforest 15 per cent, or around 150 million hectares, of the degraded forests worldwide by 2020. As part of its role, Airbus will approach its airline customers to gain their support for the council and enlarge its publicity. Compared to aviation's 2 to 3 per cent contribution, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported in 2007 that deforestation, in addition to biodiversity loss, accounted for a 20 per cent share of global CO2 emissions produced by human activity, although more recent studies have concluded this may be an overestimate. Read more ...
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Qantas and Jetstar reach one million tonne milestone after just four years of their carbon offset programme
Fri 2 Sept 2011 - The Qantas airline group has passed a significant milestone with its voluntary carbon offset programme. Passengers on Qantas and its low-cost subsidiary Jetstar have now offset over one million tonnes of carbon emissions since September 2007. Funds generated are currently helping to support projects in developing countries recommended by the group's carbon offset partner, Climate Friendly, and certified with the global Verified Carbon Standard and the Australian National Carbon Offset Standard. Qantas says it is monitoring developments of the government's new Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI), which aims to help facilitate the sale of carbon credits on domestic and international markets, opening up new income streams for farmers and landholders across regional Australia from farmland and forestry projects. Read more ...
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Southwest Airlines joins with students on US coast-to-coast road tour to carry out conservation projects
Fri 2 Sept 2011 - Southwest Airlines has teamed up with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) on an initiative to support 40 conservation projects across the United States. During a summer-long tour that started in June, students from the SCA have been travelling in a custom-designed Southwest Airlines biodiesel bus and joining Southwest employees and community members in 25 cities. A recent stop in New York included the cleaning of a lake trail and picking up rubbish at the Hempstead Lake State Park. The Conservation In Action Tour coincides with the airline's 40th year of operations. SCA is a non-profit organisation that provides 15-25 year-olds with hands-on conservation service opportunities in all 50 US states, from urban communities to national parks and forests. Read more ...
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British Airways to replace passenger carbon offset scheme with new fund to aid UK carbon reduction projects
Wed 31 Aug 2011 - British Airways (BA), one of the first airlines to introduce a voluntary carbon offset scheme for its passengers, is to scrap the programme from next month and replace it with another scheme called the One Destination Carbon Fund. Instead of customers paying to offset their emissions based on a distance calculation when booking, the new fund will present them with a three-tier flat cost based on whether the journey is domestic or short- or long-haul. Contributions to the present offset scheme went towards a range of UN Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in developing countries, narrowed down in 2010 to just two - in China and Outer Mongolia. With around 70 per cent of contributions coming from UK passengers and having listened to customer feedback, BA will now invest the funds into a newly-created UK Carbon Reporting Framework programme. The airline also cites the upcoming EU ETS as a reason for the switch. Read more ...
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Boeing launches re-engined 737 and pledges four per cent better fuel efficiency than rival Airbus A320neo
Wed 31 Aug 2011 - With airlines clamouring for more fuel and carbon efficient narrowbody aircraft, Boeing has finally ended speculation by announcing the launch of a new generation, re-engined version of its single-aisle 737. On the back of order commitments for 496 aircraft from five airlines, the Boeing board has given the go-ahead for what it calls the 737 MAX family, to be exclusively powered by CFM International LEAP-1B engines that will be optimised for the aircraft. The Seattle-based manufacturer claims the new version will be 16 per cent more fuel efficient than current Airbus narrowbody offerings and 4 per cent lower than the re-engined A320neo that was announced last December. Boeing expects first deliveries to begin in 2017, a year later than the A320neo. Read more ...
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UK government updates aviation CO2 forecasts to 2050 and analyses policy levers to achieve reductions
Fri 26 Aug 2011 - We are anti-carbon, not anti-aviation, claims the UK government in a new report published by the Department for Transport (DfT) in response to a major study released in December 2009 by the government's climate change advisers, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), on reducing UK aviation carbon emissions out to 2050. The target is to rein back emissions to 2005 levels by 2050 but forecasts by the DfT show that they will continue to rise steadily to 2040 and policy interventions alongside new technologies and measures will be required to stem the growth and then achieve real reductions. The DfT report updates previous long-term CO2 projections and also provides an analysis of which measures will provide the most cost-effective means of reducing emissions. The government is currently consulting with stakeholders as it forms a strategy for achieving the sustainable growth of the UK aviation industry, with a framework due for release in March 2013. Read more ...
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European airlines nervous as international demands for Europe to exclude foreign airlines from EU ETS continue to grow
Fri 19 Aug 2011 - Trade associations representing Europe's leading network and regional carriers have called on the European Commission to urgently address the growing international pressure, particularly from the United States, for the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) to drop the inclusion of airlines from outside Europe. The Association of European Airlines (AEA) said that with just five months before the start there was now considerable uncertainty on the scheme's future. In the face of a threatened international withdrawal, the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) said the scheme must apply to all airlines, regardless of origin, or none. Following the introduction of the proposed legislative Bill in the US House of Representatives forbidding US airlines to participate, a hearing of the House Aviation Subcommittee took place on July 27. China and Russia are also understood to be discussing countermeasures of their own. Read more ...
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Using nationally-sourced jatropha, Aeromexico conducts first transcontinental commercial biofuel flight
Thu 18 Aug 2011 - Aeromexico has become the first airline to carry out a passenger flight across the Atlantic using biofuel. A GE-powered Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, with a blend of 30 per cent biofuel sourced from jatropha and 70 per cent conventional jet kerosene, flew 250 passengers from Mexico City to Madrid. Around 20 tons of the jatropha curcas fuel was supplied by Mexico's largest airport operator and jet fuel provider Airports and Auxiliary Services (ASA). Aircraft manufacturer Boeing was involved in the flight programme, which was also supported by Mexico's Ministry of Communications and Transport. On July 21, Mexico's second-biggest airline, Interjet, carried out the country's first commercial biofuel flights between Mexico City and Tuxtla Gutierrez using an Airbus A320. Read more ...
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Emirates’ first environmental report reveals its fleet is 25 per cent more efficient than the industry average
Thu 18 Aug 2011 - The Emirates Group has become the first major airline in the Middle East to report annually on its environmental impact and performance. Data shows the Emirates' fuel efficiency for the period April 2010 to March 2011 was 4.12 litres per 100 passenger-kilometres, around 25 per cent lower than the IATA 2010 industry forecast average of 5.4 litres per 100 pax-kms. As this is the first year of reporting, Emirates has not provided comparison data for previous years but the fuel efficiency figure compares favourably with other major airlines. The Lufthansa group reported a fuel efficiency of 4.21 litres per 100 pax-kms for 2010. Emirates fuel consumption from airline operations for the reporting period amounted to 5.6 million tonnes, resulting in 17.7 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. The report also details the environmental impact and activities of the group's ground operations, covering ground handling, cargo, flight catering and engineering. Read more ...
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Obama announces major investment towards developing the aviation advanced biofuels sector in the US
Tue 16 Aug 2011 - President Obama today announced an investment of $510 million over the next three years towards developing an industry to develop and produce drop-in advanced aviation and marine biofuels for the US defence and commercial sectors. The funding will come from the US Departments of Agriculture (USDA), Energy and Navy and is to be matched equally with finance from the private sector. Without mentioning environmental concerns, the USDA said the partnership aims to reduce US reliance on foreign oil and create jobs, while positioning American companies and farmers to be global leaders in advanced biofuels production. The United States spends over $300 billion on imported crude each year. To accelerate the production of bio-based jet and diesel fuel for military and commercial purposes, the Secretaries of the three agencies have developed a plan to jointly construct or retrofit several drop-in biofuel plants and refineries. Read more ...
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Funding secured for Brazilian research study into the sustainability of renewable jet fuel sourced from sugarcane
Mon 15 Aug 2011 - The regional initiative launched in June by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to provide finance for renewable jet fuel projects in Latin America and the Caribbean has made its first grant. The IDB, along with aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Embraer, is to fund a sustainability analysis of producing jet fuel from Brazilian sugarcane. The study will evaluate environmental and market conditions for the use of renewable jet fuel produced by synthetic biofuel technology company Amyris. It will be led by ICONE, an agricultural research think-tank in Brazil, and will be independently reviewed and advised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). In 2009, Embraer and Amyris announced a sustainable jet fuel initiative that aims to conduct a demonstration flight in 2012 of a GE-powered Embraer aircraft belonging to Brazilian airline Azul using biofuel derived from sugarcane. Read more ...
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SWAFEA final report lays groundwork for the deployment of sustainable aviation biofuels in Europe
Tue 26 July 2011 - Although the aviation sector has a good track record in reducing its environmental impact through efficiency gains, it is highly unlikely to reduce or even stabilise its emissions through this means alone, but biofuels present a real potential for reduction, concludes a major European study into aviation alternative fuels. However, a number of major challenges need to be faced including feedstock availability and development, and how to overcome the economic barriers for investors. The study recommends that quota mandates should be considered and suggests that auction revenues from the EU ETS be used to kick-start the process. As a first step, a low minimum goal for European aviation biofuel introduction in 2020 - a 2 per cent market penetration is proposed - should be the basis for triggering a start-up of production. Read more ...
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Recycling end-of-life airplanes is key to delivering enhanced industry environmental performance, says Boeing
Fri 22 July 2011 - With more than 13,000 airplanes expected to be retired over the next 20 years, as they are replaced with newer and more fuel-efficient generations, delivering improved environmental stewardship to airplanes as they reach their end-of-life is becoming increasingly important, says Boeing. Developing innovative environmental solutions to recycle aerospace products at the end of service was part of the aerospace industry's commitment to enhancing its environmental performance, Boeing's VP Environment, Health and Safety, Mary Armstrong, told delegates at this week’s annual meeting of the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRAA) in Washington, DC. During the event, Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer announced it is to become the latest member to join AFRAA. Read more ...
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Thomson Airways and aircraft manufacturer ATR set the standard for international environmental certification
Fri 22 July 2011 - Leisure carrier Thomson Airways and regional turboprop aircraft manufacturer ATR have each been awarded ISO 14001 certification for their operations. The international standard sets out how business organisations can put in place an effective Environmental Management System to help minimise environmental impacts. Thomson Airways claims it is the first airline in the UK to roll out the standard across engineering operations, while ATR says it is the first regional aircraft manufacturer to obtain certification covering the entire lifecycle of the aircraft. Read more ...
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US politicians introduce bill to prohibit airlines from joining EU ETS while EU MEPs urge Commission to stand firm
Thu 21 July 2011 - The simmering tension between the United States and Europe over the Aviation EU ETS is growing, with politicians on both sides of the Atlantic joining in the dispute. A bill was introduced yesterday in the US House of Representatives that directs the Department of Transportation to prohibit US carriers from participating in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme. The bipartisan bill, called the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act of 2011, says recent US objections to the EU have not received a satisfactory response and calls on the DoT, the FAA and other appropriate US government officials to conduct further negotiations and take actions to ensure civil aircraft operators are "held harmless" from the "unilateral" scheme. Meanwhile, EU Members of Parliament have called on the European Commission not to give in to pressure from the US, China and Russia for their airlines to be exempted. Read more ...
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Finnair’s scheduled commercial biofuel flight marks a step towards more sustainable flying, says airline
Wed 20 July 2011 - Finnair this evening joined KLM and Lufthansa as one of the first airlines to use blended sustainable jet biofuel on a commercial scheduled flight. Both engines of an Airbus A319 were fuelled with a mix of 50 per cent biofuel derived from used cooking oil and 50 per cent conventional jet fuel. The 1,500km journey between Amsterdam and Helsinki was the longest scheduled flight so far to use biofuel. Finnair plans to carry out a series of four such flights over the coming weeks. The fuel is part of a batch sourced and held at Schiphol by Dutch company SkyNRG, which was also used by KLM in the first ever such flight on June 29 and is also being supplied to Thomson Airways in the UK for its planned flight on July 28. Read more ...
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Lufthansa takes off towards a new era of sustainably fuelled regular commercial scheduled flights
Mon 18 July 2011 - The first in Lufthansa's long-heralded series of commercial scheduled sustainable biofuel flights finally took off on Friday morning (July 15). Save for camera-wielding media, the 50-minute flight from Hamburg to Frankfurt passed uneventfully for passengers taking the shuttle. Four daily flights between the two cities will now take place using the same Airbus A321 aircraft over the next six months as part of the airline's burnFAIR project to research the long-term effects of jet biofuels under normal operations. Around 1,600 tonnes of fuel has been supplied by Neste Oil, which is a 50/50 blend of sustainably-sourced biosynthetic kerosene mixed with conventional jet fuel at the Finnish renewable fuel company's Porvoo bio-refinery. The blend will be used to power one of the aircraft’s two engines. Certainly in the short term, Neste is likely to remain Europe's only supplier of commercial quantities of sustainable jet biofuel and says it is in discussions with other prospective airline customers. Read more ...
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Finnair fulfils biofuel pioneering ambitions as it announces three Amsterdam-Helsinki flights starting next week
Thu 14 July 2011 - Finnair is the latest carrier to confirm it will start using sustainable biofuels on commercial flights. The airline will follow a similar route adopted by KLM and Thomson Airways in using recycled vegetable cooking oil sourced by Dutch company SkyNRG from Dynamic Fuels in the United States. The biofuel will be blended 50/50 with conventional jet kerosene and will be used in both engines of an Airbus narrowbody aircraft. Initially, Finnair aims to fly at least three flights on the Amsterdam-Helsinki route, refuelling at Schiphol, where the fuel blend is stored. The airline and SkyNRG say they will jointly work on a structural supply chain in order to help accelerate the development of sustainable and affordable jet fuels. Read more ...
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Mallee trees to provide biomass for Virgin Australia sustainable aviation biofuel venture in Western Australia
Wed 13 July 2011 - Virgin Australia is to partner with renewable fuel technology and agriculture interests to develop a sustainable aviation biofuel project in Western Australia. The consortium plans to use pyrolysis technology developed by Canadian company Dynamotive Energy Systems to process mallees, a species of eucalypt tree that can be grown sustainably in many parts of Australia. The consortium is currently finalising plans for a demonstration unit that will make biofuels for testing, certification and public trials. The unit is intended to be operational in 2012, followed by construction of a commercial-scale plant that could be operational as early as 2014, says the airline. Jet biofuels derived from pyrolysis have not yet been approved for commercial aviation use but is a pathway undergoing due process by certification body ASTM International, which last week approved blended hydrotreated oil-based alternative fuels. Read more ...
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Boeing and American Airlines partner in ecoDemonstrator programme to flight test cleaner and quieter technologies
Wed 13 July 2012 - American Airlines is to become the launch customer for Boeing's evolutionary ecoDemonstrator programme. The airline is making available a 737-800 and, at a later date, a widebody aircraft to enable Boeing to flight test a range of emerging technologies that are aimed at reducing fuel, emissions and noise. The programme includes testing of technologies being developed by Boeing as part of the FAA's Continuous Lower Energy Emissions Noise (CLEEN) project, as well as other applications the airplane manufacturer is working on with other industry partners. Together with the American Airlines engineering team, Boeing is currently finalising plans for the first onboard installations. Read more ...
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Detroit airports to grow alternative jet fuel crops and attract bioenergy industries to the vicinity
Tue 12 July 2012 - Not content with just supplying alternative biofuel to airline customers sometime in the future, one US airport authority is planning to grow, harvest and process bioenergy crops on airport-owned property. Wayne County Airport Authority, operator of Detroit Metropolitan and Willow Run airports, is partnering with Michigan State University Extension on the first project of its kind in the US Midwest. The two airports have around 1,700 acres (688 hectares) that is potentially suitable for cropping. If successful, says WCAA Interim CEO Genelle Allen, the project could attract businesses to the vicinity of the airports that would produce alternative jet and biodiesel fuels for use in aircraft and ground vehicles, and so bring economic development to Southeast Michigan as well as protect land around the airports from further encroachment. Read more ...
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Aerospace manufacturers look to electricity for developing aircraft ground taxiing green technology
Mon 11 July 2011 - Current analysis shows that the world's short-haul aircraft burn around five million tons of fuel annually during ground taxi operations, along with the damage to the environment and wear on aircraft brakes and equipment. Some airlines have experimented with having their aircraft towed to the runway, many others with single-engine operations as they make their way to and from the apron. Now, two projects have been launched that will develop technology to avoid the need for aircraft engine-powered taxiing and instead use electric power. Together with its research partner the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Airbus is examining the potential of fuel cell technology to supply power. Aerospace manufacturers Honeywell and Safran, on the other hand, are to look at how an aircraft's Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) could power electrical motors in its main wheels. Read more ...
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Lufthansa to start regular scheduled biofuel flights this week and announces other fuel-saving and climate initiatives
Mon 11 July 2011 - Lufthansa's Pure Sky biofuel programme of commercial scheduled daily flights from Hamburg to Frankfurt will get underway this Friday (July 15). The 50/50 blended fuel will be used for six months on eight of its 28 daily flights on the near-500 mile round trip, notching up 1,200 flights in all and saving a total of 1,500 tonnes of CO2, says the airline. Although Lufthansa has been pipped to the post by KLM as the first airline to use recently approved hydroprocessed fuels on a commercial flight, the German carrier is laying claim to being the first to use sustainable biofuels in regular service. Lufthansa has also said it will start a programme of replacing its cargo containers with new lightweight versions that are 15 per cent lighter. In addition, the airline has joined in the launch of a new climate research project for the long-term observation of the Earth's atmosphere. Read more ...
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Sovereignty the key issue as Europe, US airlines and environmental groups argue their EU ETS cases before the ECJ
Wed 6 July 2011 - The action brought by the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) over what it sees as the illegal inclusion of its airline members into the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme finally reached the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg yesterday. The airlines argue that by applying the trading scheme to non-EU airlines, the EU is violating customary international law and infringes several provisions of the Chicago Convention, the treaty that binds international civil aviation. They contend that the scheme is imposing forbidden levies and attempting to regulate the conduct of airlines in countries outside the EU and over the high seas. Defending the EU scheme at the one-day hearing included legal representatives from European institutions, six EU member plus Norway and a coalition of US and European environmental NGOs. A preliminary opinion on the case is expected on October 6. Read more ...
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Carbon efficiency varies tenfold across industry, finds Brighter Planet green airline ranking report
Wed 6 July 2011 - A report just published by US-based Brighter Planet has found that airline carbon efficiency per passenger mile varies dramatically across the US and international sectors, and corporations and travellers looking to reduce their carbon footprint should focus on the efficiency factor when making flight decisions. Five key drivers account for the disparity and are critical for flight carbon measurement and management, says the report - aircraft fuel economy, passenger load factor, seat density, freight share and distance. However, it estimates air travel efficiency overall has improved by 20 per cent since 2000, saving the US airline industry alone $33 billion in fuel and prevented the release of 670 billion pounds (304 million tonnes) of CO2e. Read more ...
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Commercial biofuel flights given all-clear for takeoff as hydroprocessed renewable jet fuels get standards approval
Mon 4 July 2011 - Fuel standards body ASTM International has passed specifications for the commercial and military use of renewable jet fuels produced from vegetable oil-containing feedstocks such as algae, camelina or jatropha, and also from animal fats. A newly issued ASTM D7566-11 spec allows a 50 per cent blending of fuels derived from hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) with conventional petroleum-based jet kerosene. Last week, KLM became the first airline to take advantage of the landmark certification by operating a scheduled flight between Amsterdam and Paris using a blend based on used cooking oil sourced from the United States. The ASTM subcommittee responsible for alternative jet fuel certification, which approved Fischer-Tropsch synthesis fuels two years ago, will now turn its attention to approving fuels derived from sugars, alcohols and some other synthetic technologies. (Updated July 5) Read more ...
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Thomson Airways to become first UK sustainable jet biofuels operator as it announces start of weekly flights
Fri 1 July 2011 - UK holiday airline Thomson Airways is to operate the UK's first sustainable biofuel commercial flight at the end of this month and start regular weekly flights from September on routes from Birmingham. A 50/50 blend of used cooking oil and regular jet kerosene is being supplied by Netherlands-based SkyNRG, which has sourced the biofuel from Dynamic Fuels in the United States. It will be the same blend of fuel as that used on a KLM flight from Amsterdam to Paris earlier this week. Thomson called on the UK and EU governments to help reduce the significant premium of sustainable aviation biofuels over conventional fuels by incentivising investment. Welcoming the airline's announcement and the aviation industry's drive towards technological change, UK Aviation Minister Theresa Villiers said the fuels had a role to play in efforts to tackle climate change. Read more ...
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Environmental NGOs make a case for the EU ETS as US airlines finally near their day in court over inclusion
Thu 30 June 2011 - In a briefing to the media ahead of next Tuesday's (July 5) hearing by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg over the inclusion of US airlines into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, environmental groups from the US and Europe have repeated their support for the scheme on both legal and climate change grounds. Annie Petsonk of the New York-based Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) said the case had great significance, not just because of aviation's growing contribution to global warming but also how countries and industry responded to the issue mattered greatly. EDF attorney Pamela Campos, who will be intervening on behalf of the EU, said legal arguments would centre on the issue of sovereignty. Submissions will be heard over one day by 13 judges including the President of the ECJ, highlighting the importance of the case. Read more ...
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Solena signs agreements with US and international airlines to supply jet biofuels in northern California
Thu 30 June 2011 - Ten airlines have signed Letters of Intent (LOI) with Solena Fuels to negotiate the purchase of jet biofuels produced from urban and agricultural waste at a proposed northern California facility, dubbed 'GreenSky California'. The agreement involves seven airline members of the Air Transport Association (ATA) and its development was led by American Airlines and United Continental. The other ATA members to the agreement are Alaska Airlines, FedEx, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and US Airways, along with associate member Air Canada and outsiders Frontier Airlines and Lufthansa. The facility is planning to produce sustainable jet biofuel to support airline operations at Oakland, San Francisco and/or San Jose airports by 2015. Read more ...
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A new era for aviation as KLM becomes first airline to operate a commercial flight using biofuels
Wed 29 June 2011 - KLM produced a surprise today by becoming the first airline in the world to operate a commercial flight powered partly by a sustainable biofuel. The scheduled flight of a Boeing 737-800 aircraft between Amsterdam and Paris carried 171 passengers and was seen off by the Dutch State Secretary of Infrastructure and the Environment, Joop Atsma. The biokerosene was a mix of used cooking oil supplied by SkyNRG and produced by US-based Dynamic Fuels, and conventional jet fuel. Oil-based biofuels were recently passed for commercial aviation use by members of fuel body ASTM International, although the approval and certification process has not yet been completed. However, the KLM flight was granted permission by the Dutch Inspectorate for Transport, Public Works and Water Management with the support of Boeing. Read more ...
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LanzaTech awarded US DARPA contract to carry out further research into its alcohol-to-jet fuel technology
Wed 29 June 2011 - There is much current debate about the impact of biofuel production on land and food resources but one company exhibiting at last week's Paris Air Show claims to have the technology in place that avoids the problem altogether. New Zealand-based LanzaTech has developed a fermentation process that feeds off industrial flue gases to produce alcohols, such as ethanol, that can be thermochemically converted to aviation fuel. Another potential advantage of the process is that it has the potential to produce jet fuels that contain the necessary all-important aromatics and so circumvent the need for blending with conventional fossil-based kerosene. The company has just been awarded funding from the United States' Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to further research into the technology with the aim of producing military-grade JP-8 aviation jet fuel. Read more ...
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KLM looks to used cooking oil to power a programme of 200 commercial biofuel flights from September
Tue 28 June 2011 - Following imminent ASTM certification of oil-derived aviation biofuels, KLM has followed Lufthansa's lead in announcing a programme of scheduled commercial flights that will use bio-blended jet fuels. The KLM programme involves the use of a 50 per cent blended biokerosene on 200 Boeing 737 flights between Amsterdam and Paris starting in September and will last for several months. Instead of the mainly plant-based biofuel that Lufthansa will be using, KLM has sourced synthetic jet fuel from the United States made from used cooking oil. It is being supplied by SkyNRG, a consortium set up by KLM in 2009 to develop a sustainable production chain for aviation biofuels, and produced by Dynamic Fuels at its plant in Louisiana, from where it will be shipped to Europe just prior to commencement of operations. Read more ...
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Momentum gathering towards aviation biofuels commercialisation as US and European policy-makers signal support
Mon 27 June 2011 - The momentum driving the introduction of aviation biofuels received a significant boost with a number of initiatives and events taking place at last week's Paris Air Show. While the transatlantic biofuel flights conducted by Boeing and Honeywell attracted wide attention and media column inches, it was the announcements behind the scenes that offered more substance on progress towards a viable alternative jet fuel industry. A high-profile visit by the US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, along with officials from the US Department of Commerce and the European Commission, to the Alternative Aviation Fuels Showcase taking place in one of the exhibition halls added weight to growing optimism from the aviation and biofuels sectors that policy-makers are getting behind a drive to implement a coherent strategy towards large-scale commercialisation of sustainable aviation biofuels production in Europe and the US. Read more ...
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US government formally declares its opposition to inclusion of its airlines into EU ETS and seeks exemption
Thu 23 June 2011 - At an EU-US aviation bilateral meeting held yesterday in Oslo, US administration officials for the first time publicly expressed objections to the inclusion of US airlines into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). The move comes just weeks before the European Court of Justice starts hearing submissions in the case brought by three major US airlines and their industry body, the Air Transport Association (ATA), against the enforced measure. It also closely follows mounting pressure from China and its airlines for a similar opt-out from Europe's flagship carbon emissions reduction policy measure. Despite the Obama administration's commitment on dealing with climate change and initial support for a home-grown cap-and-trade system that would have encompassed aviation emissions, the move will come as no surprise. The ATA has beefed up its political lobbying efforts and recently added an Obama insider to its staff. The EU says it remains resolute in upholding the ETS directive. (updated June 27) Read more ...
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European airline association hits back at media misconceptions of its EU ETS stand following Commission letter
Sun 19 June 2011 - Following its joint letter with Airbus to the European Commission over the EU ETS, the Association of European Airlines has attempted to dispel 'myths' and misconceptions concerning its approach to the under fire scheme. The AEA denies it has called for airlines to be excluded from the EU ETS following legal challenges and "foreign indignation" but maintains the scheme "is unilateral, unnecessarily burdensome and could jeopardise a global approach." The association, which represents 36 European scheduled carriers, says it wants to work with the Commission to avoid a potential trade conflict that could damage Europe's airlinks, with knock-on consequences for imports, exports and mobility. While fully backing a global emissions trading scheme, it contends the entire global aviation community was behind mid- and long-term emissions reduction objectives. Read more ...
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First-ever transatlantic aviation biofuel flight sets up week of alternative aviation fuel events at Paris Air Show
Thu 16 June 2011 - Aviation biofuels are likely to receive a high profile at this year's Paris Air Show that starts on Monday when Boeing will fly in its new 747-8 freighter from the US having been powered by a biofuel blend, so marking not only the plane's international air show debut but also the first transatlantic crossing of a commercial airliner using a sustainable biofuel. Each of the freighter's four GE GEnx-2B engines will be powered by a blend of 15 per cent camelina-based fuel and 85 per cent traditional Jet-A kerosene. Another transatlantic biofuel flight is also expected but details have not been released. During the air show, a major US-led initiative will be showcasing efforts on alternative aviation fuels, with a number of presentations and panel sessions taking place with leading biofuel companies and airlines participating. (updated June 19) Read more ...
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Major financial institution to support sustainable aviation biofuel development in Latin America and the Caribbean
Thu 16 June 2011 - The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has announced an initiative help finance public and private institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean to develop a sustainable jet biofuel industry from locally grown organic feedstock. The initiative will fund consultancy services, knowledge development, dissemination material and workshops, with the goal of demonstrating the feasibility of the fuels for the local aviation sector and for potential export. The IDB is partnering with organisations such as ICAO, the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) and the World Economic Forum, as well as other aviation industry stakeholders and biofuel technology providers. Although the size of the available funding has not been disclosed the IDB provides more financing to the region than any other government-owned financial institution. Elsewhere, the US Department of Energy has awarded $13.4 million of federal funding to Virent towards the development of jet biofuels. Read more ...
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Swedish innovation towards greener flights makes further strides with carbon reduction gains from VINGA
Wed 15 June 2011 - A Swedish project to reduce aircraft fuel, emissions and noise on a gate-to-gate basis has made a significant advance in which satellite-based navigation continuous descent approaches can be combined with instrument landing systems (ILS) for safe landings in poor visibility. The one-year VINGA project (Validation and Improvement of Next Generation Airspace) is aiming to reduce emissions and the environmental impact around airports. It is a collaboration involving Gothenburg Landvetter Airport, Swedish air navigation services provider LFV, charter carrier Novair and Quovadis, the Performance Based Navigation consulting subsidiary of Airbus. The project is backed by the Single European Sky research programme SESAR. Around 100 validation flights are due to take place until September. Read more ...
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Aviation biofuels powering commercial flights nears reality as technical standards body passes approval
Tue 14 June 2011 - A major technical milestone has been reached in the introduction of renewable aviation biofuels as the main standards body responsible for certifying fuels has granted preliminary approval for their use in commercial operations after a ballot by a committee of industry, air force and regulatory stakeholders was unanimously passed. Final approval is expected at the beginning of July with technical specifications for bio-derived fuel then being added to the existing D7566 alternative fuel specification. Plans to start using biofuels in the prescribed 50 per cent blends have been stalled since a similar ballot six months ago unexpectedly threw up concerns over an engine test contamination issue, which have now been overcome. Lufthansa has ambitions to be the first airline to use blended biofuels under commercial flying conditions and is now awaiting the rubber-stamping before commencing a programme of regular daily flights. Read more ...
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German cross-industry initiative launched to promote research and development of sustainable aviation biofuels
Fri 10 June 2011 - Leading research institutions and representatives from the aviation industry in Germany have come together to form an association aimed at supporting research activities into renewable energy sources, notably biofuels, for the sector. Called the Aviation Initiative for Renewable Energy in Germany - aireg - the 20 members include airlines such as Lufthansa, Air Berlin, Condor and TUIfly, along with Munich Airport and aerospace manufacturers EADS, MTU Aero Engines and Rolls-Royce Deutschland. Among the research bodies participating are two universities, as well as the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the German Biomass Research Centre (DBFZ). Launching the association, Germany's transport minister, Dr Peter Ramsauer (left in photo), said in the light of the recent decision to restructure the country's energy supply system, air traffic must make a contribution to achieving climate protection goals. Read more ...
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Sustainability report from Cathay Pacific shows small CO2 efficiency gains on rising traffic volumes in 2010
Wed 8 June 2011 - The latest environmental reporting statistics from the Cathay Pacific Group, which includes Dragonair, show carbon emissions from the two airlines' flight operations rose from around 13.85 million tonnes in 2009 to 15.17 million tonnes last year, a 9.5 per cent increase. However, this was on the back of a 15.5 per cent increase in revenue traffic though overall fuel efficiency gains were slight. Improvements are expected from the replacement of ageing Boeing 747s with 777s and other measures. The airline group has also announced an extension of its 'FLY greener' carbon offset programme to include hotels belonging to the parent Swire Group and has also launched the Cathay Pacific Green Explorer 2011 programme to enable students from around the world to learn about environmental conservation in Hong Kong and mainland China. Read more ...
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Aviation chiefs step up their attacks on the EU ETS as Europe’s climate commissioner stands firm on airline inclusion
Wed 8 June 2011 - Threats from China of retaliatory action over the inclusion of their airlines into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) has resulted in European airlines joining their overseas competitors in demanding changes to the cap-and-trade system. Speaking at the IATA annual general meeting that took place this week in Singapore, International Airlines Group CEO Willie Walsh said it was clear that there were countries that would retaliate, whether in the form of imposing additional taxes on European airlines or restricting access to markets. He called for a 'Plan B' in which the scheme was restricted to intra-European traffic until a global system could be realised. The chiefs of European aircraft manufacturer Airbus and Virgin Atlantic have written a joint letter to EU Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard expressing concern over the issue. However, Hedegaard says Europe must remain firm on the threats. (updated 8 & 10 June) Read more ...
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Study shows how Australia and New Zealand can establish their own sustainable aviation biofuels industry
Tue 7 June 2011 - A study to determine the feasibility of the Australian and New Zealand aviation sector using sustainable biofuels to meet industry carbon reduction targets concludes that a bio-derived jet fuel industry could decrease aviation emissions by 17 per cent and generate more than 12,000 jobs by 2030. Commissioned by a range of aviation interests, the 'Flight Path to Sustainable Aviation' report does not make policy recommendations but is aimed at providing critical input to strategic policy and investment decision-making for both stakeholders and policy makers. It puts forward a roadmap scenario in which the aviation sectors of the two countries could achieve a five per cent biofuel share in their total fuel use by 2020, expanding that amount to 40 per cent by 2050. Taking a lead in the development of a sustainable aviation fuels industry could also create the opportunity for the region to export high-value engineering know-how to the world. Read more ...
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Diverse feedstocks and government support required to meet aviation biofuels demand, says US Northwest report
Mon 6 June 2011 - A variety of feedstocks and technologies are necessary to fulfil a substantial demand for sustainable aviation biofuels in the Northwest region of the United States, according to a report published by over 40 stakeholders representing the aviation and biofuels industries, research, agriculture and forestry, and government agencies. Launched in July 2010, the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest (SAFN) initiative - largely driven by Boeing, Alaska Airlines, Washington State University and three of the region's largest airports - has identified potential pathways and actions needed to make aviation biofuels available to airline operators in the region. While the study does not advocate permanent government support, public investment and parity with other biofuels programmes will be required, particularly in the early stages, to place the industry on an economically competitive basis. Read more ...
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Lufthansa’s fuel and emissions rose by 10.1 per cent in 2010 but specific fuel consumption falls to record low
Tue 24 May 2011 - According to its latest annual sustainability report 'Balance 2011', Lufthansa Group's specific fuel consumption fell to an historic low of 4.2 litres per 100 passenger-kilometres last year. The 2.4 per cent decrease on 2009 is similarly matched by a reduction in CO2 emissions, which fell to 10.58 kilos per 100 pax-km. Lufthansa CEO and Chairman Christoph Franz said the decline was due to a continuous and significant investment in modern, efficient aircraft. The report reveals that in their first year of operation, Lufthansa's new Airbus A380 aircraft achieved a specific fuel consumption of 3.4 litres per 100 pax-km and was "fulfilling all expectations". The 10.1 per cent overall rise in fuel and CO2 emissions is explained by increased traffic levels and the full incorporation of Austrian Airlines and bmi into the figures. In a new fuel and emissions saving measure, Lufthansa is to add 30,000 new lightweight service trolleys over the next three years. Read more ...
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MIT analysis emphasises the large variability in greenhouse gas emissions from jet biofuel production
Tue 24 May 2011 - There's a race afoot to give wings to biofuels in the aviation industry as part of an effort to combat soaring fuel prices and cut greenhouse gas emissions. In 2008, Virgin Atlantic became the first commercial airline to fly a plane on a blend of biofuel and petroleum. Since then, a number of airlines around the world have flown biofuel test flights, and Lufthansa is racing to be the first carrier to run daily flights on a biofuel blend. However, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) say the industry may want to cool its jets and make sure it has examined biofuels' complete carbon footprint before making an all-out push, reports Jennifer Chu, MIT News Office. They say that when a biofuel's origins are factored in - for example, taking into account whether the fuel is made from palm oil grown in a clear-cut rainforest - conventional fossil fuels may sometimes be the greener choice. Read more ...
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Airbus names finalists for its student greener aviation competition and waves a green flag for biodiversity
Tue 24 May 2011 - Five finalist teams have been announced for the second Airbus 'Fly Your Ideas' competition that challenges students from around the world to develop projects to deliver a greener future for aviation. The shortlisted teams are from Chile, China, India, Malaysia and Sweden, and the winner will be announced by Airbus at a ceremony to be held during the Paris Air Show next month. The theme for the 2011 competition is 'The Environmental Life Cycle' and students were encouraged to propose an idea related to one stage of the aircraft's life: design, supply chain, manufacturing, aircraft operations or aircraft end-of-life. Meanwhile, Airbus marked the United Nations International Day for Biodiversity on May 22 with a number of initiatives as part of its participation in the UN's The Green Wave campaign to educate children and youth about biodiversity. Read more ...
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World Economic Forum report identifies biofuels as the 'game changer' to achieve aviation emissions targets
Mon 23 May 2011 - An aviation sustainability report from the World Economic Forum finds that achieving the industry's target of halving its carbon emissions by 2050 will be a significant challenge given an 85 per cent CO2 emissions reduction gap. This is despite a significant and continuous $6 trillion investment by airlines in newer and more fuel-efficient aircraft expected during the timeframe. The report identifies four key levers to reduce aviation carbon emissions: improving aviation infrastructure, increasing aircraft R&D, accelerating scale-up of aviation biofuels and implementing market-based measures. It says biofuels could help bypass long aircraft lifetimes that limit the CO2 efficiency improvement potential of other technological innovations but 13.6 million barrels of sustainable second generation biofuels with significantly lower lifecycle CO2 emissions would be required daily by 2050 to meet the target. Read more ...
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China gets tough over EU ETS inclusion: its airlines to take legal action and threatens other countermeasures
Mon 23 May 2011 – A Chinese government official has told GreenAir Online that Chinese airlines due join the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) are preparing to make a legal challenge against their inclusion, which will be backed by the China Air Transport Association (CATA). The official said other "countermeasures" are being considered by the government itself, including not buying Airbus aircraft, as a means of putting pressure on the EU. He said recent talks in Brussels with European Commission officials, during which exemption had been requested, had not resulted in a satisfactory outcome. According to a Reuters report, the issue is being taken seriously in European diplomatic circles and major European states with vested interests in Airbus are seeking a compromise. Meanwhile, a similar legal challenge by US airlines is due to be heard on July 5 in the European Court of Justice, although a ruling is not expected before the start of the EU ETS next January. Read more ...
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Brazilian jet biofuel ventures blossom as jatropha 'field to wing' platform adds a new international R&D partner
Fri 20 May 2011 - Global industrial crops technology company Quinvita is the latest to join a new biofuel alliance that has come together to produce sustainable jet biofuel from Brazilian-grown jatropha. The Brazilian Bio-Jetfuel Platform is a collaboration led by Curcas Diesel Brasil to form a jet biofuel value chain from 'field to wing' in the country. Quinvita will work with the platform's partners on the deployment of its proprietary knowledge in jatropha agronomy and processing, and will test its advanced jatropha cultivars in selected locations in Brazil. Curcas Diesel Brazil played a key role in sourcing jatropha feedstocks for a demonstration flight undertaken last November by TAM Airlines on an Airbus A320. Since then, TAM and Airbus have formed a separate alliance with a Curcas breakaway company called Jet Bio, and are targeting a supply of 80,000 tonnes of jatropha-based jet fuel in 2013. Read more ...
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EU finance ministers call for a global carbon market for aviation and shipping to help raise climate financing
Thu 19 May 2011 - EU finance ministers have called for a global carbon market for international aviation and maritime that would contribute finance towards a UN fund to help developing countries deal with climate change. In an ECOFIN statement, the ministers said carbon pricing is not only a potential source of revenues but would also generate the price signal necessary to efficiently achieve emissions reductions from the two sectors. They ask the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the International Maritime Agency (IMO), both UN bodies, to develop "without delay" a global policy framework that avoids competitive distortions or carbon leakage. The statement had the unusual outcome of being welcomed by representatives from both the aviation industry and environmentalists. A UN advisory group has identified aviation and shipping as a source for generating up to a potential $24 billion worldwide per year towards the $100 billion by 2020 target. Read more ...
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Canada joins the renewable jet fuel race as Rentech looks to open major forest waste biomass project
Tue 17 May 2011 - Reputed to be the birthplace of the bear cub that inspired AA Milne's book Winnie the Pooh, the township of White River in northwest Ontario is set to become the home of Canada's first major jet biofuel facility. The Ontario government has selected US renewable fuels company Rentech to receive waste biomass from its Crown forests for production of renewable jet fuel at the company's proposed Olympiad Project in White River. The project is being designed to produce around 85 million litres (23 million gallons) annually of renewable and certified low-carbon RenJet fuel, and is scheduled to be in service in 2015. In 2009, Rentech signed an offtake agreement with around 13 major airlines for future supplies of alternative aviation fuel. The company also supplied synthetic jet fuel for a validation flight carried out by United Airlines last year, and its technology is set to be utilised in the Solena/British Airways municipal waste-to-jet fuel plant in the UK. Read more ...
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The zero fuel Solar Impulse arrives in the European capital as it undertakes its first international flight
Mon 16 May 2011 - The fuel and emissions-free Solar Impulse completed its first international flight last Friday on a 13-hour journey from its Swiss base across France, Luxembourg and Belgium to Brussels Airport. The 630 kilometre voyage was covered at a sedate average speed of 50km/hour (31mph). In order to minimise induced drag and offer the largest possible surface for the solar cells, the plane has a wingspan equivalent to that of an Airbus A340, and the super-light aircraft weighs little more than a family car. The four engines produce an average 8HP - roughly the amount of power available to the Wright Brothers on their maiden flight back in 1903 - so the plane has little more than symbolic value in terms of reducing future commercial aviation emissions. However, the project's leaders say it has proven an immense potential in the development and production of renewable energies. Read more ...
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Amid greenwashing claims, US environmental groups tell their major airlines to drop opposition to EU ETS
Mon 16 May 2011 - Major American environmental groups have sharply criticised leading US airlines over lobbying and legal efforts to prevent their inclusion in Europe's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) from next year while "simultaneously bragging" about their environmental performance. Leaders of the six groups - the Environmental Defense Fund, Center for Biological Diversity, Earthjustice, Environment America, Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club - have written to the CEOs of American Airlines and United Airlines (which has recently merged with Continental Airlines) to denounce the airlines for bringing the suit at the European Court of Justice. A ruling on the court's decision is not expected until early next year at the earliest but US criticism over the Aviation EU ETS continues elsewhere. (Updated 19 May 2011) Read more ...
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Airside travellers at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport can now enjoy a relaxing pre-flight stroll in the park
Fri 13 May 2011 - Air travellers who have braved the stresses of checking in and passing through security at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport can now unwind under the trees on designer chairs upholstered in ivy at the newly-opened Airport Park above Pier D. The airport claims it is the first of its kind in the world and the designers have set about emulating the ambience of a city park, complete with greenery and food and kiosk outlets. The park, which has an outdoor terrace, also features some sustainable applications, including bicycles that allow travellers to both exercise and power up mobile phones as they pedal. LED lighting has been used where possible and daylight enters the park through tube lighting and fibre optic cables. Time will tell how many passengers find the experience so relaxing that they doze off on one of the park benches and miss their flight. Read more ...
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$70 billion investment required to meet aviation biofuel ambitions, although industry denies setting target
Fri 13 May 2011 - An investment of up to $70 billion will be required to meet aviation biofuel targets, and is needed now, said Mitch Hawkins, the CEO of BioJet International, a company that aims to become a leading global feedstock producer and supplier of renewable jet fuel. Speaking at this week's IATA Aviation Fuel Forum in Singapore, he noted the industry had set a target of 6 per cent of jet fuel coming from sustainable biofuels by 2020 but because of the lead times involved, he said the multi-billion investment would have to start flowing immediately to achieve the goal. The EU recently set out its ambitions for biofuels to make up 40 per cent of the overall aviation mix by 2050. Meanwhile, the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), the industry umbrella organisation, has since clarified its position on aviation biofuel targets, saying they had not been set. Read more ...
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GE study of US mid-size airports shows substantial cost, time and environmental benefits of RNP landing approaches
Thu 12 May 2011 - Implementing new satellite-based flight paths and landing approach procedures at just 46 mid-size US airports could save 12.9 million gallons of fuel and 274.6 million pounds (124,556 tonnes) of CO2 each year, finds a study carried out by GE Aviation. The 'Highways in the Sky' study identifies significant economic and environmental benefits of Required Navigation Performance (RNP) instrument arrivals and GE says its analysis supports accelerated deployment of the procedure at any airport. ICAO has predicted RNP efficiencies could potentially cut global CO2 emissions by 13 million tonnes per year. RNP is a cornerstone of the US NextGen air traffic modernisation programme but requires aircraft to upgrade with expensive onboard technology. The question of who should pay for it, airlines or government, has been an ongoing dispute but a public-private initiative has been launched to help solve the problem. Read more ...
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UK’s East Midlands Airport sets wind power in motion to generate five per cent of its electricity needs
Tue 10 May 2011 - East Midlands Airport (EMA) today unveils two wind turbines that are expected to produce 5 per cent of the airport's electricity, enough to power 150 households, and produce a carbon saving of around 300 tonnes per year. EMA says it is the first UK airport to install turbines of this magnitude on an aerodrome and has been passed by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Part of the Manchester Airports Group, the airport says the safety case will now be produced into an 'off-the-shelf' product for other airports and businesses, both in and out of the aviation industry. With a heavy reliance on air cargo operations, EMA has attracted opposition from local communities over noise intrusion from night flights but the airport has also managed to claim a number of environmental firsts in the past two years, following a commitment in 2006 to making its ground operations carbon neutral by 2012. Read more ...
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OPIS launches ‘clean’ jet fuel and carbon assessments to simplify EU ETS compliance for airlines and fuel suppliers
Mon 9 May 2011 – Oil Price Information Service (OPIS), which publishes pricing and news updates on petroleum, launches this week what it describes as a 'Clean Jet Assessment' into its daily Europe Jet Fuel & Gasoil Report. OPIS says it is providing the first integrated carbon and jet fuel price mechanism for airlines joining the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). As well as clean jet prices in Rotterdam and Northwest Europe, OPIS is publishing daily Emissions Allowance price levels and forward market projections for jet fuel with carbon included at the end of the year, and in 2012. The move comes as global jet fuel logistics company World Fuel Services launches a service for small to medium sized airlines and operators which bundles together physical jet fuel supply together with the appropriate number of carbon allowances they will require under the EU ETS. Read more ...
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IATA chief attacks South African government over proposals to introduce carbon tax on aviation from 2012
Mon 9 May 2011 - IATA Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani has strongly criticised proposals by the South African government to introduce a carbon tax in 2012 that would include aviation. Speaking on a visit to the country, he said South Africa's opposition to Europe's "illegal" inclusion of aviation in its emissions trading scheme from next year had been "absolutely correct" and he therefore found it hard to understand why the government was now considering its own unilateral carbon tax scheme. "This must be stopped," he demanded. The South African National Treasury is still mulling the impact of the tax and plans to finalise details mid-year and publish a tax policy paper for stakeholder review by November, with a formal announcement expected in its February 2012 budget speech. Read more ...
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Iberia and Aena launch microalgae project to investigate potential for aircraft and ground vehicle biofuels
Fri 6 May 2011 - A research facility is to be set up at Madrid-Barajas Airport by Iberia, airport authority Aena and microalgae technology company AlgaEnergy to explore the potential of microalgae as a biofuel to power airport ground vehicles and aircraft. To be installed near Terminal 4, the facility will have an initial budget of 600,000 euros ($860,000) and is due to become operational next month. The overall project will involve research and experimentation as well as improving technologies for sequestering carbon dioxide and the cultivation of microalgae. The purpose is to reduce the production costs of biomass and to achieve profitable biofuel production. A month ago, Iberia signed an agreement with Airbus and the Spanish government with the aim of developing a complete 'value chain' in the country to produce aviation biofuels. Read more ...
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Boeing’s South Carolina Dreamliner site strikes partnership deal to operate with fully renewable energy
Fri 6 May 2011 - Boeing has entered a partnership with South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G) that will enable its 787 production and final assembly site in North Charleston to operate with 100 per cent fully renewable energy. Around 20 per cent of the energy will be generated from thin-film solar laminate panels owned, installed and maintained by SCE&G on the roof of the new Boeing 787 Final Assembly building currently under construction. The installation will be the sixth largest of its kind in the United States. SCE&G will then supplement the additional requirement from its own biomass facility that takes shrub and tree waste to generate sustainable energy. Boeing has also announced that the South Carolina site is its first major commercial airplane production facility to achieve zero waste to landfill status. Read more ...
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ICAO workshops get underway to help States prepare action plans to reduce international aviation emissions
Thu 5 May 2011 - The first of five three-day regional workshops to assist ICAO Member States in producing national action plans for reducing international aviation CO2 emissions ended in Mexico City yesterday. Hosted by the Mexican government, the workshop was attended by representatives from North, Central and South America and the Caribbean States nominated by their respective governments, as well as other stakeholders such as regional civil aviation organisations, the Inter-American Development Bank, IATA, ACI and CANSO. The plans, to be submitted to ICAO by June 2012, result from the agreement reached at the ICAO Assembly last October that States achieve an overall 2 per cent increase in global fuel efficiency up to 2050 and an aspirational goal of stabilising CO2 emissions levels by 2020. Although not mandatory, by submitting action plans States can benefit from technical and possible financial assistance in reducing aviation emissions. Read more ...
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China sets new aviation energy intensity reduction target as its officials prepare for talks in Brussels over EU ETS
Thu 5 May 2011 - China's Civil Aviation Authority (CAAC) has issued guidance to airlines urging them to speed up energy efficiency and emissions reduction measures on domestic and international operations. It is aiming to reduce carbon intensity by 22 per cent by the end of 2020 from 2005 levels. The CAAC says the country's aviation industry should focus on fuel-saving technology and other new technologies such as alternative fuels, as well as promote greater awareness of the importance of energy savings and emissions reductions. It also calls on Air Traffic Control departments to optimise available airspace to shorten flight distances through better coordination with the military and implementing new air navigation procedures. Although any connection with the target is denied, Chinese officials are due shortly in Brussels for talks with the EU on the inclusion of China's airlines into the EU Emissions Trading System. Read more ...
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European roadmap to cut transport carbon emissions by 60% by 2050 marks out a less ambitious route for aviation
Wed 20 Apr 2011 - The landmark White Paper on EU transport policy through to 2050, presented recently by the European Commission, unveiled a roadmap for reducing carbon emissions by 60 per cent across all transport sectors relative to 1990. However, it now appears that reductions in aviation emissions are only likely to amount to 34 per cent by 2050 compared with 2005 levels, leaving other transport sectors to shoulder heavier cuts to make the overall target. This is partly explained by the different baseline years used but also an anticipation by the Commission of a higher growth of traffic compared with other modes and by more limited technological options in aviation for emissions reductions. To achieve the 34 per cent sector decrease, the Commission is expecting aviation biofuels to make a substantial contribution, but not until towards the end of the period. According to a Commission official, the reduction from now until 2050 in energy intensity from aviation is projected to average 1.4 per cent per year. Read more ...
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As rising jet fuel prices continue to impact, airlines are offered new software solutions to manage fuel reductions
Tue 19 Apr 2011 - The steep rise in oil prices has led airline industry group IATA to raise its previous forecast on fuel costs by $10 billion, leaving airlines with a collective bill of $166 billion to find in 2011. Fuel is now estimated to represent 29 per cent of total operating costs for the industry on average – up from 26 per cent in 2010. With this in mind, along with the implications of the impending EU ETS, fuel saving initiatives are more important than ever and three companies in particular are developing software systems that promise fuel and carbon reductions for aircraft operators. ETS Aviation has brought in former easyJet Fuel Conservation Manager Ian Britchford to spearhead the launch of its new Fuelsaver tool. Start-up company Fuel Matrix is the brainchild of Captain Tim Waite, who has used his airline experience to develop a three-level approach to reducing fuel usage. Meanwhile, FuelPlus Software has developed a module that is aimed at assisting airlines to plan, monitor and track fuel efficiency initiatives. Read more ...
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Building on a LEED – sustainability ratings become the gold standard for new airport terminal projects
Mon 18 Apr 2011 - Sustainability is now the name of the game in airport development programmes, says Emanuel Fleuti, Head of Environmental Services at Zurich Airport, but benchmarking it across airports is almost impossible as there is no one size fits all approach. However, many airports in Europe, Asia and the United States are seeking national and international green building labels for their projects, whether an office complex, a humble hangar or a new passenger terminal. Fleuti says such labels can add credibility with the public, users and investors. The US Green Building Council's LEED environmental star rating has become the standard to which major new airport buildings must aspire. The new Terminal 3 at New Delhi's Indira Ghandi International has just been awarded a Gold rating and the new Virgin America terminal at San Francisco International, which opened last week (right), is looking to become the first US airport terminal to achieve the same. Read more ...
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NATS doubles flight carbon emissions savings in 2010 as it strives for 10 per cent reduction target by 2020
Thu 14 Apr 2011 - Following its target to reduce air traffic management (ATM) related CO2 emissions by 10 per cent per flight by March 2020 against a 2006 baseline, UK air navigation service provider (ANSP) NATS says it enabled 50,000 tonnes of CO2 savings in 2010, double that of 2009. In 2008, NATS became the world's first ANSP to set a target on reducing ATM carbon emissions. The company estimates that delivering even a one per cent reduction would save airlines around £45 million ($73m) a year. Through engagement with airlines, over 260 near-term fuel and emissions saving opportunities have been identified. NATS has also managed to reduce the carbon footprint of its own facilities by 25 per cent since 2006. Read more ...
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Unresolved Aviation EU ETS problems could lead to an environmental policy fiasco, warns Lufthansa
Thu 14 Apr 2011 - Implementation of the directive to include aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme is increasingly running into problems, says Lufthansa in its latest 'Policy Brief'. The German airline group states the directive is being interpreted inconsistently, there is a distortion in the allocation of free emissions allowances and it is unclear how reluctant third states and airlines can be brought on board. With missed deadlines and numerous legal and technical issues still unresolved just eight months before "kick-off", the briefing believes the aviation industry is still in the dark on major parameters. Lufthansa's fleet emits the highest annual tonnage of CO2 covered by the EU ETS of any airline, according to data from RDC Aviation, and has also been the scheme's most vociferous critic. Read more ...
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Rankings to help travellers uncover the world’s greenest airlines come up with very different results
Wed 13 Apr 2011 - Which airlines are the greenest? Travellers and businesses are becoming increasingly, if slowly, aware of their carbon footprint and looking to make informed decisions on the airlines they choose to fly with. Two new airline rankings have been released over the past month that set out to provide guidance but both provide contrasting results, largely due to the different methodologies they have used. German carbon offset company Atmosfair has taken payload carbon efficiency as the basis for its ranking of 130 airlines, broken down into short, medium and long haul segments. Canadian start-up consultancy Greenhorizon Aviation, on the other hand, has focused its efforts on evaluating 65 airlines based on their environmental initiatives in daily operational activities, corporate environmental management practices, and corporate policies and strategic planning. The rankings for both will surprise many. Read more ...
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Prior land use and improving crop yields key to jatropha jet fuel benefits in Latin America, finds Yale study
Thu 7 Apr 2011 - Jatropha can deliver strong environmental and socio-economic benefits for Latin America, and can provide greenhouse gas reductions of up to 60 per cent when compared to petroleum-based jet fuel if the right farming and land use conditions are met. These are the findings of a Boeing-funded study conducted by Yale University's School of Environmental Studies. The Yale team studied jatropha curcas projects in Brazil and conducted extensive interviews with jatropha farmers and used field measurements to develop the first comprehensive sustainability analysis of actual ventures, compared to previous theoretical studies. Prior land use issues and the quality of crop yields produced widely varying sustainability results relative to conventional jet fuel. Boeing says the study provides scientific guidance for aviation biofuel efforts in Brazil and Mexico. Read more ...
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NASA awards $16.5 million towards research into green technologies for aircraft entering service after 2030
Wed 6 Apr 2011 - Four industry and academic teams have been awarded contracts by NASA to continue research on technologies that could enable aircraft entering service between 2030 and 2035 to further reduce fuel consumption, emissions and noise. In NASA-speak, this time period is known as N+3, which represents technology three generations more advanced than what is in service today. Under the contracts, teams from Boeing, Cessna, Northrop Grumman and MIT will develop concepts and models that can be tested in computer simulations, laboratories and wind tunnels. The award will allow MIT to move forward with work on its 'double bubble' airplane design that attracted much attention when unveiled last year. Meanwhile, NASA researchers are currently testing HRJ biofuel sourced from chicken fat on the agency's DC-8 aircraft in California. Read more ...
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Anti-carbon, not anti-aviation, says UK government as it launches debate on a new sustainable aviation policy
Wed 6 Apr 2011 - Those looking for answers on how the UK coalition government plans to deal with prospective air transport growth in a carbon-constrained world will have to wait another two years. Following its early declaration on taking office nearly a year ago to scupper the previous government's plans for new runways at London's Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports, the coalition has so far only managed to come up with a "better, not bigger" slogan to guide its aviation policy. Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has now invited comments on a scoping document that sets out the key principles and challenges of a new greener aviation policy, which the government expects will eventually be adopted by March 2013. Meanwhile, the UK industry group Sustainable Aviation has published its third progress report. Read more ...
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Airbus ramps up its jet biofuel initiatives with first Mexican demo flight and a Spanish biofuel production study
Fri 1 Apr 2011 - Mexico's first aviation jet biofuel flight takes place today as Interjet carries out a demonstration flight between Mexico City's International Airport and the Angel Albino Corzo of Tuxtla Gutierrez airport in the southern state of Chiapas. One engine of a CFM-powered Airbus A320 will use a 27 per cent blend of biofuel made from jatropha sourced from Chiapas and produced by Honeywell's UOP, and 73% of conventional Jet A-1. Also actively involved with the project is state-owned Airports and Auxiliary Services (ASA), which is leading Mexico's plans for one per cent of jet fuel consumption to be met from sustainable biofuels by 2015. Following the announcement of a Romanian biofuel initiative last week, Airbus has signed an agreement with the Spanish government and Iberia that aims to develop an aviation biofuel production value chain in Spain. Read more ...
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Obama spurs development of advanced aviation biofuels as part of national plan for energy security
Fri 1 Apr 2011 - Against a backdrop of Middle East instability and the volatility in crude oil prices, President Obama has called for a one-third reduction of all US oil imports by 2025. Unveiling a 'Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future', the President outlined a range of clean energy proposals including broadening investment in research and development of advanced biofuels and increasing the number of public transit options, such as high-speed rail, in order to reduce oil dependence. He challenged his Secretaries of Agriculture, Energy and the Navy to investigate how they can work together to speed the development of drop-in biofuels. "Competitively-priced drop-in biofuels could help meet the fuel needs of the Navy, as well as the commercial aviation and shipping sectors," he said. Read more ...
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Vision 2050: a European future where society has recognised travel by air is environmentally friendly
Thu 31 Mar 2011 - The public in the year 2050 is informed, understands and is convinced that the aviation sector has made the utmost progress in mitigating its environmental impacts and therefore considers air travel is environmentally sustainable. So says a new report launched by the European Commission that sets out an aspirational vision for the European air transport system by the middle of the century. The long-term strategy for research and innovation in aviation was developed by a 'High Level Group' of European aeronautics and aviation industry and research representatives. According to 'Vision 2050', compared to the year 2000, technologies and procedures will allow a 75 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions per passenger-kilometre, a 90 per cent reduction in NOx emissions and a reduction of 65 per cent in perceived aircraft noise emissions. Airbus CEO Tom Enders, a member of the Group, said the goals would need investment and immediate action. Read more ...
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Focus on cost and sustainability issues as aviation and biofuel sectors meet face to face in Rotterdam
Mon 28 Mar 2011 - Sustainability and economics dominated debate at last week's World Biofuels Market (WBM) event in Rotterdam as airlines gathered to make the case for aviation biofuels commercialisation to a wider biofuels industry audience. In a keynote speech, KLM Managing Director Jan Ernst de Groot said biofuels were vital to reducing aviation CO2 but reducing the cost of production towards equivalence with fossil-based kerosene was key, although government help could reduce the parity timeframe. He told delegates that airlines would never compromise on sustainability and they could not afford to use the wrong type of feedstocks that did not meet strict criteria. The aviation biofuels lobby has thrown its weight behind the Swiss-based Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels, which announced it had joined forces with Boeing to help align the various global voluntary standards on biofuel sustainability and bring down the costs of certification. Read more ...
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Public perceptions of aviation and the environment need to be turned around, says UK CAA chief
Fri 25 Mar 2011 - Despite investment by airlines in new aircraft, the aviation sector has not been seen to take the environment issue sufficiently seriously so far, said Andrew Haines, the Chief Executive of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). People want to fly more but they also want and need a safe, sustainable and enjoyable environment, and ways were needed to meet those twin demands, Haines told a London conference last week. He said the signals from UK politicians indicated that they will not support aviation growth unless industry creates the political and social appetite for it. Speaking at the same conference, UK transport minister Theresa Villiers said building new runways at London's airports would have made it more difficult to meet climate change commitments and was too high a price in terms of the local environmental impact on surrounding communities. Read more ...
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Chinese airlines urge their government to take retaliatory action if the EU does not exclude them from ETS
Tue 22 Mar 2011 - According to a report in today's Shanghai Daily, the China Air Transport Association (CATA) has written to the European Union on behalf of four leading Chinese airlines to protest at their inclusion in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) from 2012. Unlike their US counterparts, who are taking legal action against the UK government over the issue, the Chinese carriers are merely expressing their opposition at this stage. However, the CATA will urge their government to take "corresponding measures" to safeguard their international rights if the EU fails to relent. The Chinese government has consistently resisted moves to implement market-based measures to control the growth of international aviation emissions, arguing that the restriction conflicts with the Kyoto climate change principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR). Read more ...
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Airbus and TAROM launch major project to produce aviation biofuel from European-grown camelina
Tue 22 Mar 2011 - Airbus and Romanian airline TAROM have launched a biofuel project that they hope may lead to commercial-scale production of sustainable jet biofuel derived from the camelina plant. A high-energy oilseed crop, camelina has been grown in Romania for thousands of years and tests in the United States have shown it to be a promising feedstock for jet biofuel. Feasibility studies will be carried out by a consortium of key stakeholders on a range of different seed varieties and harvesting methods, with Airbus acting as the catalyst in setting up a Romanian 'value chain' towards production. Paul Nash, Head of New Energies at Airbus, is optimistic enough fuel can be sourced for demonstration flights to take place by TAROM before the end of the year. Airbus will be involved in ensuring sustainability criteria is met and Nash believes the fuel will achieve a minimum 50 per cent reduction in life-cycle GHG emissions compared to conventional jet kerosene. Read more ...
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US and Brazilian governments sign agreement on partnership to develop aviation biofuels
Mon 21 Mar 2011 - To coincide with a visit by President Obama, Brazil and the United States have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance cooperation on developing aviation biofuels. The sides note that as the world's two largest biofuels producers, the development of aviation biofuels "constitutes an important instrument for the mitigation of climate change and for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions". Goals for the partnership include coordinating efforts towards the establishment of common standards and specifications for aviation biofuels, strengthening private sector partnerships and preventing international barriers to biofuels trade and development. The agreement formalises the close ties already established between the United States' CAAFI and the Brazilian ABRABA aviation alternative fuels initiatives. (Updated 22 Mar 2011) Read more ...
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Lufthansa Group airlines rack up double-digit increase in carbon emissions in 2010 despite efficiency improvement
Fri 18 Mar 2011 - According to its annual report just published, Lufthansa Group saw its carbon emissions increase by 10.1 per cent to 26.6 million tonnes in 2010, the benchmark year for airlines entering the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. However, transport performance increased by 15.6 per cent over the previous year, so fuel efficiency improvements were gained as a result of the Group's continued fleet modernisation programme. Fuel consumption across the operating fleet declined from 4.30 litres per 100 passenger-kms (pkm) in 2009 to 4.20 in 2010. Direct CO2 emissions declined from 108.4 grams per pkm to 105.8. The Group’s target is to cut CO2 emissions per pkm by 25 per cent by 2020 in comparison with 2006 (110.5 g/pkm). Read more ...
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Aspiration turns to inspiration as ANSPs partner to deliver ATM carbon reductions over the Indian Ocean
Fri 18 Mar 2011 - Three air navigation service providers (ANSPs) have joined forces to create the Indian Ocean Strategic Partnership to Reduce Emissions (INSPIRE) that aims to cut the output of aviation greenhouse gas emissions over the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. Airports Authority of India, Airservices Australia and ATNS South Africa inked the agreement, along with the GCAA of the United Arab Emirates, at a recent ceremony organised by the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO). The partners say the move is in accordance with the recent ICAO Assembly Resolution that agreed on fuel efficiency improvement targets for international aviation. Airservices Australia is already participating in the ASPIRE programme to create similar efficiencies on routes across the Pacific Ocean. Read more ...
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Ecotaxi numbers double at Stockholm-Arlanda as carbon reduction initiative wins another environmental award
Wed 16 Mar 2011 - A year on from introducing a taxi dispatch system that gives precedence to cars with the lowest emissions, Stockholm-Arlanda Airport has notched up yet another award for its pioneering scheme to reduce ground transport emissions. The 'Environmental Initiative of the Year' prize was awarded by Sweden's leading travel trade publication. The system is the only one of its kind in the world, claims the airport, and automatically gives taxis with the smallest environmental impact the shortest waiting times. It has led to the share of 'ecotaxis' serving the airport to increase from 47 per cent to 87 per cent and has reduced carbon emissions by over 9,000 tonnes. Meanwhile, single travellers to and from London's Stansted Airport, are being offered a new taxi service that uses the 85-miles-per-gallon Smart Car, which is not only environmentally-friendly but also means cheaper taxi fares. Read more ...
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Eurocontrol’s new direct routes to save over one million flight kilometres and 12,000 tonnes of CO2 annually
Wed 16 Mar 2011 - The Eurocontrol Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) has implemented 142 new direct routes that are expected to substantially reduce flight times, fuel burn and emissions in high-density European airspace. The development is the first stage of the Free Route Airspace Maastricht (FRAM) programme, which aims to put in place a direct route network for 24/7 operations. For safety reasons, the new routes will be used initially during the least busy hours of the night and from the end of the year they will be extended for weekend use. Eurocontrol says savings from this first phase are estimated at 1.16 million kms per year, resulting in reductions of 3,700 tonnes of fuel, 12,000 tonnes of CO2 and 37 tonnes of NOx. Read more ...
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UK government reported to have dropped plans to replace Air Passenger Duty with a greener per plane levy
Tue 15 Mar 2011 - According to a report in the Financial Times, the UK coalition government has scrapped proposals to change its aviation tax system from a per passenger duty to a per plane levy. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats had pledged the switch on taking office as part of an environmental commitment and plans to raise more revenues from the industry. However, ministers have now been advised that a per plane levy amounts to the imposition of a fuel tax and would breach the Chicago Convention on international civil aviation, which prohibits such a levy on international flights. Meanwhile, an industry alliance of airlines, airports and tourism organisations has launched a campaign to persuade the UK government to make aviation tax, in their opinion, "fairer". A group of environmental NGOs has launched an opposing campaign calling for a removal of tax exemptions on aviation. Read more ...
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CANSO and ICAO partner on global roll-out of tool to measure fuel and emissions reduction performance
Mon 14 Mar 2011 - CANSO, the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation, is to work with ICAO in rolling out the ICAO Fuel Savings Estimation Tool (IFSET) that will enable air navigation service providers worldwide to measure their environmental performance. CANSO's Environment Workgroup will be introduced to IFSET in their upcoming meeting in Seattle at the end of this month and ICAO plans to make the final version of the tool available to States in October. Improving air traffic management (ATM) and operational procedures is a cornerstone of both ICAO's and the aviation industry's efforts to meet carbon emission reduction targets. With the assistance of States and international organisations, ICAO is developing the easy-to-use tool in alignment with its Global Air Navigation Plan. Read more ...
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San Francisco International Airport installs airside tap drinking water bottle refill stations for thirsty travellers
Mon 14 Mar 2011 - With airports looking to protect the commercial interests of their catering concessions, drinking water fountains are, at best, hard to find by thirsty passengers relieved of their water bottles before passing through security and faced with buying expensive bottled water airside. As part of a city-wide campaign to persuade the public to drink what it considers the best tap drinking water in the world and reduce the amount of plastic waste, two 'Hydration Stations' have been installed airside in San Francisco International Airport's (SFO) Terminal 3 and International Terminal. Travellers are encouraged to take an empty drink bottle with them through security. SFO is gaining a reputation as one of world's greenest airports and its new Terminal 2, due to open next month, will be the first airport terminal to achieve the coveted LEED Gold environmental certification. Read more ...
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Sweden's airport operator launches online forum to open a public dialogue over aviation's climate effects
Fri 11 Mar 2011 - Swedish airport operator Swedavia has launched a new forum, WikiAirport.org, which aims to identify new ideas and increase knowledge on aviation's impact on climate and society. The website, which went live a few days ago, is intended to exchange views and promote awareness between the aviation industry and the general public. According to Swedavia, it hopes that by contributing to a greater knowledge about the issue, better circumstances can be created for finding common solutions and help reduce emissions caused by aviation and airports. Swedavia itself has managed to reduce its own carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 40 per cent over the past five years. Read more ...
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Progress on measures to implement Single European Sky must be translated into results, say airlines
Wed 9 Mar 2011 - A high-level conference in Budapest organised by the Hungarian Presidency and the European Commission to instil momentum into attempts to modernise and streamline Europe's inefficient air traffic management system has agreed on implementing key measures. However, European airlines have warned that the progress must be translated into results if the Single European Sky project is to realise ambitions of saving 500,000 tonnes of CO2, 150,000 tonnes of fuel and 200 million euros in fuel burn and flight time. Two weeks ago, the Commission adopted a regulation to harmonise information between member states and end the fragmentation of Europe's air space. Meanwhile, the Commission has launched a satellite navigation service for aviation that will enable more efficient plotting of flight routes and approaches resulting in a decrease in carbon emissions and fewer delays. Read more ...
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Three major European airports achieve accreditation under industry-wide carbon reduction programme
Wed 9 Mar 2011 - Munich, Budapest and Gatwick airports are the latest to become certified under the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme set up by industry body ACI Europe and backed by the European Commission. Over 40 airports in 18 European countries have now become independently verified and accredited by the programme since its launch in 2009, representing over 43 per cent of European air passenger traffic. The carbon management and reduction programme has four progressive levels of accreditation: Mapping, Reduction, Optimisation and Neutrality. Budapest Airport has been accredited at the initial Mapping level, with Gatwick at the second Reduction level and Munich achieving certification at the third Optimisation level. Read more ...
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Lufthansa Cargo’s climate care conference highlights contribution by airfreight sector to environmental efforts
Wed 9 Mar 2011 - Over 200 delegates from the air logistics industry, along with scientists and policymakers, attended Lufthansa Cargo's second Cargo Climate Care Conference held in Frankfurt. The airline said the event reflects the importance attached to environmental issues by the air cargo sector. During the conference environmental awards were presented to Austrian logistics group cargo-partner and also to university researchers and Lufthansa Cargo employees. The conference is part of wider efforts by the cargo carrier to form environmental partnerships with customers, step up cooperation with research institutes and raise staff commitment to environmental objectives. Lufthansa Cargo is aiming to reduce its airfreight traffic CO2 emissions by 25 per cent by 2020. Read more ...
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EU ETS allowance shortfall will cost airlines up to 1.4 billion euros next year, say carbon market analysts
Tue 8 Mar 2011 - With the release yesterday by the European Commission of the baseline figure to be used for capping aviation emissions under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, an analysis by Thomson Reuters Point Carbon and RDC Aviation shows airlines will face a shortfall of allowances that is likely to cost them around 1.4 billion euros ($1.95bn) when the scheme starts in 2012. This shortfall is likely to rise to 7 billion euros ($9.7bn) by 2020. The top 10 airlines, which also includes US carrier Delta, are likely to make up 23 per cent of the overall industry shortfall. The analysts suggest that if airlines make full use of their 2012 quota to import cheaper Kyoto offsets, they could save 575 million euros. RDC expects airlines to pass on at least some of their EU ETS costs. Read more ...
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Airline winners and losers as future EU ETS carbon costs and emission levels climb, says Standard & Poor's
Mon 7 Mar 2011 - Although initially marginal compared to existing charges such as escalating fuel expenses, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) will add further long term cost pressure to a cyclical, capital-intensive and highly competitive airline industry, concludes a report just published by Standard & Poor's. The financial services and credit ratings agency says the EU ETS is unlikely to have a significant impact on rated European airlines such as British Airways, Lufthansa and SAS in the short term. Over a longer timeframe, however, an airline's ability to pass on the additional carbon cost will be a key differentiator, one that is likely to vary from operator to operator, and could impact a carrier's credit quality. Those operating long-haul routes with more fuel efficient aircraft and earning a higher proportion of premium revenues are likely to be less impacted. Read more ...
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European Commission publishes historical aviation emissions figure on which EU ETS allocations are to be based
Mon 7 Mar 2011 - After delays in order to further refine the data, the European Commission has finally decided on the aviation emissions base that will be used in calculating the number of aviation allowances to be made available to eligible aircraft operators under the Aviation EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), which starts next January. The decision on historical aviation emissions, as the EC terms the baseline, of 219,476,343 tonnes of CO2 represents the average of the estimated annual emissions for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 of all flights that would have been covered by the EU ETS. The Commission said it would publish its benchmark decision on how many free allowances operators will receive by the end of this coming September, along with formal details of the emissions cap and the percentages of allowances to be auctioned, given for free and allocated to the special reserve. It also dismissed reviewing the impact of the Icelandic volcano on the free share allocation process. Read more ...
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Report criticises the UK over its refusal to earmark EU ETS carbon revenues for financing green projects
Fri 25 Feb 2011 - According to a report by carbon offsetting company Carbon Retirement, the United Kingdom has earned more than one billion euros ($1.35bn) from the auction of EU ETS allowances since its first auction in November 2008. Revenues raised through allowance auctioning is set to rise dramatically in Phase III and the UK could make a further 64 billion euros by 2020, with aviation joining the scheme in 2012 and additional greenhouse gases and manufacturing processes being covered from 2013. Despite European Commission proposals that at least half of auction revenues should be used to help reduce greenhouse gases, develop renewable energies and clean technologies, and shift to low-emission forms of transport, the UK has refused to hypothecate revenues. An attempt by the European Parliament to force EU member states to comply when passing the Aviation EU ETS directive was rejected by EU Council ministers. Read more ...
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Japanese airline ANA announces environmental ground initiatives on de-icing fluids and courtesy vehicles
Thu 24 Feb 2011 - All Nippon Airways (ANA) has placed a major order for what is claimed to be the world's first de-icing fluid based on glycol from a sustainable source. The DFsustain de-icing fluid is manufactured by UK-based Kilfrost, which has been supplying the international aviation industry with de-icing and anti-icing fluids for over 75 years. It has developed the de-icing fluid using the Susterra propanediol non-petroleum alternative glycol created by DuPont Tate and Lyle BioProducts. The product is a corn sugar-derived glycol, which Kilfrost says is not only sustainable but also completely recyclable. As part of the Japanese government-backed Hydrogen Highway Project, ANA is to introduce fuel cell electric vehicles into its fleet of passenger courtesy cars and a two-month trial is now in progress. Read more ...
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ASPIRE procedures move into regular operations as daily green flights across the Pacific become a reality
Tue 22 Feb 2011 - Regular green flights across the Pacific took a step further yesterday with the first 'ASPIRE-Daily City Pair' flight from Auckland in New Zealand to San Francisco. The ASPIRE (Asia and South Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions) collaboration introduces advanced air traffic management routing procedures to reduce fuel burn and emissions. Five ASPIRE demonstration flights involving Air New Zealand, Qantas, United Airlines, Japan Airlines and Singapore Airlines have taken place since the launch of the programme in 2008. Data gathered from these flights indicated fuel savings of an average 4 per cent and up to 15,000kg reduction of CO2 emissions. Other ASPIRE-Daily routes will come on line over the next four months, with several routes across the Eastern and Western part of the Asia-Pacific region. Read more ...
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Scottish government says it will seek powers if re-elected to cut Air Passenger Duty to help boost flights
Tue 22 Feb 2011 - Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond, has said his Scottish National Party will seek powers to reduce UK Air Passenger Duty (APD) on Scottish air travellers if re-elected to office in parliamentary elections in May. Salmond believes lowering the duty would reduce airline fares and help encourage tourism and inward investment to Scotland. The call coincides with the release of a report commissioned by BAA-owned Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports that estimates last November's hike in APD could lose Scotland's airports more than one million passengers over the next three years and cost the Scottish economy £77 million ($124m) in lost tourism spend. Latest figures from the UK CAA show the three airports handled over 1.3 million fewer passengers last year compared to 2009. Meanwhile, the Association of German Airlines forecasts the new German eco tax introduced last month will reduce passenger numbers by five million during the next two years. Read more ...
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European airline chiefs reaffirm support for EU ETS but say obstacles could hinder effective implementation
Mon 21 Feb 2011 - At a board meeting of the Association of European Airlines (AEA) held last week, airline chiefs representing 36 established scheduled network carriers voiced their continuing support for the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). However, they said obstacles to the effective inclusion of aviation into the scheme are likely to become increasingly apparent in the lead up to its start on 1 January 2012. They have outlined around a dozen technical, legal and MRV issues that will need resolving over the next 10 months. The airline CEOs have again repeated demands for auction revenues be used by States to fund clean technology investment towards achieving a Single European Sky and particularly in developing alternative sustainable fuels. Read more ...
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Action required now if alternative aviation fuels are to help meet emissions targets, concludes major European study
Fri 18 Feb 2011 - The transfer from fossil fuels to biofuels is a must if the air transport industry is to survive beyond the middle of century, was the stark message from Dirk van Vreckem of the European Commission's mobility and transport directorate (DG MOVE) at a conference in Toulouse, France last week. He said a business-as-usual increase in aviation emissions of 150 per cent by 2050 over 1990 levels was unsustainable. The conference was held to outline the results of the major two-year feasibility and impact assessment SWAFEA study initiated by the Commission on alternative aviation fuels. However, contributors to the study pointed out the strong challenges posed if biofuels are to play an important role in helping meet industry emissions reduction targets, identifying sustainability, biomass availability and investment as key obstacles to be overcome. Read more ...
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Algae technology company OriginOil to participate in pilot project as Mexico kick-starts jet biofuels industry
Thu 17 Feb 2011 - US-based algae technology company OriginOil is to participate in a pilot scale algae project to be funded by the Mexican government as part of an initial substantial investment in large-scale jet fuels production in the country. The project is to be sited in Ensenada, Baja California, situated on the north-west Pacific coast of Mexico and considered an ideal environment for algae growth with abundant sunlight and access to seawater. Mexico has ambitions as a major producer of transport biofuels, not just to satisfy its own domestic needs but also at the huge US market across the border. Mexico's largest airport operator Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares (ASA), responsible also for most of the jet fuel management in the country, is aiding in the development of a jet biofuels industry. Read more ...
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EADS looks to nanotechnology as it re-examines the potential for emissions-free hydrogen fuels in aviation
Wed 16 Feb 2011 - The concept of using liquid hydrogen as a clean alternative to jet kerosene has been studied and found wanting by aerospace researchers down the years. The EU-funded, Airbus-led Cryoplane project concluded in 2004 that hydrogen fuel was a long-term prospect but aircraft would require fuel tanks four times larger than today and the larger exterior surface areas would increase energy consumption by up to 14 per cent. The additional costs involved in producing and storing the fuel were also said to be enormous, with high energy requirements and so reduced environmental benefit, and little progress has been made since except in fuel cell technology. However, EADS Innovation Works, the corporate research arm of EADS - the parent company of Airbus - says it is to work with university researchers to find out whether nanotechnology could provide the answer to the storage problem, although it concedes powering airliners with hydrogen is still only a distant possibility. Read more ...
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Qantas agrees to a second Australian alternative jet fuel venture – this time with algae company Solazyme
Wed 16 Feb 2011 - Just a month after entering into an agreement with Solena to explore the potential of a waste-to-jet fuel facility in Sydney, Qantas has announced a collaboration with US-based renewable oil company Solazyme to investigate opportunities for algal-derived sustainable jet fuel. The airline group is carrying out a detailed review of clean technology fuel companies to establish the most promising partnership opportunities as it seeks to replace two to three per cent of its domestic conventional jet fuel usage - representing some 137 million litres - with biofuels by 2015. The Solazyme feasibility study will look at using sugar cane biomass produced in Queensland to feed the company's microalgae fermentation process. Its highly-rated technology has attracted investors such as Sir Richard Branson, Unilever and Chevron, and has a contract to supply its Solajet fuel to the US Navy for testing. The Qantas venture marks Solazyme's first Asia-Pacific commercial aviation partnership. Read more ...
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Nanotechnology aims to put a drag on easyJet’s escalating fuel bill and reduce emissions by up to two per cent
Mon 14 Feb 2011 - Low-cost carrier easyJet is trialling a revolutionary nanotechnology coating that lessens the build up of debris on an aircraft's structure, leading edge and other surfaces, thus reducing drag and increasing fuel efficiency. The ultra-thin coating - less than a micron thick when applied - is already used on US military aircraft but this is the first time it has been tested on commercial airliners. The UK suppliers of the coating, tripleO, estimate that it could reduce easyJet's fuel burn and carbon emissions by between one and two per cent. The airline has coated eight aircraft and will compare their fuel consumption with the rest of the 194-strong fleet during a 12-month trial period. Read more ...
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Delay to certification of aviation jet biofuels may damage investor confidence, claims Lufthansa
Mon 14 Feb 2011 - The approval of Bio-SPK jet fuels for use in commercial aircraft operations is not now expected until the middle of the year at earliest and could possibly be delayed until the end of 2011, says the FAA representative on the ASTM International committee responsible for certifying the fuels. Approval had been expected by now but concerns were raised during an ASTM meeting in December, said to be made by an engine manufacturer, which will require further testing to be carried out. The delay has angered Lufthansa, Europe's biggest airline, which planned this spring to become the first airline to introduce biofuel blended jet fuel on regular commercial passenger flights. A first shipment of jatropha jet biofuel was ready for delivery to Hamburg from Neste Oil's Porvoo facility in Finland, said the airline. Read more ...
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Lindbergh Foundation sets up a ‘green alliance’ to further progress on addressing aviation environmental challenges
Tue 8 Feb 2011 - The Lindbergh Foundation, a non-profit organisation that focuses on technological breakthroughs to address aviation environmental issues, has announced the formation of the Aviation Green Alliance. The programme aims to support aviation-related companies and individuals committed to proactively addressing aviation and the environment. Its stated mission, according to the foundation's Chairman, Larry Williams, is to "encourage solutions, acknowledging progress and communicating ideas". Although the work of the Lindbergh Foundation and its members is largely centred around the General Aviation community, it hopes the wider commercial aviation sector will participate in the programme. The foundation was set up in 1977 following the 50th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's epic flight between New York and Paris, the first solo transatlantic crossing. Read more ...
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OSyS wins fuel efficiency and emissions management contract awards from Cyprus Airways and Spanair
Mon 7 Feb 2011 - Rolls-Royce subsidiary Optimized Systems and Solutions (OSyS) has announced contract awards from Cyprus Airways and Spanair to provide operational fuel usage analysis and management that will help the airlines improve fuel efficiency and meet emissions target obligations under the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme. Utilising the OSys Fuel Management Solution (FMS) will enable them to better manage fuel consumption and costs, thereby improving overall fuel performance. In other Aviation EU ETS contract news from the UK, CICS has been appointed by Icelandair as the airline's independent verifier of its emissions data. Meanwhile, ICM ETS says it has now been recommended for accreditation as a verifier of aircraft emissions and tonne-km data by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). Excluding ICM ETS, nine companies have so far been accredited for all aviation scopes by UKAS. Read more ...
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Aviation biofuels company receives over $1 billion funding facility for supply chain projects and acquisitions
Mon 7 Feb 2011 - BioJet International, a supply chain integrator in renewable jet fuel, has acquired $1.2 billion in capital funding from Cayman Islands-based Equity Partners Fund to develop feedstock and refining projects, as well as investment and strategic acquisitions. BioJet says it has operations throughout the entire biofuel value chain, including feedstock generation, technology, refining, logistics, sustainability certification and distribution. The company, formerly JatrophaBioJet, is a collaboration of Abundant Biofuels Corporation, South Polar Carbon Asset Management and Mitch Hawkins and Company. Last year, BioJet became IATA's first Alternative Fuels Strategic Partner and also participates in the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuel Initiative (CAAFI). Read more ...
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More students take up challenge from Airbus to develop ideas for a greener aviation future
Fri 4 Feb 2011 - Airbus reports that over 2,600 students from around the world, representing some 75 nationalities and 287 universities, registered for its second biennial Fly Your Ideas (FYI) competition. The number of teams entering the first round increased from 225 for the first competition in 2009 to 315 this year, a 40 per cent increase. Students are challenged to initiate and develop new initiatives that can lead to a greener aviation industry. Following a questionnaire-based assessment of their proposals, 84 teams have now been selected to advance to the second round. The five most promising teams will be chosen in May for the final round and advance to the final to be held during the Paris Air Show in June, with the winner picking up 30,000 euros in prize money. Read more ...
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Finnair postpones early plans to use jet biofuel on commercial flights citing sustainability and price issues
Thu 3 Feb 2010 - Finnair has pulled out of plans to introduce jet biofuels on commercial flights. The airline hoped to be amongst the first early adopters following an approval for the use of Bio-SPK fuels expected within the next few months. It says there were issues concerning the sustainability and cost of the fuel, along with supply chain challenges, which was to be produced and supplied by fellow Finnish company Neste Oil. Last week, Neste Oil received a "shame award" from Greenpeace although Finnair deny this influenced its decision. Neste is one of the world's largest users of 'certified' palm oil, which it uses in its NExBTL renewable diesel. Lufthansa says it will continue with preparations to use NExBTL jet fuel on flights between Frankfurt and Hamburg this spring. Meanwhile, Finnair has just relaunched its corporate responsibility web pages to project its image as an ethical and environmentally conscious airline. Read more ...
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Alitalia becomes the latest airline interested in partnering with Solena on a municipal waste to jet fuel project
Thu 3 Feb 2011 - Following news last month that Qantas had signed a letter of intent with US biofuel technology company Solena Group to explore the feasibility of building and operating a municipal solid waste (MSW) to jet biofuel conversion plant in Australia, Italian carrier Alitalia and Solena have agreed to start a similar study. Solena is currently in the process of raising finance and identifying a potential site in London following an offtake agreement signed a year ago with British Airways. Unconfirmed reports suggest Solena is also in discussions with various airlines about the possibility of a similar plant in Dublin. Under the Solena model, its proposed facility aims to convert around 500,000 tonnes of MSW into 16 million gallons of jet fuel and nine million gallons of bionaphtha per year. Read more ...
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Air China and Boeing make plans for the first trans-Pacific sustainable biofuel-powered flight
Mon 31 Jan 2011 - Air China and Boeing have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the intention of carrying out a trans-Pacific biofuel flight between China and the US, and will follow China's first biofuel demonstration flight planned for the second half of this year. The sustainably-sourced biofuel for the trans-Pacific flight will be produced both in the US and China to test and compare the respective qualities and capabilities of the fuels. In addition to Boeing, Air China will collaborate on the project with PetroChina, Honeywell's UOP, Pratt & Whitney and other partners. Meanwhile, in another aviation biofuel project involving Boeing and UOP, the Abu Dhabi based Masdar Institute has announced the completion of a one-year study into the viability of salt water tolerant plants irrigated with seawater as a sustainable feedstock for aviation biofuels. Read more ...
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Stiff challenge facing ICAO after unprecedented number of reservations on Assembly climate change resolution
Sat 29 Jan 2011 - The full extent of the opposition to key parts of the climate change resolution passed at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly in October has been laid out in documentation released by the UN body. Thought to be an unprecedented number, no fewer than 63 countries - representing all the major aviation nations - have entered reservations (opt-out legal caveats) on one or more paragraphs in Resolution A37-17/2, formally adopted by Member States as A37-19. Reservations on ICAO resolutions are rarely filed at all. The main areas of contention are the medium-term aspirational carbon-neutral growth goal (paragraph 6), guiding principles on market-based measures (paragraph 14) and the de minimis exemption (paragraph 15). Read more ...
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Airline CO2 emissions covered by the EU ETS increase 2.6 per cent in 2010 as they resume upward trend
Thu 27 Jan 2011 - According to data just published by consultants RDC Aviation, the total CO2 emissions of scheduled airlines flying to, from and within Europe rose by 2.66 per cent in 2010. This follows a fall of 3.86 per cent in 2009 compared to 2008, so overall emissions have not yet returned to pre-recession levels. Although final air traffic figures for last year have yet to be published, the increase in emissions follows an estimate by the Association of European Airlines that its members carried 10 million more passengers in 2010 than in 2009 and recorded a 2.5 per cent increase in revenue passenger-kilometres (RPKs). Lufthansa pipped British Airways to the post as the airline with the highest European CO2 emissions, followed by Air France and KLM, although all four were down on their 2008 outputs. Read more ...
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European air traffic to almost double by 2030 despite airport capacity constraints, forecasts Eurocontrol
Tue 25 Jan 2011 - According to the latest long-term forecast of flight movements in Europe, air traffic is expected to grow to 16.9 million flights in 2030, around 1.8 times more than in 2009. Eurocontrol estimates annual growth is anticipated to be between 1.6 per cent and 3.9 per cent, with 2.8 per cent the most likely. With commercial aircraft fuel efficiency gains anticipated of 1.5 per cent on average per year - up to 2 per cent if and when full implementation of the Single European Sky programme is achieved - a considerable gap is likely to open up as European legislators seek to cap and reduce the growth in carbon emissions from aviation, unless significant progress is made in emerging technologies. However, restrictions on airport capacity could impact the growth in air traffic, says Eurocontrol, with between 0.7 million and five million flights 'unaccommodated' by 2030. Read more ...
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Schiphol goes Platinum as new office building achieves highest international certification for sustainable construction
Tue 25 Jan 2011 - Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport has received the highest possible international sustainable construction certification for its new TransPort office building, which houses the carriers transavia.com and Martinair. It becomes the first building in the Netherlands and only the third new-office build in Europe to receive the LEED Platinum certificate by the United States Green Building Council (USGBG). LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the international sustainability mark that assesses construction projects around the world on five environmental criteria: sustainable sites; water efficiency; energy and the atmosphere; materials and resources; and indoor environmental quality. Read more ...
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Virgin America becomes launch customer for re-engined, fuel and carbon saving Airbus A320neo
Tue 18 Jan 2011 - The recently announced Airbus A320neo "eco-efficient" aircraft has gained its first firm customer as Virgin America ordered 30 of the new engine option aircraft as part of a commitment to buy a total of 60 A320s. The airline has yet to announce which of the two engine options it will opt to power the new A320neo: CFM International's LEAP-X or Pratt & Whitney's PurePower PW1100G. The aircraft will be fitted with fuel-saving Sharklet fuel-saving large wing tip devices. Airbus says the A320neo responds to "heightened customer environmental interest", offering a 15 per cent reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions - representing an average annual savings of around 3,600 tonnes of CO2 per aircraft - along with a double-digit reduction in NOx emissions and lower engine noise levels. Read more ...
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Southwest Airlines begins flying advanced navigation procedures at 11 airports to reduce costs and emissions
Thu 13 Jan 2011 - Southwest Airlines this week begins flying Required Navigation Performance (RNP) efficient procedures at 11 US airports that will provide the ability to fly shorter flight paths and idle-thrust descents, thereby reducing fuel consumption and lowering emissions and community noise levels. The airline describes it as a major milestone in reducing environmental impact and a significant step in the future of the US NextGen air traffic management system. RNP is satellite-based navigation that brings together the accuracy of GPS, the capabilities of advanced aircraft avionics and new flight procedures. Southwest has modified 345 Boeing 737-700 aircraft with new flight display software and trained more than 5,900 pilots in the procedures. GE Aviation is providing the onboard technology through its TrueCourse flight management system. Read more ...
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NAV CANADA, NATS and Air France to collaborate on new North Atlantic fuel and emissions savings project
Wed 12 Jan 2011 - Canada's air navigation service provider NAV CANADA is to lead a new international fuel and greenhouse gas savings initiative in partnership with its UK counterpart NATS and Air France. The ENGAGE Corridor Project is aimed at improving flight efficiency in the busy North Atlantic Oceanic airspace. Trial flights will test the viability of two concepts: progressive or continuous altitude change and corresponding change in aircraft speed. As a flight transits the ocean, fuel is consumed and the weight of the aircraft decreases, resulting in the most efficient flight level becoming higher, assuming zero wind. Assessments show that oceanic flights can save around 250 litres of fuel and 650kg of carbon emissions by varying speed and altitude. Meanwhile, NAV CANADA reports that it gained savings of 700,000 tonnes of GHG emissions over the past year. Read more ...
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Washington State announces forest biomass pilot project proposal to create jet biofuel from wood waste
Wed 12 Jan 2011 - Legislation has been proposed to establish a Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) forest biomass pilot project that would create jet fuel from wood waste and mill residue. The announcement was made by Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark at the Pacific West Biomass Conference in Seattle. The bill would also convene a stakeholder group to develop a strategy for moving a sustainable biofuel industry forward, says DNR. The initiative comes after a six-month project to assess the potential of a sustainable aviation fuels industry in the Pacific Northwest was started in July 2010 by local aviation interests and other stakeholders. Three airports - Seattle-Tacoma, Spokane International and Portland International - along with Alaska Airlines and Seattle-based Boeing funded a four-state regional assessment to look at biomass options and possible sources for creating renewable jet fuel. Read more ...
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Hong Kong International Airport pledges to reduce carbon intensity by a quarter within five years
Tue 11 Jan 2011 - Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) and nearly 40 airport business partners have pledged to reduce Hong Kong International Airport's (HKIA) carbon emissions by 25 per cent per workload unit - defined as equal to one passenger or 100kg of cargo - by 2015. The authority claims this marks not only the first airport-wide carbon intensity reduction promise among airports in the world but also the first voluntary, sector-wide carbon reduction undertaking in Hong Kong. Along with airlines, cargo operators, aviation services providers, franchisees, contractors and government departments, AA has developed more than 300 carbon-reduction initiatives. The target will be measured against the baseline emission levels determined in the maiden airport-wide carbon audit for 2008, which covered all major buildings, facilities and vehicle fleets on the airport island. Read more ...
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London Stansted set to become first in UK to trial a new hydrogen refuelling system for ground vehicles
Mon 10 Jan 2011 - New green fuel technology that could drive down emissions and power airport ground vehicles of the future is to be trialled at London Stansted Airport this spring. Britain's third busiest airport will be the first UK company to test a new hydrogen refuelling system, called HFuel, and two specially adapted vehicles as part of Sheffield, UK-based ITM Power's nationwide Hydrogen on Site Trials (HOST) programme. ITM Power says HOST will be the largest multi-sector trial of hydrogen refuelling for transport in the UK and will involve 20 major partner organisations. The programme provides each partner with a one-week free trial of the HFuel system and two Ford Transit vans. Read more ...
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Qantas and Solena to explore feasibility of a waste to jet biofuel production plant in Australia
Wed 5 Jan 2011 - US-based Solena Group, which is seeking to build and operate a facility in London to convert waste biomass feedstock into sustainable jet fuel, has signed a letter of intent with Qantas to develop a business plan over the next 12 months with a view to building a similar production plant in Australia. The London project, called GreenSky, is due to open in 2014 and will produce around 16 million gallons of jet fuel and nine million gallons of bionaphtha a year when fully operational. Although no details have been released by either side, it is likely Qantas would undertake a long-term offtake agreement to purchase all the jet biofuel produced by the proposed facility, as British Airways has committed to in respect of the London operation. A UK newspaper reports that Solena is also exploring the possibility of partnering with a number of airlines on a similar venture in Dublin, Ireland. Read more ...
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