The results of a European study into the impact of a widebody jet flown with 100% sustainable aviation fuel show a substantial 56% reduction in the number of contrail ice crystals produced by unblended SAF compared to Jet A-1 fuel. The project, involving Airbus, Rolls-Royce, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and SAF producer Neste, was the third stage of the Emission and Climate Impact of Alternative Fuels (ECLIF) programme, with in-flight and ground emissions tests taking place in 2021. They worked together to quantify the reduction in engine soot particles produced by a Rolls-Royce powered Airbus A350 fuelled by Neste and trailed by a DLR research aircraft. In certain weather conditions, airborne vapour freezes around soot particles emitted by aircraft engines, creating cloudy canopies of ice crystals which can trap heat in the atmosphere.

Prior to the A350 test flights using 100% SAF – a campaign designated as ECLIF3 – airborne research was conducted in 2015 (ECLIF1) to characterise the emissions of synthetic fuels, followed in 2018 by flight tests with NASA (ECLIF2) to demonstrate that 50/50 blends of conventional jet fuel and SAF could reduce the climate damage caused by aircraft condensation trails.  

The ECLIF3 tests were conducted over the Mediterranean and southern France using the first Airbus A350 aircraft built by the airframer and powered by two Rolls-Royce XWB-84 engines. Conventional Jet A-1 was used as the reference fuel, while the comparative SAF was a mix of hydro-processed esters and fatty acids and synthetic paraffinic kerosene (HEFA-SPK).

In all conventional jet fuels, naturally-occurring aromatics serve as a vital sealant within the aircraft engine to help prevent fuel leaks. But this compound is slow-burning and emits soot particles which contribute to contrail crystals that can remain for several hours in cold, humid conditions at altitudes of eight to 12 kilometres, and can have a local warming or cooling impact depending on the position of the sun and underlying surface, with a warming effect predominating globally. Many types of SAF are free of aromatic compounds.

During the ECLIF3 programme, which involved multiple flights, the A350 testbed departed Toulouse Blagnac airport in France while DLR’s research jet, a Falcon 20-E, flew from the agency’s base in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, meeting at multiple points over the Mediterranean and southern France. The research aircraft was equipped with instruments to assess exhaust gases, volatile and non-volatile aerosol particles, and contrail ice particles produced by the A350, which it followed at various distances to capture data on emissions and condensation trails produced by both conventional Jet A-1 and Neste’s SAF.  

DLR used global climate model simulations to estimate how contrails could change the energy balance in the earth’s atmosphere, an effect known as radiative forcing. The tests revealed a 26% reduction in the overall climate impact of contrails when 100% SAF was used.

“The results from the ECLIF3 flight experiments show how the use of 100% SAF can help us to significantly reduce the climate-warming effect of contrails, in addition to lowering the carbon footprint of flying – a clear sign of the effectiveness of SAF towards climate-compatible aviation,” explained Markus Fischer, DLR Divisional Board Member for Aeronautics.

“We already knew that sustainable aviation fuels could reduce the carbon footprint of aviation,” added Mark Bentall, head of Research and Technology Programme, Airbus. “Thanks to the ECLIF studies, we now know that SAF can also reduce soot emissions and ice particulate formation that we see as contrails. This is a very encouraging result, based on science, which shows just how crucial sustainable aviation fuels are for decarbonising air transport.”

Alexander Kueper, Neste’s VP, Renewable Aviation Business, said SAF was recognised widely as a crucial means of mitigating the climate impacts of aviation. “The results from the ECLIF3 study confirm a significantly lower climate impact when using 100% SAF due to the lack of aromatics in Neste’s SAF used, and provide additional scientific data to support the use of SAF at higher concentrations than the currently approved 50%.”

And Rolls-Royce’s Director of Research and Technology, Alan Newby, said the use of SAF at higher blend ratios would be a key factor in enabling aviation to achieve its target of net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. “Not only did these tests show that our Trent XWB-84 engine can run on 100% SAF,” he said. “The results also show how additional value can be unlocked from SAF through reducing non-CO2 climate effects as well.”

The ECLIF3 research team says its programme is “the first in-situ evidence of the climate impact mitigation potential of using pure, 100% SAF on a commercial aircraft,” and has reported the findings of its tests in the Copernicus journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP) as part of a peer-reviewed scientific process. The ECLIF3 programme also includes members of the National Research Council of Canada and the University of Manchester.

Last year, Boeing, NASA and United Airlines conducted contrail research in the US using a Boeing 737 MAX twinjet with one engine powered by 100% SAF and the other by conventional jet fuel, and Virgin Atlantic partnered with Rolls Royce, Boeing, Air BP and Virent to perform a trans-Atlantic crossing using a Boeing 787 powered purely by SAF, with a blend of 88% recycled waste fats and oils and 12% sustainable aromatic kerosene. UK-based technology group SATAVIA also worked with 12 airlines over 65 flights to test its DECISIONX route optimisation software, which uses atmospheric modelling data to assist carriers in planning flight paths which avoid conditions in which contrails can form. The company said its tests avoided more than 2,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), or an average of more than 40 tonnes per flight, with little impact on aircraft fuel burn or flight distances.

Photo (S. Ramadier): Airbus A350 fuelled with 100% Neste SAF trailed by DLR’s Falcon 20-E research jet

Tony Harrington

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Electric aviation has taken two steps forward but one step back, with Air New Zealand announcing it will introduce as many as 23 short-range electric aircraft from US-based BETA Technologies, and Europe’s EcoPulse hybrid-electric demonstrator aircraft performing its first multi-powered flight, both just days after Rolls-Royce announced plans to dispose of its electric aircraft propulsion division. After an 18-month assessment, Air New Zealand has chosen BETA’s electric-powered ALIA conventional take-off and landing aircraft (eCTOL) to operate from 2026, initially as a commercial demonstrator for short-range operations. The EcoPulse, developed jointly by Airbus, Safran and Daher, and powered by a primary gas turbine engine, then six electric propellers, operated for the first time in hybrid-electric mode during a 100-minute flight from Tarbes Airport in France. The announcements followed the decision of Rolls-Royce to exit electric propulsion as part of a group-wide restructure which includes increased focus on its jet engine business.

Air New Zealand has selected BETA’s ALIA conventional take-off and landing aircraft as part of its Mission Next Gen Aircraft programme following assessments of four new aircraft concepts, which also included the electric Eviation Alice, the hybrid-electric VoltAero Cassio and a hydrogen-powered Britten-Norman Islander from UK-based Cranfield Aerospace Solutions. The airline has placed an initial firm order for one BETA ALIA aircraft, with options for two more and rights for a further 20.

“This is a small but important step in a much larger journey for Air New Zealand,” said the airline’s CEO, Greg Foran. “We need to accelerate the pace of change in the technology, infrastructure, operations and regulation.

“While this aircraft will add to, not replace, our existing fleet, it is a catalyst for that change. By flying the ALIA, we hope to advance our knowledge and the transformation needed in the aviation system in Aotearoa [New Zealand] for us to fly larger, fleet-replacing, next-generation aircraft from 2030.”  At that time, the airline plans to phase out its fleet of 23 conventionally powered Q300 turboprops.

Although the BETA ALIA is designed to carry up to five passengers and one pilot, the airline initially plans to partner with New Zealand Post to provide cargo-only services on a test route to be announced early next year, following expressions of interest from airports across the country, where regional aviation provides critical links between small communities, many of which are not well-served by road access. 

The BETA ALIA eCTOL version has flown up to 480 kilometres in one test flight, well over Air New Zealand’s initial requirement to fly routes of up to 150 kilometres. In service, it would fly at altitudes of between 1,500 and 3,000 metres, and speeds of up to 270 kph, subject to regulatory approval by the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority.

Kyle Clark, BETA’s CEO, said Air New Zealand was “hyper-focused on bringing technologies to scale as quickly as possible, both to meet its own ambitions to decarbonise and to change the broader aviation landscape. We are gratified by the airline’s confidence in our technology as a solution that will meet their operational needs and look forward to continuing to work hand-in-hand as we bring the ALIA to market for 2026.”

In France, the EcoPulse testbed aircraft, an adapted version of a Daher TBM airframe, performed the inaugural test flight with its six integrated electric thrusters, or e-Propellers, activated. It was powered by both a battery and a turbogenerator.

Three Safran propellers have been fitted to each wing, and aerodynamically tested since early this year, when two, then four, and finally all six were installed. Powered by the legacy turboprop engine in its nose, the aircraft has been progressively test flown to assess handling characteristics with the added inertia of wing propellers and pods. 

The electric generator is powered by a gas turbine, provided by Safran, and a high-energy density power pack provided by Airbus.

Central to the system is a Power Distribution and Rectifier Unit (PDRU), again from Safran, to protect the high voltage network and distribute the electrical power, while the Airbus-designed battery pack is rated at 800 Volts DC and can generate up to 350 kilowatts of energy. Airbus also developed the flight control computer which enables the aircraft to manoeuvre using its e-Propellers.

“This is a major milestone for our industry,” said Airbus CTO Sabine Klauke, “and we’re proud to have powered the EcoPulse demonstrator first flight with our new battery systems. High energy density batteries will be necessary to reduce carbon emissions from aviation, whether for light aircraft, advanced air mobility, or large hybrid-electric aircraft. Projects like EcoPulse are key to accelerating progress in electric and hybrid-electric flight, and a cornerstone of our aim to decarbonise the aerospace industry as a whole.”

Eric Dalbiès, Safran’s CTO and EVP Strategy, said the EcoPulse test “confirmed that this disruptive propulsion system works in flight, which paves the way for more sustainable aviation. The lessons learned from upcoming flight tests will feed into our technology roadmap and strengthen our position as leader in future all-electric and hybrid-electric propulsive systems.”

And Daher CTO Pascal Laguerre said the partnership was “working to converge practical and significant know-how on design, certification and operation to shape our path towards more sustainable aircraft for the future.”

While these programmes progress, Rolls-Royce, during its 2023 Capital Markets Day, has revealed plans to sell its electric aviation propulsion division as part of a company-wide restructure. The unit is involved in producing powertrains for next-generation aircraft including air taxis and short-range commuter craft.

It will intensify its focus on engines for widebody commercial jets and business aircraft, while also progressing its UltraFan engine programme, which will be central to its plans to re-enter the narrowbody aircraft market.

“In Rolls-Royce electrical we are looking at options to exit in the short run or alternatively, for the right value, reduce our position to minority with an intention to exit fully in the mid-term,” the company said. “We believe, given the world-class capability we have built in Advanced Air Mobility, that this will represent good value to a third party and will allow us to focus on our core electrical engineering activities in Power Systems, Defence and Civil Aerospace.” 

Image (Chris Tarpey): BETA’s ALIA eCTOL in Air New Zealand livery

Tony Harrington

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The first transatlantic flight of a commercial airliner to be fully powered by sustainable aviation fuel was conducted today by a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 on a journey from London Heathrow to New York JFK. The 88% HEFA fuel made from waste fats and supplied by Air bp was blended with 12% synthetic aromatic kerosene (SAK) supplied by US company Virent. Flight100 is the culmination of a one-year collaboration led by Virgin Atlantic involving ICF, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Imperial College London, University of Sheffield, Boeing and Rolls-Royce, in partnership with the UK Department for Transport (DfT). As well as proving the capabilities of 100% SAF, the flight’s non-carbon emissions will be assessed to improve scientific understanding of the effects of SAF on contrails and particulates. The DfT supported the flight with £1 million of funding and has recently awarded nine projects a combined £53 million ($67m) in a second round competition to help scale up the UK SAF production industry.

On board Flight100, which required a specific permit from the UK CAA since commercial flights are certified only to fly with a maximum 50% SAF blend,  was Transport Secretary Mark Harper. “Today’s historic flight shows how we can both decarbonise transport and enable passengers to keep flying when and where they want. This government has backed today’s flight to take-off and we will continue to support the UK’s emerging SAF industry as it creates jobs, grows the economy and gets us to Jet Zero.”

He was accompanied by Virgin Atlantic’s Chief Executive, Shai Weiss, and the airline’s founder, Sir Richard Branson.

Branson was involved in the first-ever biofuels flight of a commercial airliner in February 2008 when a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 flew from Heathrow to Amsterdam with one of its four engines partly powered by a fuel made from babassu nuts and coconuts. Nearly 10 years later, the airline made a transatlantic flight using fuel made from waste gases that was supplied by LanzaTech.

Commenting on today’s flight, Branson said: “The world will always assume something can’t be done, until you do it. The spirit of innovation is getting out there and trying to prove that we can do things better for everyone’s benefit.

“Virgin Atlantic has been challenging the status quo and pushing the aviation industry to never settle and do better since 1984. Fast forward nearly 40 years, that pioneering spirit continues to be Virgin Atlantic’s beating heart as it pushes the boundaries from carbon fibre aircraft and fleet upgrades to sustainable fuels.”

Weiss said the flight proved SAF was a safe, drop-in replacement for fossil-derived fuel and the only viable solution for decarbonising long-haul aviation. “It’s taken radical collaboration to get here and we’re proud to have reached this important milestone, but we need to push further,” he said.

The main feedstock for the HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids) SAF supplied for the flight was tallow, a by-product of the meat rendering process and unsuitable for animal or human consumption. The SAK was made from plant sugars, with the remainder of plant proteins, oils and fibres continuing into the food chain.

Following the flight, a full end-to-end lifecycle analysis will be undertaken, accounting for the emissions reduction associated with the use of SAF and the fuel optimisation activities being deployed. Any residual emissions are being mitigated with the use of carbon removals, specifically biochar credits – a material that traps and stores carbon taken from the atmosphere.

Research on the non-CO2 emissions from the flight will help to implement contrail forecasts in the flight planning process, said Virgin Atlantic, adding the data and outcomes will be shared with industry and that the airline would continue its involvement with contrail work through RMI’s Climate Impact Task Force, which is part-funded by Virgin Unite.

Sheila Remes, VP Environmental Sustainability at Boeing, said the flight was another milestone for the two partners following on from the biofuel test flight in 2008 and was a key step in Boeing’s commitment to deliver 100% SAF-compatible flights by 2030.

Simon Burr, Group Director of Engineering, Technology & Safety, Rolls-Royce, whose Trent 1000 engines powered today’s 787 Dreamliner flight, reported the OEM had recently completed compatibility testing of 100% SAF on all its in-production civil aero engine types. “This [flight] is further proof that there are no engine technology barriers to the use of 100% SAF,” he said.

Federica Berra, SVP of Air bp, said: “Collaboration with industry partners is vital to successfully scale SAF, as is long-term policy support to foster supply and demand. Our expert team has worked for months in preparation for this flight, drawing upon their deep knowledge and skills in fuel handling, blending and logistics to ensure product quality and safety standards have been met.”

The flight has been welcomed by others in the UK aviation industry, which is relying on SAF to achieve its net zero emissions by 2050 target. “This is an exciting milestone on the journey towards aviation’s net-zero future. To ensure we achieve this shared goal, the right government policy and price support needs to be in place to see the scalability of affordable SAF to airlines; alongside the investment in and infrastructure for zero and low-emission aviation technologies like hydrogen,” said a statement by cross-sector group Sustainable Aviation.

Jonathon Counsell, Group Head of Sustainability at International Airlines Group and Chair of the UK Jet Zero Council’s SAF Delivery Group, commented: “The test flights flown prove that the aviation industry is technically ready to make the switch to SAF but what we need now is action from governments to incentivise investment and get plants into construction. And that needs to happen quickly as the UK government has committed to five plants in construction by 2025, so time is of the essence.”

The UK DfT’s Advanced Fuels Fund competition is making available around £135 million ($170m) in total for the development of SAF production plants in the UK. Winners in the first window announced last December included Alfanar Energy (Lighthouse Green Fuels project), Fulcrum BioEnergy (NorthPoint), LanzaTech UK (DRAGON) and Velocys (Altalto and e-Alto).

Winning proposals for the second window were announced this month, with funding going to nine projects. Alfanar received a second award for activity not covered by their first window award, otherwise the awards in the second round went to new projects including Abundia Biomass-to-Liquids (A-Jet UK), Arcadia e-Fuels (NABOO), Carbon Neutral Fuels (ASAP-DAC), Esso Petroleum (Solent SAF), Nova Pangaea Technologies (Project Speedbird, which is backed by British Airways), OXCCU Tech (OXEFUEL BIOGENIC), Willis Sustainable Fuels (Carbonshift PtL) and Zero Petroleum (PMZ.2).

The DfT said the fund would help deliver the upcoming UK SAF mandate that will require at least 10% of jet fuel to come from sustainable feedstocks by 2030, which it estimates would save the industry up to 2.7 million tonnes of CO2e annually.

While in the United States, Transport Secretary Harper will co-chair a SAF Investor Summit in New York.

Photo: Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 is fuelled at Heathrow with the 100% SAF supplied by Air bp before Flight100 to New York JFK

Christopher Surgenor

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The transition to hybrid-electric propulsion for short-haul aircraft has been has been energised by two milestone developments involving engine manufacturers Pratt & Whitney Canada and Rolls-Royce. The former, which produces engines for medium-to-large turboprop aircraft, has partnered with GKN Aerospace in the Netherlands to develop a high voltage, high power wiring system for a new hybrid-electric powertrain, which is targeting lower CO2 emissions and 30% more efficiency than today’s most advanced turboprop engines. Flight testing is expected to begin in 2024. Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce has just completed the first fuel burn of a gas-powered small turbine for use in the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector and hybrid-electric commuter aircraft seating up to 19 passengers. The new turbogenerator system is designed to provide scalable power offerings for hybrid-electric aircraft, enabling pilots to extend flight range by switching between electric power and either sustainable aviation fuel or hydrogen combustion.

Pratt & Whitney Canada is progressing its expansion into hybrid-electric aero propulsion in partnership with Collins Aerospace, a sibling company within the aerotech conglomerate RTX, and UK-headquartered GKN Aerospace. 

Having integrated a lightweight 1-megawatt electric motor developed by Collins into a high-efficiency fuel-burning engine, Pratt & Whitney Canada is now partnering with GKN Aerospace to develop the high voltage, high power electrical wiring interconnector system (EWIS) for the RTX hybrid-electric flight demonstrator project.

The companies will collaborate on the development, construction and installation of the electrical wiring system on the demonstrator, which Pratt & Whitney Canada expects to achieve a 30% improvement in fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions than the most efficient turboprop engines currently in use, delivering better performance during take-off, climb and cruise.

Collins says its 1MW motor is half the weight of the most advanced electric motors now flying, but will deliver four times the power and double the voltage, with half the heat loss. The unit is being developed by the company at its Solihull, UK, facility and tested at the University of Nottingham’s Institute for Aerospace Technology.

Supported by the governments of Canada and Quebec, flight testing of the new powertrain will begin next year on Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Dash 8-100 experimental aircraft.  

The Netherlands division of GKN Aerospace will lead development and design of the EWIS for the hybrid-electric propulsion system, as well a producing and installing the hardware on the demonstrator aircraft.

“Hybrid-electric propulsion technology has the potential to improve efficiency for a wide range of future aircraft applications, supporting the industry-wide goal of achieving net zero CO2 emissions for aviation by 2050,” said Jean Thomassin, Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Executive Director for new products and services. “Our collaboration with GKN Aerospace brings extensive expertise to the project, which will help integrate high voltage electrical systems on our experimental aircraft, as we target flight testing to begin in 2024.”

John Pritchard, President of Civil Airframe at GKN Aerospace, welcomed the new partnership, which follows the company’s design and manufacture of EWIS systems for the all-electric Vertical Aerospace VX4 air taxi and the Eviation Alice passenger and freight planes.      

“This project extends our teamwork in hybrid-electric propulsion technology, which also encompasses the SWITCH project, which is backed by the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking of the European Union,” he said. 

The Rolls-Royce turbogenerator system, which is part-funded by the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, will allow power to be scaled between 500kW and 1,200kW, enabling hybrid-powered aircraft to fly longer routes or carry greater payloads than all-electric battery powered models. As well as delivering energy to electrical propulsion units, it can recharge batteries in hybrid-electric powertrains.

“The development of the turbogenerator solution brings together Rolls-Royce’s capabilities in designing compact and lightweight high-speed rotating electric machines and highly efficient gas turbines, combined with the expertise to integrate them on a system and platform level,” said Matheu Parr, the engine maker’s Customer Director, Electrical.

In addition to providing more operating flexibility, Parr explained the engine had been designed using novel combustion technology to minimise emissions, not just in the evolving AAM market, which includes electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL), electric short take-off and landing (eSTOL), but also potentially for helicopters and auxiliary power units on larger aircraft.

“This significant achievement confirms the effectiveness of the compact, power-dense turbine that will be integrated into a lightweight turbogenerator system,” he said.

“The turbogenerator system will enable our customers to extend the routes that electric flight can support and means more passengers will be able to travel further on low and potentially net zero emissions aircraft. It is well suited to recharge batteries as well as provide energy to electrical propulsion units directly and therefore enables aircraft to switch between power sources in flight.”

He added that since the product had been defined, it had taken just two years to develop then test the new gas turbine. 

“This significant achievement follows the fast-paced development time of the new gas turbine from concept freeze to ‘pass to test’ in under two years,” he said. “Test facilities and equipment, comprising 14 sub-systems in total, were designed, procured, and built – or adapted – by a global team in a record time of just under a year.

“With this achievement, we have proven we can apply our expertise to novel designs and are able to test them on a very quick timescale. This capability will help Rolls-Royce to deliver the products that will help us on our path to net-zero within the ambitious industry timelines of the Advanced Air Mobility market.” 

Image: The RTX hybrid-electric flight demonstrator

Tony Harrington

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After a four-year absence due to the global pandemic, the aerospace industry returned in force to the Paris Air Show, which was marked not just by 1,260-plus orders and options for new aircraft, but also by a flood of product, procurement and partnership deals focused on reducing the sector’s impact on the environment. The event was also thick with news of zero-emission aircraft and propulsion systems, technology breakthroughs promising higher efficiency and lower emissions, and research and development programmes to refine or explore paths to more sustainable aviation. An order by India’s largest airline, IndiGo, for 500 Airbus A320 and 321 neo jets to accommodate huge growth plans beyond 2030, reinforced forecasts that the global commercial fleet will double in size over the next 20 years.

Multiple commitments and technology advances were announced for the evolving electric aviation sector, most with certification and entry-into-service targets between 2025 and 2030. Miami-based AeroLease announced it had signed a letter of intent (LOI) to acquire 50 Eviation Alice electric commuter planes, while Netherlands-based start-up Maeve Aerospace unveiled a revised version of its proposed 44-seat Maeve 01 all-electric aircraft, to be powered with four 1.2 Mw electric motors. Maeve is aiming for certification in 2028 and entry into commercial service in 2030.

French start-up Aura Aero confirmed commitments and collaborations in Europe, the US and Africa for its ERA electric thrust aircraft, which will be offered in passenger and freight configurations. Maltese executive fleet operator Elit’ Avia and French regional carrier Pan Europeene signed LOIs for a combined 12 planes. Additionally, Utah-based freight airline Alpine Air Express signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to assist Aura Aero in gaining US certification for the ERA and Gabon-based AfriJet signed a MoU, which, while not specifying details, the airline’s CEO, Marc Gaffajoli, described as “for us, the most plausible and mature solution.”

Marseille-based airframer Daher, together with Airbus and Safran, exhibited for the first time their EcoPulse aircraft, a hybrid-electric distributed propulsion testbed, which will rely on a single independent electrical source to power multiple engines. Based on Daher’s TBM aircraft platform, the EcoPulse has six wing-mounted e-propellers provided by Safran, and two power sources – a Safran gas turbine and a battery pack supplied by Airbus. The demonstrator will begin flight testing later this year as part of a programme to define, develop and deliver a hybrid-powered plane to market by 2027.

Another French start-up, Beyond Aero, unveiled its four-passenger BYA-1 hydrogen-electric jet, while the Volt Aero Cassio 330, a 4-5 seat hybrid-electric aircraft, was also displayed ahead of its first flight in the coming weeks.

US-based electric powertrain developer MagniX said it would soon start converting a De Havilland Dash 7 aircraft into a zero-emission testbed, replacing two of its four Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A engines with new MagniX 650 electric motors, and a pair of 450kwH battery packs. Another electric propulsion developer, Wright Electric, announced that ground trials of its new aerospace motor-generator had delivered 1 Megawatt (1,300 horsepower) of energy, enabling it to be used as a turbogenerator or auxiliary power unit for high altitude commercial or defence applications.

Airbus announced a research and development partnership with Geneva-based STMicroelectronics to explore the development of lighter, more efficient power electronics required for future hybrid-powered aircraft and all-electric air taxis. They will focus on wide bandgap Silicon Carbide and Gallium Nitride semiconductor materials, which have better electrical properties than conventional conductors such as silicon.

Rolls–Royce revealed it was ready to test its first small gas turbine, developed as a turbogenerator system for novel propulsion aircraft including electric air taxis, and hybrid-electric commuter planes seating up to 19 passengers. Additionally, regional jet maker Embraer announced a joint venture with Japanese electric motor manufacturer NIDEC to develop propulsion systems for eVTOL aircraft, with Embraer’s air taxi division Eve Air Mobility the launch customer.

Hydrogen propulsion developer ZeroAvia announced multiple deals, the largest of them an agreement to deliver 250 hydrogen-electric ZA2000 engines for 40-80 seat turboprop conversions to California-based Flyshare, which will launch a new airline, Air Cahana, on the west coast. UK-based lessor Monte also firmed a previously-provisional order for 100 ZA 600 powertrains for 9-19 seat aircraft, while French lessor Green Aerolease signed an MoU to acquire an unspecified number of ZA 600 units.

ZeroAvia also revealed that in tests with MHIRJ, the type certificate holder for CRJ regional jets, “clear applications” had been identified to retrofit regional jet aircraft with hydrogen-electric propulsion systems. The initial aircraft suitable for conversion to ZeroAvia’s proposed ZA 2000RJ powertrain would be a CRJ 700 aircraft, though the technical study also validated conversions of other in-service CRJ-series jets, including the CRJ 500 and 990 models.

Another zero-emission start-up, Sydney-based Dovetail Electric Aviation, announced a partnership with HTWO, the hydrogen power division of Korea’s Hyundai Motor Company, to test a hydrogen-electric powertrain for regional aircraft, with a view to commencing test flights as early as next year.

Deutsche Aircraft revealed the first metal was being cut for the prototype of its 40-seat D328eco regional airliner, a 100% SAF-compatible turboprop, which is scheduled for its first flight in 2025 and targeting entry into service by 2026, while at the opposite end of the scale US-based Jet Zero revealed its Z4 blended wing concept, targeted as a replacement for mid-market aircraft including the Boeing 767 and 787-8, with fuel burn savings of up to 50%.

The Airbus research arm UpNext announced a new test programme to investigate the replacement of a fossil-fuelled auxiliary power unit with a hydrogen fuel cell system to power non-propulsive aircraft functions including air conditioning, cabin lighting and avionics. An A330-200 jet will be retrofitted for the programme, taking to the air by late 2025.

Airbus also signed a MoU with US-based SAF producer LanzaJet to advance the construction of facilities to produce sustainable aviation fuel using LanzaJet’s alcohol-to-jet technology, while global energy company Sasol and Topsoe, a specialist in carbon reduction technologies, agreed to form a 50-50 joint venture to develop, build, own and operate new SAF plants, and market renewable fuels. E-fuel producer Twelve also used the Paris show to announce plans for SAF production from CO2 and renewable energy at a new plant to be built in the US state of Washington.

United Airlines Ventures revealed that another seven to eight partners would join its Sustainable Flight Fund within the next two months, and foreshadowed investment in new SAF offtake deals as producers built renewable fuel capacity.

On the eve of the Paris Air Show, seven chief technology officers from major aviation manufacturers released a statement committing to “supporting policies that increase the supply of SAF while ensuring a consistent and predictable demand through harmonised global measures.”

The CTOs of Airbus, Boeing, Dassault Aviation, GE Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce and Safran added: “We are unified in the proposition that our industry has a prosperous and more sustainable future, and that we can make it happen through the near-term implementation of lasting industry-wide and globalised harmonised policies.”

Photo: French President Emmanuel Macron visits Aura Aero display at the Paris Air Show

A project with a proposed entry into service by 2026 of an all-electric passenger aircraft on domestic routes in Norway has been shelved after extensive research by the plane’s developer, Tecnam, concluded a short battery life would make it commercially unviable. The Italian airframer had partnered with Rolls-Royce to develop a zero-emission, high-utilisation capability platform called P-Volt, with the partnership extended to include Norwegian operator Widerøe in early 2021 The country’s biggest regional airline has a large domestic network where flight distances are less than 275 km. However, after a three-year study covering the entire life-cycle of an all-electric aircraft, Tecnam has decided, at least for now, that even under optimistic projections, operators would need to replace the entire battery storage unit after only a few hundred flights, with a dramatic increase in direct operating costs due to the reserves for battery replacement prices.

“Since the beginning of the P-Volt development, Tecnam’s focus has been to provide operators with the ability to fly an all-electric passenger aircraft profitably, efficiently and sustainably in terms of operating costs, emissions, performance, turnaround and time to market,” said a company statement. “At present, Tecnam believes that these can only be achieved by extremely aggressive speculation on uncertain technology developments.

“The proliferation of aircraft with ‘new’ batteries would lead to unrealistic mission profiles that would quickly degrade after a few weeks of operation, making the all-electric passenger aircraft a mere ‘green transition flagship’ rather than a real player in the decarbonisation of aviation.”

Under the company’s most optimistic future scenario of slow charge cycles and the possible limitation of the maximum charge level per cycle, the real storage capacity would fall below 170Wh/kg, whereas by comparison, jet fuel has an energy density of 12,000Wh/kg.

Tecnam said the programme was being postponed rather than cancelled and is “ready to bring the P-Volt back into the type certification arena as soon as technology evolution allows.”

Fabio Russo, the company’s Chief R&D Officer, added: “We hope that new technologies will make businesses viable sooner rather than later and we have real confidence in our partners’ ability to bring highly valuable products to the zero-emission powertrain and energy storage arena.”

The P-Volt is based on the 11-seat Tecnam P2012 Traveller aircraft and seen as ideal for short take-off and landing, as well as for Widerøe’s routes along the north and west coast of Norway. The airline’s shortest flight durations are between seven and 15 minutes. In March, it announced the three-year Widerøe Zero project, which, with backing from Norway’s Research Council, will explore possible operating concepts for both a nine-seater electric aircraft and an eVTOL aircraft.

The country has an ambition of having the first electrified aircraft in ordinary domestic scheduled flights by 2030 and an 80% emissions reduction from domestic flights by 2040.

Image: Tecnam’s P-Volt all-electric aircraft in Widerøe livery

In his first public engagement since his coronation, King Charles III has broken ground on the New Whittle Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, a £58 million ($73m) facility aiming to become a leading global centre for net zero aviation and energy. Its mission is to halve the time to develop key technologies to support a sustainable aviation industry. The King met the Laboratory’s staff and researchers, as well as aviation industry and senior government representatives, who gathered for an international roundtable as part of an initiative led by Cambridge and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Participating organisations included the UK government, UK Aerospace Technology Institute, the US FAA, NASA, EU Clean Aviation Joint Understanding, Airbus, Boeing, Rolls-Royce and the Sustainable Markets Initiative. The facility will incorporate the Bennett Innovation Laboratory and the UK’s National Centre for Propulsion and Power, built around a fast feedback model pioneered in motor racing’s Formula One.

“We need to completely transform the innovation landscape in the aviation and energy sectors if we are to reach net zero by 2050,” commented Professor Rob Miller, Director of the Whittle Laboratory, which was opened in 1973 by Sir Frank Whittle, a pioneer in the development of modern power and propulsion systems for aircraft. “The New Whittle Laboratory has been designed as a disruptive innovation lab targeting the critical early stages in the lifecycles of technologies, where there are windows of opportunity to translate scientific strengths into global technological and industrial leadership.”

The roundtable shared insights based on global aviation systems modelling capabilities developed through the Aviation Impact Accelerator, a project led by the Whittle Laboratory and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

Today, reported Miller, it typically takes six to eight years to develop a new technology to a point where it can be considered for commercial deployment in the aerospace and energy sectors, but he said recent trials in the Laboratory had shown this timeframe can be accelerated by breaking down barriers that exist between academia and industry.

“The Lab is designed to work at the intersection of cutting-edge science and emerging  engineering applications, providing fast feedback between the two, and dramatically cutting the time to deliver zero-emission technologies,” added Miller.

The Bennett Innovation Laboratory is made possible through a gift from the Peter Bennett Foundation, himself a Cambridge alumnus and philanthropist. “To tackle the most complex challenges, we need to take a whole systems approach, where innovative technologies can be explored within the context of the realities that may impact their roll out. Rigorous testing using models such as the Aviation Impact Accelerator expedites the process of innovation and implementation.

“We need new ways to work together at speed, which is why the Bennett Innovation Lab will bring together global experts from government, industry and academia, enabling radical collaboration. I believe by using Cambridge’s convening power, this can make a real difference fast.”

Attending the event was the UK’s Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, who said: “The UK is leading a revolution in aviation, looking to new technologies to cut emissions. Having established the Jet Zero Council three years ago by bringing together government, industry and academia, I strongly welcome the Whittle Laboratory being at the forefront of that endeavour today. This will further help the best minds from the fields of energy and aviation push ever-further and faster with the latest innovations in order to solve the problem of environmentally friendly and affordable flying.”

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has had a strategic research partnership with the Laboratory since the 1980s. “We look forward to continuing our relationship over the coming decades and we want our engineers to think of the new Lab as their European home – a unique environment where they can participate in a culture that brings together the best global ideas, expertise, software, tools and testing facilities that can help solve the challenge of climate change.”

The Laboratory also has a long association with aero engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce that has delivered hundreds of technologies into its products, said Rolls-Royce Chief Technology Officer, Grazia Vittadini. “Partnerships like this are critical if the UK is to maintain its role as a science superpower and to create high value jobs in the UK,” she said. “The New Whittle Laboratory offers an exciting opportunity to raise this ambition by bringing together cutting-edge science and engineering application in one building with the aim of meeting the challenge of net zero flight by 2050.”

Also represented at the event was US aeroplane manufacturer Boeing. “Our partnership with the University of Cambridge is central to the effort of making aviation carbon neutral,” said Jim Hileman, VP and Chief Engineer, Sustainability and Future Mobility. “As well as helping us to find technology solutions, it is bringing together different companies and academic disciplines from across the sector to drive change at the system level. We are excited by the way in which the New Whittle Laboratory has been designed to break down silos, bringing together a wide range of disciplines to take on the most challenging net zero aviation problems.”

When Prince of Wales, King Charles visited the Laboratory in 2020 and 2022 to encourage the acceleration of sustainable aviation. He hosted an industry roundtable in 2020 in London with the Sustainable Markets Initiative and the World Economic Forum to explore solutions for decarbonising air travel.

Photo (© University of Cambridge, Lloyd Mann): King Charles at the ground-breaking ceremony for the New Whittle Laboratory

Christopher Surgenor

Editor

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Following its successful bid for UK government funding of £1 million ($1.2m), Virgin Atlantic says it expects to conduct the first-ever net zero transatlantic flight to be powered by 100% sustainable aviation fuel in November. The airline has put together a consortium with six partners – Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Imperial College London, University of Sheffield, ICF and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) – and is forming up to seven working groups for what it describes as a highly challenging project. Virgin is targeting the Rolls-Royce engine-powered Boeing 787 flight between London Heathrow and New York JFK to carry non-paying passengers, subject to approval by regulators, a representative from the airline told a UK SAF conference. The flight is part of the UK government’s ‘Jet Zero’ strategy to decarbonise the UK aviation sector, with SAF as one of the main tools for achieving a target of net zero emissions by 2050. To create a demand for SAF, the government is introducing a mandated obligation on fuel suppliers from 2025. A Department for Transport (DfT) official said a second consultation on the mandate will be launched shortly, with a final policy decision expected later this year.

Virgin is looking to acquire around 60 tonnes of HEFA fuel with a 12% synthetic aromatic content, of which 45-50 tonnes will be used for the transatlantic flight and the remainder for testing and approvals purposes, Luke Ervine, the airline’s Head of Sustainability, informed delegates at the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Supply Chain Initiative event in Leeds organised by Innovate UK KTN, a government agency tasked with accelerating the creation of a UK SAF industry, and supported by the DfT and industry group Sustainable Aviation.

“We’d love to have passengers onboard but that is going to involve a lot of conversations at a high level with the UK CAA and DfT,” said Ervine. “Everything will be grounded in safety and we will be led by the approvals process.”

He said the airline was currently considering commercial agreements with potential UK suppliers for the HEFA fuel requirement and the synthetic aromatic kerosene would need to be imported from the United States as there was only one supplier at present.

Virgin is working with the University of Sheffield on fuel analysis and ICF on lifecycle assessment and emissions reduction validation. Another working group, involving RMI and Imperial College, will focus on climate-warming contrail formation to better understand the roles SAF and route planning can play in their avoidance. US-based RMI has recently formed a cross-sector task force, which includes Imperial College, to explore opportunities to address the warming impact of contrails.

Imperial’s Dr Marc Stettler told the conference non-CO2 effects, particularly from ice crystal contrail formations in the upper atmosphere caused by water vapour and soot particles from jet engine exhausts, were at least as important as CO2 in terms of the overall climate impact of aviation, which taken together contribute around 3.5% to total anthropogenic radiative forcing.

Pointing to research carried out by NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Stettler said there was evidence that cleaner-burning jet fuels made from sustainable sources can produce 50-70% fewer ice crystal contrails at cruising altitude. Given that only a small number of flights, particularly those flying at dusk or dawn, or in wintertime, were responsible for most of the warming contrails, he suggested there were potentially significant climate benefits by targeting the use of SAF on these flights.

In addition to the use of SAF, the Virgin flight will focus attention on flight efficiency and route optimisation, and to ensure it is completely net zero, residual emissions will be removed through biochar carbon credits purchased from the carbon market.

“We intend collecting all the data and create an open source information platform across industry stakeholders to share the lessons learned and help others with their own operations,” said Ervine.

Hazel Schofield, Deputy Head of Low Carbon Fuels at the UK Department for Transport, said the government mandate would ensure 10% of UK jet fuel by 2030, around 1.5 billion litres, was made up of SAF produced from wastes, with a separate target for power-to-liquid fuels. A cap would be placed on HEFA fuels to encourage new-generation fuels produced from gasification/FT and alcohol-to-jet technologies.

She said the impending government consultation would include full details of what will be included in the legislation and how the 2030 target was to be achieved. The government is also setting up a SAF clearing house to help potential UK SAF producers access testing capacity in the UK for certification purposes rather than ship fuel abroad for testing. Schofield said the DfT hoped to announce a delivery partner shortly.

Other than decarbonisation, she said the government had three main priorities for setting up a UK SAF industry: fuel resilience so the UK was not reliant on imported fuels, opportunities for UK green economic growth and also for green jobs. However, there were four barriers to investment in SAF:

• Feedstock access;
• Technologies required for conversion;
• Construction of plants; and
• Revenue uncertainty

She said the government has commissioned an independent review of the challenges and a report would be published shortly, after consideration by ministers.

“Yes, there has been a lot of progress and we have moved forward over the last year but there is certainly a lot more to do,” she concluded.

Also speaking at the conference, Jonathon Counsell, Group Head of Sustainability at International Airlines Group and Chair of the Jet Zero Council’s SAF Delivery Group, said that to achieve the 10% by 2030 target, five commercial-scale SAF production plants needed to be under construction by 2025.

“These plants will therefore need to hit financial close by mid-2024, so policies will need to be in legislation by the end of this year or certainly in the first half of next year,” he said.

“We recognise the mandate can create a demand signal but this needs to be supplemented by some form of price stability mechanism, such as we’ve seen in other renewable industries and we strongly feel it’s needed for SAF.”

To ensure price certainty and reduce investor risk, Counsell suggested a proven policy instrument such as Contracts for Difference should be implemented by the government.

The Jet Zero Council is a government/industry body set up in 2020 with the objective to accelerate delivery of net zero emissions for the UK aviation sector, with a focus on areas needing policy support. Counsell’s SAF Delivery Group has three sub-groups responsible for the mandate’s development, SAF commercialisation and technologies and feedstocks required for SAF production. Twelve financial institutions are now participating in the commercialisation sub-group, said Counsell.

He reported overseas interest in the JZC concept. “We have had conversations with other countries who would like to replicate the Council. We are supporting the establishment of a JZC in Australia and engaged in discussions with Spain and Ireland,” he said.

Ministers responsible for the Department for Transport and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy co-chair the Council. The latter was broken up in a reshuffle last week to create a new Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, which is led by former Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps.

Image (Boeing): Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9

Christopher Surgenor

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Rolls-Royce and European low-cost carrier easyJet have performed the first-ever operation of a prototype aircraft engine powered by green hydrogen. The ground test, conducted at a military aircraft testing site in Boscombe Down, England, was hailed by the companies as “a new aviation milestone” and a major step towards the introduction of zero emission hydrogen propulsion systems for aircraft. The test was conducted using a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A engine and followed the recent establishment by Rolls-Royce and easyJet of a partnership to research hydrogen propulsion for aircraft such as the Airbus A320-family of narrowbody jets operated by the airline. The engine test also coincided with other initiatives designed to progress hydrogen-powered aviation. In Hamburg, Lufthansa Technik has just converted a decommissioned A320 to test ground processes for future hydrogen-powered aircraft, while hydrogen propulsion company ZeroAvia has partnered with the UK’s AGS Airports to investigate hydrogen fuelling infrastructure. 

The engine used for the Rolls-Royce and easyJet test was a modified version of a powerplant typically used by high-speed turboprop aircraft, including the SAAB 2000 regional airliner and the Lockheed C130J military transporter. The companies are now planning more rig tests, ahead of a full-scale ground trial using a Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 jet engine, a new powerplant designed to extend the range of Bombardier Global 5500 and 6500 corporate jets. The longer-term aim is to undertake flight tests and eventually to develop hydrogen engines for larger planes. Green hydrogen for the Boscombe Down test was provided by the European Marine Energy Centre and generated by wind and tidal power at its test facility on Eday, part of the Orkney Islands that lie north of the Scottish mainland.

Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer, Rolls-Royce, described the engine test as “an incredible start” to the new partnership with easyJet.  “The success of this hydrogen test is an exciting milestone. We are pushing the boundaries to discover the zero carbon possibilities of hydrogen, which could help reshape the future of flight,” she said.

Johan Lundgren, easyJet’s CEO, said his airline was committed to supporting the research “because hydrogen offers great possibilities for a range of aircraft, including easyJet-sized aircraft. That will be a huge step forward in meeting the challenge of net zero by 2050.”

Both organisations have signed up to the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign that commits them to achieve the net zero carbon emissions target.

In Hamburg, an Airbus A320 operated by Lufthansa for 30 years has been converted into the Hydrogen Aviation Lab (HAL), a mobile laboratory designed to test maintenance and ground handling processes for future aircraft powered by hydrogen. The initiative is a collaboration between Lufthansa Technik, which has converted the jet into a research platform, Hamburg Airport, an early adopter of low-or-no carbon practices, and two major research groups, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Hamburg’s ZAL Centre for Applied Aeronautical Research. It was funded by Hamburg’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Innovation and IFB Hamburg, the city’s investment and development bank.

While this particular jet will never fly again, it will be equipped in coming months with test systems, an internal tank for liquid hydrogen and an onboard fuel cell compatible with ground-based hydrogen infrastructure, to help prepare both airlines and airports for new zero-emission aircraft. The testbed plane will be towed between the Lufthansa Technik base and locations on the airport as part of the study of future ground management processes. Research will include integration of hydrogen fuel systems into existing airport infrastructure, safe and efficient refuelling of aircraft with liquid hydrogen, cooling and insulation of the fuel, and inert storage of hydrogen.

“We’ve enabled a unique project,” said Michael Westhagemann, Hamburg’s Senator for Economic Affairs. “It will make a valuable contribution to enabling the use of hydrogen as a fuel for aviation. The focus on maintenance and refuelling procedures should provide us with insights that will be important for developing hydrogen infrastructure. This real-world lab lets us add a crucial building block to Hamburg’s strategy to make aviation more sustainable. We are following two strategic goals – the development of a hydrogen economy in Hamburg and the decarbonisation of the mobility industries. We are very pleased to make this world-first project possible through the Special Aviation Fund.”

The Hydrogen Aviation Lab jet will also be used for research into predictive maintenance methods for future generations of aircraft, with a ‘digital twin’ of the decommissioned A320 to be used to help predict failures of hydrogen components and systems, and enable timely responses. 

In another research project, aero-hydrogen propulsion pioneer ZeroAvia has partnered with AGS Airports, which owns and operates Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports in the UK, to investigate the development of hydrogen fuel infrastructure, regulatory requirements and resources needed to deliver zero-emission flights. Their focus will be on short-haul hydrogen-powered flights from Aberdeen and Glasgow.

“In recent months, we have stepped up our work with airports significantly to better understand the operational needs and requirements for hydrogen as a fuel,” said Arnab Chatterjee, ZeroAvia’s VP Infrastructure. “Working with the team at AGS allows us to plan for some of the commercial routes that we will be able to support in a little over two years’ time, and to do so in the setting of a major international airport.”

The CEO of AGS Airports, Derek Provan, said the development of hydrogen-propulsion was becoming “an increasingly viable option” for regional and short-haul aircraft. “As a regional airport group serving the highlands and islands of Scotland as well as the Channel Islands from Southampton, AGS will be the perfect testbed for hydrogen flight,” he said. “Through our partnership with ZeroAvia we’ll address some of the challenges associated with the generation, delivery and storage of hydrogen on site, and how we can prepare our infrastructure to support zero emission flights.”

Photo: Ground testing of the converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine

European low-cost carrier easyJet has announced a broad package of technical and operational initiatives to expedite its transition to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, pledging to adopt new technologies as they become available. A key element of its Net Zero Roadmap is a partnership with Rolls-Royce to develop hydrogen engine technology for narrowbody aircraft, a departure from its previous strong focus on electric-powered airliners. The easyJet SBTi-aligned strategy also includes the addition of 168 new Airbus A320 neo-family jets, a five-year contract to procure sustainable aviation fuel, an agreement with Airbus to support the development of carbon removal technology, and investment in new software designed to cut fuel use by optimising aircraft descents. The airline anticipates a 78% reduction in its carbon emissions per passenger km by 2050, with the balance of emissions addressed through carbon removal. It also released the findings of a study that found 78% of British travellers would now choose an airline based on its sustainability credentials. EasyJet is also to stop offsetting carbon emissions from its aircraft on bookings made after December, although it will offer an offsetting option to its passengers.

“We’re the first airline to outline an ambitious roadmap in which zero carbon emission technology plays a key role to take us to net zero emissions by 2050, and ultimately to zero carbon emission flying across our entire fleet,” said easyjet CEO Johan Lundgren at an event to launch the net zero roadmap. “I’m delighted this ambition is soon moving one step closer as our partner Rolls-Royce is making the final preparations for the first hydrogen engine ground tests to commence.”

While it continues to explore “all options” for zero carbon emission flight, and acknowledges that “over time, individual elements may need to be adjusted and scaled up or down”, easyJet singled out hydrogen as the propulsion technology it considered most suitable for short-haul operations.

“Based on today’s technological advances, hydrogen shows the most potential for a short-haul airline like easyJet to truly decarbonise,” the airline said. “Hydrogen has no operational carbon emissions. It also has the potential to significantly reduce non-CO2 emissions from flying. Over the past couple of years, the development of zero carbon emission technology has accelerated exponentially, and easyJet is working with partners, including Airbus, Rolls-Royce, GKN Aerospace, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions and Wright Electric, to achieve this.”

While it awaits the commercialisation of new propulsion and other technologies, easyJet will induct 168 new Airbus A320 neo (new engine option) aircraft. It already operates more than 300 A320-family jets, including 59 neo variants, which are at least 15% more fuel-efficient than earlier models.

The airline also confirmed that it would procure SAF for the next five years from its long-term fuel supplier Q8 Aviation, a division of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. Details of the SAF volumes and feedstocks were not revealed. But last year, easyJet became the first airline to operate from London’s Gatwick Airport with blended fuel provided by Q8, the 30% SAF portion provided by Finnish producer Neste, which uses waste fats, oils and greases for its product. “We will continue to use SAF as required until our fleet has been fully transitioned to zero carbon emission aircraft, to achieve material lifecycle carbon emissions reductions in comparison to kerosene,” said David Morgan, easyJet’s COO.

Additionally, easyJet has signed a letter of intent with Airbus to support the development of carbon removal technology, through which carbon dioxide is siphoned from the atmosphere and stored permanently underground. This aligns with the airline’s view that carbon offsetting is only a short-term measure, and its commitment to discontinue ‘out of sector’ offsetting, which enables carbon emissions to be offset through investments in sustainability initiatives elsewhere.

The airline’s previously-announced target of a 35% reduction in carbon emissions intensity by 2035 has been validated by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), it says, which precludes the use of out-of-sector offsetting. Between November 2019 and June this year, easyJet offset almost 8.7 million tonnes of its carbon emissions. It will now focus on the initiatives in its Net Zero Roadmap, which are all designed to reduce the airline’s own emissions at source, or capture and dispose of atmospheric CO2.

A range of operational improvements and efficiencies feature in easyJet’s Net Zero Roadmap, including the introduction of Descent Profile Optimisation (DPO), a programme which updates the flight management system to enable more efficient descents, reducing fuel burn and carbon emissions. Used with the Continuous Descent Approach system on all compatible aircraft, this technology upgrade across the easyJet fleet is forecast to reduce carbon emissions by 88,600 CO2 MT per year.    

The airline is also increasing use of artificial intelligence to improve efficiency, alongside practices including single-engine taxiing on arrival and departure, the use of advanced information on weather conditions, and engine core washing to improve efficiency by removing debris and impurities. It has also focused on supplier agreements, preferring those with lower carbon emissions in production and delivery, and reducing reliance on single-use plastics in packaging.

As well, easyJet has released the results of a survey of 2,000 British holidaymakers, which found that 78% would choose an airline based on its sustainability credentials, 76% would actively seek to reduce the environmental impacts of future journeys and 82% believe zero carbon emission aircraft offer the best option for decarbonising aviation.

Beyond initiatives which directly reduce or compensate for its own emissions, easyJet has also included in its Net Zero Roadmap strong advocacy for government policies to expedite the decarbonisation of air transport.

“Decarbonising aviation is a major undertaking for which the whole sector is coming together, but we also require the support from UK and European governments to help us achieve net zero, and we have clearly outlined actions needed from them,” said Lundgren.

These initiatives include incentives to fund the development, scale-up and use of zero-carbon emission technologies and aircraft, incorporating hydrogen as a SAF equivalent in both the EU’s ReFuelEU Aviation proposal and the UK’s SAF programme, supporting the development of hydrogen supply and infrastructure at airports, and linking passenger taxes to flight emissions to incentivise the shift to zero carbon emission aircraft.

The airline has also ramped up pressure for urgent reforms of airspace management in the UK and Europe. “This is crucial for the entire industry,” argues easyJet, “as it has the biggest potential to achieve carbon reductions right now, as more direct flight paths lead to shorter flying times, which reduce fuel burn and resulting emissions.” The airline is working closely with stakeholders and public authorities to expedite reform through initiatives including the Single European Sky and the UK’s airspace modernisation plan.

The easyJet SBTi-aligned roadmap to net zero emissions by 2050

Top photo: CEO Johan Lundgren unveils easyJet’s net zero roadmap and technology partners