Business
Aviation Industry CTO’S Issue Joint Call to Action to Deliver Sustainable Aviation Plans
Today, the Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) of seven of the world’s leading aerospace manufacturers have reaffirmed their commitment to achieving more sustainable aviation and to reaching industry-wide Air Transport Action Group targets in a joint statement. This statement updates a commitment made by a unified group of CTOs in June 2019 as part of a shared position to support the aviation sector’s ambition to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The CTOs of Airbus, Boeing, Dassault Aviation, GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, and Safran will also issue a call to action to policymakers, research institutions, suppliers, fuel producers and airport operators to build on the progress made in recent years and deliver on the aviation sector’s sustainability agenda.
The joint statement comes as the CTOs come together to discuss progress in aviation sustainability at a pre COP26 event and industry showcase held in London by ADS, the organisation that represents the aerospace, defence, security and space industries in the United Kingdom.
The CTOs of each company have committed to working together to focus on three core areas of aviation technology:
- Advancing the state-of-the-art in aircraft and engine design and technology
- Supporting increased availability and adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and investigating hydrogen as a fuel of the future
- Continuing to develop novel technologies that will eventually enable net-zero carbon aviation while maintaining the safety and quality standards of the industry.
The seven CTOs, whose firms have spent over $75B in R&D combined over the past five years, are calling for:
- A sustained and planned approach from policymakers to support the development of novel technologies and stimulate the ramp-up of SAF and green hydrogen production capacity
- A globally consistent approach to regulation and certification standards
- Collaboration between research institutions and aerospace suppliers in the development of the new technologies
- Investment in SAF production capacity by fuel producers
- Investment by airport operators in the infrastructure required to support novel aviation technologies
Since the 2019 joint commitment, actions taken by the seven companies towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions have ranged from improvements to the fleet-in-service today and technologies for the future:
- Airbus announced its ambition to deliver the world’s first zero-emission aircraft by 2035, unveiling three hydrogen-powered concept aircraft that highlight the company’s commitment to developing this high-potential technology for commercial aviation. Airbus is also engaged in 100% SAF climate-impact projects that are a part of its overall roadmap towards certification for the entry-into-service of 100% SAF on its fleet by 2030.
Etihad’s Abu Dhabi facility to convert passenger planes into cargo aircraft
- Boeing committed that their commercial airplanes will be capable to fly on 100% SAF by 2030, continues to test new technologies on its ecoDemonstrator program and announced a partnership with SkyNRG and SkyNRG Americas to scale up SAF. Boeing and Kitty Hawk also formed Wisk, a joint venture to advance the future of urban air mobility with more than 1,500 test flights of its self-flying, all-electric air taxi. Boeing completed a fifth hydrogen flight test program; this time with subsidiary Insitu on their ScanEagle3 unmanned aerial vehicle which was powered by a proton exchange membrane (PEM) hydrogen fuel cell.
- Dassault Aviation actively promotes the use of SAF and its Falcon range is already SAF-compatible. Within Clean Sky 2 at the European level and France’s civil aviation research council (Corac), Dassault Aviation’s work focuses on lowering fuel consumption by reducing aircraft drag and weight. With the European Sesar program, Dassault Aviation works to improve flight efficiency and fuel consumption through the use of specially-tailored flight paths. Dassault Aviation is also involved in Corac projects related to the use of hydrogen in future aircraft.
- GE Aviation is maturing a megawatt-class integrated hybrid electric powertrain to demonstrate flight readiness for single-aisle aircraft with NASA, and is leading industry efforts to define standards for 100% SAF.
- GE and Safran jointly launched the CFM RISE (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) program in June 2021 to demonstrate and mature disruptive technologies including open fan and hybrid electric targeting more than 20% lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to today’s most efficient engines. Program goals include ensuring 100% compatibility with SAF and hydrogen.
Falcon 6X Completes Maiden Flight
- Pratt & Whitney announced a major new investment towards developing a hybrid-electric flight demonstrator, in partnership with De Havilland Canada, Collins Aerospace, and the Canadian government, targeting a 30% improvement in fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions compared to current regional turboprop aircraft. Pratt & Whitney is also developing technologies for a more efficient engine core and recently opened a new engineering and development facility in Carlsbad, California, dedicated to ceramic matrix composites (CMC) to support this effort. It is continuing to validate engines operating with up to 100% SAF.
- Rolls-Royce has joined the UN Race to Zero and has pledged to prove all its Trent engines – accounting for 40% of the world’s long-haul fleet – are compatible with 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2023, aligned with the UN Race to Zero breakthrough on SAF take-up by 2030. It has tied its SAF compatibility goals to executive remuneration and has tested two widebody and one business jet engine types on 100% SAF; and signed an MoU with Shell agreeing to develop and accelerate the use of SAF. It has developed and flown what it expects to be the world’s fastest all-electric aircraft and signed agreements in the all-electric and UAM markets with customers to power products due to fly by the middle of this decade.
- Safran has created a strategic partnership with TotalEnergies to accelerate the reduction of CO2 emissions of the aviation industry by jointly working for the development and deployment of SAF that could completely replace fossil kerosene in current and future engines. Safran and Airbus will leverage the skills and test facilities of their JV ArianeGroup to prepare hydrogen technologies for aviation.
Facts Pilots Don’t Want You To Know…!!
In their joint statement, the CTOs note that flying today uses 80% less fuel per Revenue Passenger Kilometer (RPK) than it did fifty years ago and that aviation accounts for 2.5% of all man-made CO2 emissions, while generating 4% of global GDP and supporting 88 million jobs.
As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing (NYSE: BA) develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing’s diverse team is committed to innovating for the future and living the company’s core values of safety, quality and integrity. Learn more at www.boeing.com.
Rolls-Royce reaches new milestone building world’s largest aero-engine
Airlines
Air India Enters Into Codeshare Agreement With AIX Connect for 100 Flights
A codeshare arrangement has been made between AIX Connect, formerly known as Air Asia India, and Air India, which is controlled by the Tata Group. A codeshare arrangement allows one airline to sell seats on a different carrier’s flights while both use the other’s flight number.
ANA and EI AI Israel Airlines Sign Codeshare Agreement(Opens in a new browser tab)
Over 100 flights per day on 21 destinations operated by AIX Connect will now have Air India’s ‘AI’ designator code. It will gradually add more routes covered by the codeshare agreement. In a statement, Air India announces that reservations for the codeshare flights are now being accepted at all points of sale, with travel beginning on September 27, 2023.
Tatas rename AirAsia India as AIX Connect ahead of merger(Opens in a new browser tab)
The codeshare flights are now accepting reservations at all points of sale, with travel beginning this Wednesday. The extent of the agreement between the two airlines allows passengers to have their bags checked in all the way to their ultimate destinations and receive their boarding tickets at the initial point of departure for all of the travel sectors on a single ticket. To comply with government regulations, passengers connecting from international to domestic flights must go through customs at the initial point of entrance into India, according to Air India.
In addition to the shared destinations between the route networks of the two airlines, Air India has expanded its domestic route network with the introduction of the codeshare agreement to include Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, and Surat.
Airlines
Embraer and Scoot Sign Pool Program Agreement for its E190-E2 fleet
Embraer announced a Pool Programme services agreement with Scoot to support the airline’s incoming fleet of nine E190-E2 aircraft.
The Pool Programme provides access to component exchanges and repair services for over 300 repairable parts to support Scoot’s Embraer aircraft, allowing the airline to reduce its upfront investment in high-value repairable inventories and resources while leveraging Embraer’s technical expertise and extensive component repair service provider network. The Pool Programme currently covers more than 60 airlines globally.
The E190-E2 jet is the most effective and quiet single-aisle aircraft in the world, and Scoot will receive the first batch in 2024. Scoot’s operations will also gain from the AHEAD (Aircraft Health Analysis and Diagnosis) system, which includes early detection capabilities for critical systems, reducing technical interruptions and preventing flight cancellations, and the eSight, which provides real-time fleet performance monitoring.
With 10,000 flying hours for basic checks and no calendar limit for normal E-Jet operations, the E-Jets E2 series of aircraft, including the E190-E2, has the longest maintenance intervals in the single-aisle jet category. As a result, the aircraft can be used with little downtime.
Singapore’s Scoot selects Embraer E190-E2 lease arrangement with Azorra.(Opens in a new browser tab)
Singapore serves as the hub for Embraer’s business in the Asia Pacific region. The company has employees based in Singapore as well as a regional distribution centre inside the free trade zone of Changi Airport. A state-of-the-art E2 full flight simulator and pilot training programme will be launched in Singapore in 2023, according to a recent announcement by Embraer and CAE. The Singapore-CAE Flight Training Centre at the SIA Training Centre will serve as the home base for the full flight simulator.
Airlines
British Airways And IndiGo Announce New Codeshare Partnership
British Airways and IndiGo, India’s top airline, have announced a codeshare deal to improve connectivity between the UK and India.
Customers will benefit from better connectivity between Southeast Asia and Europe as of October 12, 2023, with this arrangement, which will see British Airways add its code to a variety of destinations across IndiGo’s network.
When flying from London Heathrow to New Delhi or Mumbai, eight destinations are now accessible as codeshare possibilities. This comprises three new locations that were previously unavailable to British Airways customers:
- London Heathrow to Amritsar via New Delhi
- London Heathrow to Kochi via Mumbai
- London Heathrow to Ahmedabad via Mumbai
- London Heathrow to Goa via Mumbai
- London Heathrow to Thiruvananthapuram via Mumbai (NEW)
- London Heathrow to Kolkata via Mumbai
- London Heathrow to Rajkot (Hirasar) via Mumbai (NEW)
- London Heathrow to Vadodara via Mumbai (NEW)
Customers flying from Rajkot (Hirasar) to London or transiting through Heathrow (or vice versa) will be able to connect to their destination on a single ticket as a result of the agreement.
IndiGo’s fleet of A320 aircraft serves a large domestic and regional network. All British Airways customers who continue their journey with IndiGo will receive a complimentary meal as well as the UK carrier’s substantial baggage allowance in the economy via codeshare on flights to India – two checked bags weighing up to 23 kilogrammes per person.
The number of British Airways flights from India to London now exceeds pre-pandemic levels, with the airline operating 56 flights a week, to five Indian gateways: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
-
Airlines1 week ago
United Airlines Discover Fake engines parts on several aircrafts
-
Airlines1 week ago
British Airways Launches Fully-Funded Pilot Training Program for 60 Applicants
-
Airlines4 days ago
Boeing India to open its largest facility outside the US in Bengaluru
-
Airlines4 weeks ago
Passenger stranded on Tarmac, DOT Fines $4.1 Million to American Airlines