Aviation

These airlines are working to turn CO2 from the air into solid stones underground

The airline industry’s first two players to enter into a long-term strategic alliance with the Swiss company Climeworks are Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) and the Lufthansa Group.

The partners plan to collaborate to advance the expansion of Climeworks’ cutting-edge technology, which uses direct air capture, or DAC, to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

The Lufthansa Group and swiss zurich, Climeworks’s inaugural airline partners, have inked a carbon dioxide removal deal that will propel them both closer to their aspirational sustainability goals. The new cooperation has provisions for obtaining additional carbon removal volumes in addition to its planned 2030 duration.

Climeworks is a world leader in the carbon removal industry with its direct air capture technology. A crucial technique for taking CO2 straight out of the atmosphere and burying it deep underground is called Deep Underground Storage (DAC). In order to meet its aggressive carbon emissions targets, the airline industry will need to leverage both DAC and further negative-emission technologies.

With large expansion aspirations, Climeworks now manages the largest DAC and carbon storage facility in the world, which is situated in Iceland.

Additionally, DAC technologies provide a scalable way to obtain atmospheric CO2 for use as a raw material in the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), the next generation of synthetic fuels. Utilising these synthetic fuels is essential to the airline industry’s decarbonisation. Leading the charge in this area for the acceleration of these important fuel technologies are swiss and the Lufthansa Group.

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Aviation

Airbus Enhances A350 Cabin with 10-Abreast Seating

Airbus has announced a new partnership with Jiatai Aircraft Equipment, a Chinese aircraft seating manufacturer, to supply upgraded economy-class seats for the A350 widebody series.

This collaboration, unveiled at the 2024 Airshow China, focuses on developing a newly designed economy seat tailored for the A350‘s New Production Standard (NPS) cabin.

One of the key features of the NPS cabin is the ability to accommodate 17-inch wide economy seats, compared to the previous 16.5-inch wide seats that airlines were limited to in the A350’s earlier configurations.

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This change is made possible by the expanded space in the NPS cabin, which is 35 inches longer and 4 inches wider than the previous version. This extra space is achieved by slightly moving the cockpit wall forward and shifting the rear pressure bulkhead back by one frame.

The wider cabin allows airlines to add up to 30 extra economy seats without compromising comfort. For airlines opting for a 3-4-3 seating layout, the 17-inch wide seats are an excellent choice for a more comfortable passenger experience. However, some airlines, such as Iberia, may choose to retain a 9-abreast layout with wider seats for added comfort.

The NPS cabin also offers enhanced flexibility for airline operators. One major advantage is the ability to easily switch between a 9-abreast and 10-abreast seating configuration without requiring significant downtime for aircraft reconfiguration. Airlines can use the same seat rails, tracks, and IFE interfaces, making the transition smoother and quicker.

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In addition, the design of the floor attachments and air-conditioning systems has been optimized for 10-abreast seating, meaning airlines can upgrade their cabins without needing to make substantial modifications to the aircraft’s structure.

Though it’s still unclear when Jiatai’s economy-class seats will be officially added to the A350’s Buyer Furnished Equipment (BFE) catalogue, the collaboration marks a significant step toward enhancing the A350’s cabin offerings.

With this partnership, Airbus is providing more seating options for airlines, ensuring that they can meet diverse customer needs while improving overall operational efficiency.