The aircraft, named Skydweller, took off and landed from Stennis International Airport (HSA) in the United States (US) autonomously in what CEO Robert Miller described as a 鈥渢rue, world-changing first鈥�.  

Capable of perpetual flight, and with a wingspan greater than a Boeing 747, Skydweller can be deployed for long-duration missions, such as providing continuous aerial overage above conflict zones or surveilling naval activity in contested waters without risking the lives of pilots.听

鈥淥ur fleet of uncrewed aircraft will enable a multitude of long-duration missions that support national security and non-terrestrial communications with revolutionary cost savings,鈥� Miller said on April 4, 2024, following the successful flight.   

According to Skydweller Aero, combustion-powered aircraft, including piloted aircraft and drones, are only capable of approximately 40 hours鈥� maximum flight time, limited by the endurance of pilots, the amount of fuel a conventional aircraft can carry, and the need for frequent maintenance.   

Miller added: 鈥淲e are applying cutting-edge 21st century materials, science, artificial intelligence and software development to an industry that has spent more than 100 years building piloted, combustion-based aircraft. This allows Skydweller to leap ahead of heritage aircraft manufacturers in terms of aircraft performance, flight duration and cost effectiveness.鈥�   

Skydweller projects that, for long duration missions, its aircraft will be 10 to 100 times cheaper to operate than conventional aircraft.    

Skydweller精东影业 ability to stay in the air for weeks or months before returning home is already attracting interest from the military. 

鈥淭his really is a first when it comes to national security and protecting Americans,鈥� said Senator Roger Wicker, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, who unveiled a Skydweller aircraft to the public last month. 鈥淚t really is great news and it精东影业 only the beginning.鈥� 

successfully completed its first autonomous flight test demonstration in February 2023. However, on that occasion a test pilot passively rode along on-board.听

Airbus buys firm behind futuristic unmanned听spy drone with supreme capabilities

• Defense

byIan Molyneaux

2024-01-15

Since 2018, the airport has implemented various measures to reduce its CO2 emissions, including adopting energy efficiency policies, replacing lighting with LEDs, using biofuels for ground vehicles, and purchasing renewable electricity. Additionally, the airport is involved in a reforestation project in collaboration with regional partners to offset its residual emissions.听

鈥淭oulon Hy猫res airport is a perfect illustration of the decarbonisation policy rolled out by VINCI Concessions since 2016 in all its airports worldwide,鈥� Nicolas Notebaert, CEO of VINCI Concessions and Chairman of VINCI Airports commented. 鈥淲e are proud that it has reached net zero emissions for its direct activities. All VINCI Concession鈥� teams are mobilised to achieve this goal in all the European Union airports and also at London Gatwick by 2030.鈥� 

On March 29, 2024, the airport inaugurated a solar power station in canopy structures over its parking lot. SunMind, a subsidiary of VINCI Concessions, carried out the installation. This station covers 180 parking spaces and will generate 690 MWh of green electricity annually to power the airport, with any surplus production directed to the urban grid. A second solar power plant planned for 2026 will cover 630 parking spaces. 

VINCI Airports takes over Cape Verde airports听

• Airport

byMiquel Ros

2023-07-25

On February 20, 2024, the FAA confirmed that it had released a final rule to reduce carbon pollution emitted by most large airplanes flying in United States (US) airspace.听

Under the new rule, planes manufactured after January 1, 2028, must incorporate improved fuel-efficient technologies. 

The aircraft affected will also include subsonic jets, large turboprops and propeller planes that are not yet certified. 

鈥淓xamples of commercial airplanes that will be required to meet the standards include the Boeing 777-X and newly built versions of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner; the Airbus A330-neo; business jets such as the Cessna Citation; and civil turboprop airplanes such as the ATR 72 and the Viking Air Limited Q400,鈥� the FAA said. 

However, the FAA did confirm that the new rule will not impact aircraft currently in service.  

According to the FAA, civil aircraft such as these are responsible for 鈥�9% of domestic transportation emissions and two % of total US carbon pollution鈥�.   

The US must establish minimum standards consistent with those prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on a wide range of aviation-related matters, including aircraft emissions. 

The Airplane Fuel Efficiency Certification states that the rule 鈥渆stablishes fuel efficiency certification requirements for certain subsonic jet airplanes with a maximum takeoff mass greater than 5,700 kilograms and for certain propeller-driven airplanes with a maximum takeoff mass greater than 8,618 kilograms鈥�. 

鈥淲e are taking a large step forward to ensure the manufacture of more fuel-efficient airplanes, reduce carbon pollution, and reach our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050,鈥� FAA Administrator 蝉补颈诲.听

Exploring the use of robotics and automation to enhance airport ground handling

• Aviation Technology and Innovation

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-07-06

The carbon credit certificates will be available from 2026, and an annual purchase of carbon-removal credits of 10,000 tons of CO鈧傗�痟as been agreed between the parties for four years. The signing of the contract follows a joint declaration of intent signed in 2022. 鈥����� 

Then Lufthansa Group states that it is committed to reducing CO鈧傗�痠n the atmosphere. The so-called Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS) technology filters CO鈧傗�痜rom the air and stores it permanently. The Lufthansa Group has been exploring this innovative process for many years and sees it as a complementary instrument in its sustainability strategy.听

鈥淭he Lufthansa Group is strongly committed to making air transport more sustainable and to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050,鈥� said Caroline Drischel, Head of Corporate Responsibility at the Lufthansa Group. 鈥淭his includes billion-euro investments in continuous fleet modernization and our strong commitment to Sustainable Aviation Fuels. Technical CO鈧傗�痳emoval solutions like advanced and direct carbon capture and storage processes will play a complementary role in achieving our decarbonization goals.鈥� 

鈥淭he Lufthansa Group was one of the first aviation companies to work with Airbus to explore the potential of direct air carbon capture and storage solutions,鈥� said Nicolas Chr茅tien, Head of Environment & Sustainability at Airbus. 鈥淎s the aviation industry moves towards net zero CO鈧� emissions by 2050, carbon removal will play an important role in addressing remaining emissions. We are pleased to go one step further with the Lufthansa Group and keep up the momentum to make decarbonized air travel a reality.鈥� 

How does DACCS technology work?  

Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage is a high-potential technology that filters CO鈧傗�痚missions directly from the air using high-powered fans. Once removed from the air, the CO鈧傗�痠s stored deep underground in geologic saline formations.  

As the aviation industry cannot capture CO鈧傗�痚missions released into the atmosphere at source, a direct air carbon capture and storage solution would allow the sector to extract CO鈧傗�痚missions from its operations directly from atmospheric air. In addition to the comprehensive measures companies are taking to reduce CO鈧傗�痚missions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), carbon removal is required to achieve net zero targets. 

The Direct Air Carbon Capture technology will also be an essential building block for producing next-generation sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). 

For SAF production from renewable energies with innovative Power-to-Liquid or Sun-to-Liquid technologies, CO鈧傗�痠s, for instance, captured from the atmosphere and processed further. For this, a Direct Air Capture infrastructure will be needed. In IATA精东影业 Infrastructure Roadmap, SAF’s development and promised success are closely linked to the adoption of Direct Air Capture infrastructures.  

Lufthansa drives for sustainability听听

The Lufthansa Group is already involved in numerous initiatives to bring these promising next-generation SAF technologies to market maturity. 

The Airbus carbon-removal initiative is based on Airbus鈥� partnership with 1PointFive, which includes the pre-purchase of carbon-removal credits of 400,000 tons of CO鈧傗�痶o be delivered over four years.  

The US-based company is working closely with leading organizations to develop practical pathways to achieve global climate targets. 

The Lufthansa Group has set ambitious climate protection goals and aims to achieve a neutral CO鈧� balance by 2050. By 2030, the Lufthansa Group wants to halve its net CO鈧� emissions compared to 2019 through reduction and compensation measures.  

For effective climate protection, the Lufthansa Group is focusing in particular on accelerated fleet modernization, the use of SAF, the continuous optimization of flight operations, and offers for its private travelers and corporate customers to make a flight or transport of cargo more sustainable.听听

Direct Air Carbon Capture, expert shares insights about this technology: video

• Aviation Technology and Innovation
• Sustainability

byMiquel Ros

2023-10-14

The service will run on a trial basis throughout August 2024, allowing foreign tourists and business travelers on JAL-operated flights to rent clothing from an extensive wardrobe sourced through a circular economy. 

According to JAL, the passengers will be able to select apparel based on size and seasonal needs on its website before boarding a flight. The rental price is said to start from about $30 per set.  

The 鈥淎ny Wear, Anywhere鈥� service was introduced in response to increasing demand for more eco-friendly travel options.  

Reducing luggage weight is expected to lighten the aircraft load, leading to lower fuel consumption and a reduced carbon footprint. The airline said eliminating 1 kilogram on a flight from New York to Tokyo will lower carbon dioxide emissions by 0.75 kilograms. 

鈥淭he concept of the Service is therefore to provide a travel experience with minimal luggage by offering clothing rentals at the destination, thereby creating environmental value,鈥� JAL explained in a statement released on July 5, 2025.  

鈥淏y expanding the use of the Service, we aim to create an environment where travelers can use local options for all aspects of their clothing, food, and accommodation, transforming travel and business trips into more sustainable experiences,鈥� the airline continued.  

This service could also encourage a slower, more sustainable approach to fashion consumption. According to the (UNEP), the fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions. 

The joint project between JAL and Sumitomo Corporation is also supported by WEFABRIK and Hakuyosha.  

Local lifestyle brand WEFABRIK aims to tackle the issue of clothing waste in the fashion industry and will produce clothes available for rental. While Hakuyosha, a long-standing company that specializes in eco-friendly laundry in Japan, will provide cleaning services. 

If the trial period is successful, Sumitomo will consider extending the service to other airlines in the oneworld alliance, including British Airways Qatar Airways, Qantas, and Malaysia Airlines. 

Nordic Electrofuel and P2X-Europe to jointly produce eSAF in Scandinavia

• Sustainability

byClement Charpentreau

2023-06-28

Patrick Hansen, CEO of Luxaviation, claimed at the 鈥楤usiness of Luxury鈥� summit in Monaco that one of his clients is responsible for around 2.1 tons of CO鈧� per year, or as much as three dogs.听听

According to the aviation leader, his figures were based on a book by an English researcher and writer on carbon footprinting, Mike Berners-Lee. 

In Berners-Lee’s book, 鈥楬ow Bad are Bananas?鈥�, a dog kept as a household pet produces around 700kg of carbon emission.  

The writer responded in an email to the Financial Times that he was 鈥渄isappointed鈥� to hear his data was being used for 鈥渂ogus claims鈥�. 

He also was surprised at the figure quoted by the Luxaviation CEO and must be for 鈥渧ery short flights and very small planes鈥�. 

Hansen also argued that private jet flights were not going away because they provide a huge time-saving facility for wealthy people and data around private jet emissions needed to be 鈥減ut into perspective鈥�.听

The private jet industry is acutely aware of objections towards the sector精东影业 carbon footprint and much of the focus at business aviation fair was placed on sustainability.听

On May 23, 2023, protesters from environmental campaign groups such as Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion chained themselves to private jets that were being displayed at the Genevan event.  

According to studies cited by campaigning groups, private flights produce about 10 times the CO2 of a commercial flight per passenger kilometer.  

In March 2023, Greenpeace commissioned a report looking at the effect of private jets on pollution.听听

The 鈥楥O2 emissions of private aviation in Europe鈥� report by Dutch environmental consultancy CE Delft claimed that private jets emitted around 3,385,538 tons of CO2 emissions during 2022, more than double that of 2021.  

The research also asserts that the total number of private jet flights in Europe reached 572,806, over 1.5 times the number of flights in 2021.  

Following publication of the report, the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) hit back at the findings.  

The EBBA accused Greenpeace of 鈥渟preading misleading data about business aviation鈥� and not taking information into account from before the pandemic, creating a 鈥渄istorted picture鈥�.  

The EBBA claims that European business aviation grew by 7% from 2019 to January 2023, rather than 64% as the report suggests.听

Protesters chained to private jets at EBACE force Geneva Airport to close

• Business Aviation
• Sustainability

byIan Molyneaux

2023-05-23

The new law also aligns with the French government精东影业 plans to achieve 鈥渃arbon neutrality鈥� and 鈥渄ecarbonize travel鈥�.听

Under the legislation, passengers will no longer be able to travel between Nantes, Bordeaux, Lyon, and Paris. 

France’s Minister for Transport Cl茅ment Beaune announced the publication of a decree on May 23, 2023, and it is effective immediately. 

After the agreement of the , the public consultation and the opinion of the Council of State, the publication of the decree is the final step which brings the law into effect.听听

In a statement the Minister asked 鈥渉ow can we justify the use of the plane between the big cities鈥� when there are 鈥渞egular, fast and efficient connections鈥� by train. 

鈥淎chieving carbon neutrality means strongly stepping up our action in terms of decarbonizing transport, which still accounts for 30% of emissions. This is an essential step and a strong symbol in the policy of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This measure is a world first which is fully in line with the Government’s policy of encouraging the use of modes of transport that emit less greenhouse gases,鈥� Beaune stated. 

The interim head of industry group, Airlines for Europe (A4E), Laurent Donceel, described the new law as a 鈥渟ymbolic ban”. 

Speaking to the AFP news agency Donceel argued that 鈥渂anning these trips will only have minimal effects鈥�.听

Lufthansa adds four additional pre-owned Airbus A350-900s to its fleet

• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2023-05-23

Member states of the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), meeting in Montreal, adopted a collective long-term global aspirational goal (LTAG) of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, ICAO announced on October 7, 2022.  

This will be achieved by multiple measures to reduce CO2 emissions, such as 鈥渢he accelerated adoption of new and innovative aircraft technologies, streamlined flight operations, and the increased production and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF)鈥�, ICAO said in . 

The decision by world governments comes after similar pledges by airlines and industry groups. 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents 290 airlines comprising 83% of global air traffic, agreed its own resolution in October 2021 to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 and said the ICAO goal should not be underestimated.  

鈥淭he aviation industry精东影业 commitment to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 requires supportive government policies,鈥� IATA Director General Wille Walsh said in a statement.  鈥淣ow that governments and industry are both focused on net zero by 2050, we expect much stronger policy initiatives in key areas of decarbonization such as incentivizing the production capacity of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).鈥� 

An empty goal?  

However, European clean transport campaign group Transport & Environment described the ICAO goal as 鈥渆mpty鈥� and criticized changes to the Corsia carbon offsetting scheme.  

鈥淭his is not the aviation精东影业 Paris agreement moment. Let精东影业 not pretend that a non-binding goal will get aviation down to zero,鈥� commented Jo Dardenne, aviation director at T&E. 

ICAO said the goal was agreed after two weeks of 鈥渋ntensive diplomacy鈥� by over 2,500 delegates from 184 States and 57 organizations at the 41st ICAO Assembly. The Assembly occurs at least every three years to set the worldwide policy of the Organization.  

鈥淪tates鈥� adoption of this new long term goal for decarbonized air transport, following the similar commitments from industry groups, will contribute importantly to the green innovation and implementation momentum which must be accelerated over the coming decades to ultimately achieve emissions free powered flight,鈥� Salvatore Sciacchitano, President of the ICAO Council, said in the statement.  

easyJet says countdown is on for hydrogen aircraft

• Aviation Technology and Innovation

byRichard Holme

2022-09-27

Having initially targeted 2050 to cut emissions in full, BNE airport now decided to notably slash the term. On August 5, 2022, the airport精东影业 operator Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) officially cutting the net zero emissions deadline by 25 years. Thus, the airport now aims to achieve the goal by 2025. 

鈥淭his is not a new concept for us. We鈥檝e been on this journey for 12 years, but now we are hitting fast-forward to reduce our impact on the planet,鈥� BAC chief executive Gert-Jan de Graaff said. 

In order to meet its goal, BAC has already allocated 285 hectares of the airport精东影业 area for an onsite carbon removal project and is committed to replacing its current ground transport with all-electric-powered vehicles.  

The airport also pledged to gradually move its activities to fully renewable energy by improving levels of recycled water use to 50% and by implementing the zero-waste-to-landfill strategy by 2030. 

鈥淏AC has committed to working with more than 100 other airports, airlines, fuel suppliers, and industry stakeholders to put the global aviation sector on the path to net zero emissions by accelerating the supply and use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to 10% by 2030,鈥� the airport精东影业 operator added in the statement. 

Boeing begins deep maintenance on Australian Air Force Poseidon fleet

• Defense

byGabriele Petrauskaite

2022-08-05

The LOI took place at the Farnborough Airshow. The airlines who joined are: Air Canada (ADH2), Air France-KLM, easyJet, International Airlines Group (IAG), LATAM Airlines Group, Lufthansa Group and Virgin Atlantic.

The LOI involves studying the method of Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS), which removes human-induced CO2 directly from the air. Airbus believes that this could help multiple industries meet their net-zero carbon emissions targets.

It精东影业 the emerging technology that can capture CO2 directly from the air – and the aviation industry is now taking notice to help us get closer to by 2050.
Find out more about how it works

鈥� Airbus (@Airbus)

Airbus that the technology is simple: a large fan draws air into an air contactor, which is modeled on industrial cooling towers. The air passes over thin plastic surfaces with a non-toxic potassium hydroxide solution flowing over them to trap the CO2 molecules as a carbonate salt.

The carbonate salt is separated from the solution using a pellet reactor. The carbon pellets are then heated in a calciner to release the CO2 as pure gas.

The processed pellets are then hydrated and recycled for use in the original capture solution.

The captured pure CO2 can then either be stored underground or reused for the production of fuel.

While the technology is still currently in its infancy, Airbus believes that by the year 2030, it will be used widely worldwide.

As part of the , the airlines have committed to engage in negotiations on the possible pre-purchase of verified and durable carbon removal credits starting in 2025 through to 2028. 

鈥淲e are already seeing strong interest from airlines to explore affordable and scalable carbon removals,鈥� Julie Kitcher, executive vice president communications and corporate affairs for Airbus said in a statement dated July 18, 2022. 

鈥淭hese first letters of intent mark a concrete step towards the use of this promising technology for both Airbus鈥� own decarbonisation plan and the aviation sector精东影业 ambition to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,鈥� Kitcher added.

Boeing, Alder Fuels join forces to expand SAF production globally

• 精东影业 at Farnborough 2022

byVyte Klisauskaite

2022-07-19