Environment

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

Aircraft

U.S. Charter Operator Orders SkyDrive's eVTOL Air Taxi

South Carolina-based Austin Aviation has committed to buying five of the three-seat eVTOL from Japan's SkyDrive, which also logged new sales in Vietnam.
SkyDrive's three-seat eVTOL aircraft.
Regulations and Government

Belgian Government Considers New Air Traffic Noise Limit

Proposed cuts to aircraft noise could impact business aviation, as could possible restrictions on domestic private jet movements.
Brussels Airport in Belgium.
Security

Spanish Protestors Damage Business Jet at Ibiza Airport

Futuro Vegetal is the latest European environmental group to break into airports and cause serious damage to aircraft parked on aprons.
Protestors from Futura Vegetal and Extinction Rebellion damaged an Embraer Phenom 300 jet at Ibiza Airport.
Fuel

Construction Begins on First U.S. Commercial e-SAF Plant

Renewable fuels producer Twelve broke ground this morning in Washington State on its first commercial scale power-to-liquid SAF refinery.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee speaking with Twelve founders
Regulations and Government

GAMA Strengthens European Team With New Appointments

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association appointed a head of European government affairs and an airworthiness and regulatory specialist in Brussels.
Headshot collage of Cate Brancart and Péter Márton
Airports

Dutch Court Clears the Way To Flight Cuts in Amsterdam

Business aviation movements could be reduced at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport after a Dutch court ruled the government can impose traffic reductions.
Business jet at Jet Aviation Schipol terminal
Charter & Fractional

Victor Says Airlines Should Offer Voluntary SAF Purchases

One in five customers booking charter flights through Victor now pays for sustainable aviation fuel to reduce the carbon footprint of their trips.
Neste sustainable aviation fuel truck
Environment

Harrods Goes All-electric On Customer Transport

London FBO operator Harrods Aviation has completed the transition of its passenger ground transport fleet to all electric vehicles.
Harrods Aviation hangar with private jet and electric van
Environment

Australia's Government Pledges AU$30M for SAF Growth

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has invited funding proposals to develop the country's SAF production capacity, following a 2021 study.
SAF test faciity
Aircraft

NASA Wraps Up X-57 Program without a Flight

NASA's experimental electric airplane, the X-57 Maxwell, will not achieve a first flight before the agency cuts the program in September.
NASA's all-electric X-57 "Mod II" prototype in hangar
Aircraft

Safran Turbogenerator To Power Electra's HeSTOL

Safran Helicopter Engines is developing the 600-kilowatt turbogenerator propulsion system for Electra Aero’s hybrid-electric STOL prototype aircraft.
Safran turbogenerator
Aircraft

GKN Works On Hydrogen Propulsion With Embraer

As part of Embraer's Energia program to consider net zero carbon aircraft, GKN will provide expertise on hydrogen propulsion systems.
GKN's H2Gear program is aimed at developing hydrogen-electric fuel cell systems.
Engines

GE Aerospace To Collaborate with Canada Research Council

GE and the National Research Council of Canada are collaborating on R&D for next-generation aerospace technologies, materials, and manufacturing processes.
NRC researcher
Engines

Safran To Create Four Electric Motor Production Lines

Five aircraft manufacturers have selected Safran's EngineUs electric motors to power their aircraft.
Safran manufacturing
Engines

Wright Logs 1-MW Output With Electric Motor Generator

Wright Electric aims to produce a 2-MW powertrain that could power single-aisle airliners and will soon start new tests with NASA.
Wright Electric's motor generator
Environment

New SAF Facility Coming to Washington

Twelve Corporation will open a commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel production facility in Moses Lake, Washington.
Twelve CEO and co-founder Nicholas Flanders (left) and Washington Governor Jay Inslee toast to Twelve's new SAF production facility during the Paris Airshow
Environment

Barriers Snarl Connected Data's Full Sustainability Potential

Data is an easy way to boost airlines' sustainability efforts, but regulations and pilot unions could prevent this effort from reaching its full potential.
Brad Surak, Boeing Global Services v-p of digital aviation solutions
Environment

Teijin's Tenax Composites Boost Aircraft Efficiency

Teijin’s Tenax carbon-fiber helps aircraft manufacturers improve fuel efficiency today while enabling development of supersonic aircraft of tomorrow.
Teijin Tenax™ Carbon Fibers 
Aircraft

Leasing Group Plans To Add Alice Electric Aircraft to Portfolio

Aeroleasing signed a letter of intent covering the planned purchase of up to 50 Eviation Alice electric aircraft.
Eviation's Alice all-electric aircraft.
Aircraft

Riyadh Air Fleet To Adopt ‘Dual-Livery’ Designs

Saudi start-up Riyadh Air, which continues to consider a narrowbody jet option, is presenting one of its liveries on a Boeing 787 in Paris.
Riyadh Air lavender-indigo livery on Boeing 787
Engines

MTU Will Produce Hydrogen Fuel Cells For Regional Airliners

German aircraft engine maker MTU is working with its new electric motor subsidiary EmoSys to bring its Flying Fuel Cell powertrain to market in 2030.
MTU’s EmoSys unit
Engines

United Selects GTF Engines to Power A320 Family Fleet

Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines offer improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions for United Airlines' recent order for new A321 aircraft.
United Airbus A321neo
Aircraft

Electric VTOL Upstarts Take Center Stage in City of Light

In a historic moment, Volocopter's eVTOL aircraft opened the flying display, silently demonstrating how these vehicles could transform crowded cities.
Volocopter 2X eVTOL aircraft
Aircraft

Washington State Invests in Hydrogen Propulsion

Washington state just made its second $350,000 investment in ZeroAvia's hydrogen propulsion R&D facilities at Paine Field.
At the Paris Airshow on June 19, 2023, Governor Jay Inslee (left) and ZeroAvia founder and CEO Val Miftakhov (right) announced a new investment by Washington state into ZeroAvia's facilities in Moses Lake, Washington. (Photo: Hanneke Weitering)
Environment

Parker Aerospace Emerges Even Stronger Post-merger

Parker Aerospace has a broader aircraft systems portfolio after the combination of Parker-Hannifin and Meggitt.
Parker Aerospace
Engines

H2Fly Launches Higher Performance Hydrogen Fuel Cells

German propulsion pioneer H2Fly says the H175 family of fuel cells could power both new and existing aircraft carrying between 20 and 80 passengers.
H2Fly's H175 hydrogen fuel cell systems will power regional airliners.
Aircraft

Daher Targets New Hybrid Propulsion System

A new partnership with French start-up Ascendance is likely to spur Daher’s decarbonization drive.
Daher booth
Environment

Airbus Reports ‘Great Progress’ on H2-powered Aircraft

Airbus has also started to trial in-flight auxiliary power entirely generated by hydrogen.
Airbus hydrogen chart
Engines

Monte Secures First Deliveries from ZeroAvia

Monte Aircraft Leasing has secured the first production slots of ZeroAvia's ZA600 hydrogen fuel cell conversion kits for regional turboprops.
ZeroAvia
Environment

Boeing Launches Dashboard to Monitor SAF Production

A new Boeing tool tracks potential SAF availability, underscoring the need to close the supply-demand gap.
Boeing SAF dashboard