Harbour Air and magniX Announce Successful Flight of World’s First Commercial Electric Airplane

2019-12-12 Michael Wühle Electric Aviation, sNews (EN)

Inaugural flight is the first step in becoming the world’s first all-electric commercial fleet

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – December 10, 2019 – Harbour Air, North America’s largest seaplane airline and magniX, the company powering the electric aviation revolution, today announced the successful flight of the world’s first all-electric commercial aircraft. The successful flight of the ePlane, a six-passenger DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver magnified by a 750-horsepower (560 kW) magni500 propulsion system, took place on the Fraser River at Harbour Air Seaplanes terminal in Richmond (YVR South) this morning. The plane was piloted by Harbour Air CEO and founder Greg McDougall. This historic flight signifies the start of the third era in aviation – the electric age.

“Today, we made history,” said Greg McDougall, CEO and founder of Harbour Air Seaplanes. “I am incredibly proud of Harbour Air’s leadership role in re-defining safety and innovation in the aviation and seaplane industry. Canada has long held an iconic role in the history of aviation, and to be part of this incredible world-first milestone is something we can all be really proud of.”

Earlier this year, Harbour Air announced its partnership with magniX and the company’s intention to build the world’s first completely electric commercial seaplane fleet. The magni500, which was unveiled at the Paris Air Show in June, 2019, is a high-power-density electric propulsion system that provides a clean and efficient way to power airplanes. Today that plan took flight and became a reality.

“In December 1903, the Wright Brothers launched a new era of transportation—the aviation age—with the first flight of a powered aircraft. Today, 116 years later, with the first flight of an all-electric powered commercial aircraft, we launched the electric era of aviation,” said Roei Ganzarski, CEO of magniX. “The transportation industry and specifically the aviation segment that has been, for the most part, stagnant since the late 1930s, is ripe for a massive disruption. Now we are proving that low-cost, environmentally friendly, commercial electric air travel can be a reality in the very near future.”

magniX and Harbour Air will now begin the certification and approval process for the propulsion system and the retrofitting of aircraft. Once the certification is complete, the rest of the fleet can be magnified with magniX’s all-electric propulsion technology.

Source: Harbour Air

Electric aircraft, electric aviation

BRITISH AIRWAYS TRIALS 3D PRINTING TO IMPROVE PUNCTUALITY AND REDUCE EMISSIONS

2019-12-11 Michael Wühle sNews (EN), Useful Papers (EN)

WINDOWS, TRAY TABLES AND EVEN PLANES – BRITISH AIRWAYS TRIALS 3D PRINTING TO IMPROVE PUNCTUALITY AND REDUCE EMISSIONS CAUSED BY FLYING SPARE PARTS AROUND THE WORLD

December 09, 2019

British Airways’ tech experts say the possibilities for 3D printing in aviation are limitless and share predictions of how 3D printers could transform the industry
In the future machines could routinely be used to create aircraft parts, reducing delays for customers
Initiative is part of airline’s flightpath to net zero carbon emissions by 2050

British Airways is exploring the possibility of using 3D printers to create aircraft parts in the future. These printers would be located at airports around the world to reduce delays for customers and emissions caused by transporting items.

The airline’s innovators predict that non-essential cabin parts will be first on the list to be generated, including pieces of tray tables, entertainment systems and toilets. While these components do not impact the safe operation of the flight, they can reduce the number of seats or toilets available for customers and cause delays as engineers wait for the parts to be flown to wherever the aircraft is.

Ricardo Vidal, Head of Innovation at British Airways, says this area of technology has never been more important to ensure sustainability and a seamless travel experience: “We work with start-ups and innovation partners from around the world to explore and implement the very latest technologies, from artificial intelligence to speed up turnaround times to biometrics, helping us to deliver a seamless airport experience for customers. 3D printing is yet another advancement that will keep us at the forefront of airline innovation.”

3D printing is an essential step towards the sustainable future of aviation, as the printers can produce parts that, while as strong and durable as traditional components, weigh up to 55 per cent less. Every kilogram removed saves up to 25 tons of CO2 emissions during the lifespan of an aircraft.

British Airways’ exploration of 3D printing follows the airline’s BA2119: Flight of the Future programme in celebration of it’s centenary. It’s research into the future of the customer experience suggested that within the next decade, biological scanners gathering travellers’ physiological and nutritional needs could suggest food and drink to meet individual requirements and print these on board the aircraft. In addition, the research predicts that jet lag could become be a thing of the past, with 3D printers producing personalised health supplements.

British Airways’ top ten predictions for how 3D printing could be used by airline’s in the future:

1. Cutlery

2. Products for amenity kits, such as toothbrushes or combs

3. Tray tables

4. Aircraft windows

5. Inflight entertainment screens

6. Seats

7. Baggage containers

8. Circuit boards for electrical components

9. Flight deck switches

10. Aircraft shells

Source: British Airways

3D-Printing, British Airways, sustainable aviation

AIR FRANCE PLANS FLIGHTS FROM SAN FRANCISCO FUELED WITH SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL

2019-12-09 Michael Wühle sNews (EN)

Air France and Shell have signed a memorandum of understanding signaling their intent to fuel flights from San Francisco International Airport using a blend of conventional and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) with effect from 1 June 2020.

This collaboration between Air France, World Energy, and Shell exemplifies what the industry needs; a supply of SAF that is mature enough to be integrated into airlines’ daily operations.The SAF is notably made from inedible waste fats and oils. This RSB-certified alternative fuel meets strict sustainability standards and can be delivered via the airport’s hydrant system. The airline anticipates that this initiative will help save approximately 6,000 tons of CO₂ over a period of 16 months.Air France has long advocated the creation of a viable sustainable aviation fuel sector. A pioneer in its use on commercial flights, Air France first initiated experiments as early as 2014 and has since heavily invested in innovation, working hand-in-hand with researchers.

This is another example of the airline’s commitment to reducing its environmental footprint at every step of the value chain. Its sustainable development agenda for 2030 involves cutting CO₂emissions by 50%, which Air France notably aims to achieve by investing in fuel-efficient aircraft.

Anne Rigail, CEO of Air France: “Sustainable Aviation fuels are integral to our sustainability approach. They constitute an immediate concrete response to our environmental challenges and we must encourage their production. This initiative in California demonstrates that when states set up incentive mechanisms, production picks up and airlines are given the means to take action. We as a community must look at this as an example and duplicate it around the world, notably at home, in France.”

Anna Mascolo, Vice President Shell Aviation: “Along with new technologies and offsets, sustainable aviation fuels have a huge role to play in reducing emissions from air travel. With urgent action and industry collaboration it is possible to fly and emit less. However, we are still at the beginning of the journey with significant opportunity to increase the supply of sustainable aviation fuel and replicate successes such as this globally. At Shell we are committed to working with the industry towards a more sustainable aviation industry. Commitments like this from Air France can only help accelerate this journey, giving producers the assurance to invest in building refinery capacity and enabling us to develop the supply infrastructure required.”

Bryan Sherbacow, Chief Commercial Officer, World Energy: “We are proud to enable Air France and Shell to deliver a low-carbon fuel solution to their aviation customers. The route to widespread availability and use of sustainable aviation fuel is awareness and supportive policy similar to that of California. This important collaboration elevates visibility with both international consumers and legislators.”

Source: Air France

SAF, sustainable aviation, sustainable aviation fuel

AIR FRANCE AND THE SOLAR IMPULSE FOUNDATION CALL FOR SOLUTIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE AVIATION

2019-12-05 Michael Wühle sNews (EN)

Published on – December 04th, 2019

Air France and the Solar Impulse Foundation are calling for clean, efficient and profitable solutions to accelerate the ecological transition of the aviation sector. The two partners have developed a digital platform to enable project leaders to apply online.

The Solar Impulse Foundation will first examine the solutions on the basis of the criteria of its Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label, assessing their environmental impact, economic profitability and technological feasibility.

Projects that meet the Label’s requirements will all be made available to the aviation industry, to help build a more sustainable world. Those that come within the framework of Air France’s trajectory will be developed within the company.

The solutions put forward within the framework of this partnership must address one or more of the following challenges:

Carbon footprint
Efficiency (fuel, weight etc.)
Alternatives to single use plastics and cabin waste management
Clean ground operations
Noise reduction
Aviation and new energies

On 1 October 2019, Air France announced an ambitious environmental roadmap that includes offsetting 100% of CO2 emissions from all domestic flights as from 1 January 2020, reducing CO2 emissions per passenger/km by 50% by 2030 compared to 2005, carbon neutrality of its ground operations, and reducing non-recycled waste by 50%.

“My ambition is to offer everyone, both current and future generations, a responsible travel experience. We must step up the transition to a more sustainable air transport and we voluntarily make new commitments for today and 2030. The Solar Impulse foundation is our partner of choice, to help innovate now, and pioneer a more sustainable aviation for the future.

Reducing carbon footprint in the air and on the ground, stepping up in circular economy, offsetting impacts whenever possible: these are the paths we explore with all labelled Solutions for Clean Aviation!” said Anne Rigail, CEO of Air France.

Beyond the identification of clean, efficient and cost-effective solutions, this partnership also marks the Solar Impulse Foundation’s commitment to enter a new phase of its project, by accelerating the development and implementation of technologies.

“Numerous clean and profitable solutions already exist to make aviation more sustainable. We want to promote and implement them at scale in the air and on the ground. This is precisely the objective of our partnership with Air France who is committed to taking the lead in the future of clean aviation. The Solar Impulse Foundation is dedicated to helping them get there.” said Bertrand Piccard, President of the Solar Impulse Foundation.

Source: Air France

sustanable aviation

Electro.Aero – World’s first high voltage charger designed for light aircraft

2019-11-01 Michael Wühle Electric Aviation, sNews (EN)

Press Release 23rd October 2019

World’s first high voltage charger designed for light aircraft delivered from Australian company Electro.Aero to US company Ampaire

Electro.Aero is pleased to announce that Los Angeles-based electric aircraft company Ampaire is the launch customer for our new RAPID Charger 30kW aircraft charging system. This system is the world’s first high voltage charger specifically designed for aviation use, to charge batteries up to 1 kV.

Electro.Aero Charger RAPID 30 is a compact and portable charger for electric light aviation. Setting the benchmark for the new SAE International AS6968 standard for electric aircraft charging, the RAPID 30 can deliver a full 30 kW of power over a wide DC output voltage, from 300 V to 1 kV.

Ampaire Co-Founder and CTO Cory Combs has stated that “the Electro.Aero Charger RAPID will prove to be an invaluable asset for Ampaire’s flight demonstration efforts around the globe.”

Electro.Aero is also collaborating with Ampaire and other key industry players on worldwide charger standardization efforts via the SAE AE-7D Aircraft Energy Storage and Charging Committee. This work is culminating in the development of the AS6968 SAE Standard for Conductive Charging of Electric Aircraft.

Electro.Aero Co-Founder and CTO Joshua Portlock is “pleased to be supporting Ampaire with their electric propulsion technology and excited about the opportunity to support this emerging industry.”

Electro.Aero is committed to becoming the world leader in electric propulsion for light aviation with a rapid time-to-market for its unique technology. Electro.Aero has developed the L.E.A.P.TM integrated electric propulsion system, suitable for light aviation use. This revolutionary suite of technology includes the Charger RAPID, enabling cost-effective electric propulsion for a new generation of light aircraft.

Ampaire is leading the charge in aircraft electrification. The Los Angeles based company is on a mission to be the world’s most trusted developer of practical and compelling electric aircraft. To start, Ampaire is retrofitting existing passenger aircraft to electric. It’s the leanest, fastest, most capital-efficient approach to making commercial electric air travel a reality. Ampaire’s vision is to make flights more accessible to more people from more airports by providing electric aircraft that are safe, clean, quiet, and less costly to operate.

Source: Electro.Aero

electric aviation, Sustainable Air Transport

Lilium releases new footage of air taxi as it completes early flight testing and builds first manufacturing facility

2019-10-23 Michael Wühle Electric Aviation, sNews (DE), sNews (EN)

MUNICH 22 October 2019: Lilium, the Munich-based startup developing a revolutionary on-demand air mobility service, has today released new footage of its all-electric Lilium Jet as it celebrates completing its first phase of flight testing, a milestone it has reached less than six months since starting its flight test campaign.

The Lilium Jet, the world’s first five-seater, all-electric, vertical take-off and landing jet, was revealed to the world in May 2019 and since then has been put through its paces at an airfield in southern Germany. The emissions-free aircraft, which will be able to complete journeys of up to 300 km in one hour on a single charge, has now been flown at speeds exceeding 100 km/h, in increasingly complex maneuvers.

The new footage reveals, for the first time, the aircraft transitioning from vertical flight to level flight. This signature maneuver, first completed just weeks after the aircraft’s maiden flight, is one of aerospace’s greatest challenges and is what gives the Lilium Jet its significant range advantage, with its two sets of wings contributing to much higher levels of efficiency than in aircraft lifted solely by rotors.

With a range of 300 km, the Lilium Jet will be capable of completing much longer journeys than the vast majority of its competitors, allowing it to connect entire regions rather than just making short trips across a single city.

The release of the footage came as the company also celebrated the completion of its first dedicated manufacturing facility, an important step towards preparing the company for serial production of the Lilium Jet.

The first manufacturing facility, a 3,000 square meter space located at the company’s headquarters, will soon be complemented by a second, much larger, facility which is already under construction at the same site. Combined, they will support Lilium’s aim of producing hundreds of aircraft a year by the time commercial services begin in 2025.

Lilium also announced an addition to its Senior Management Team, with Airbus veteran Yves Yemsi joining the team as Chief Program Officer, having worked as Head of Program Quality for the highly successful Airbus A350 aircraft.

Commenting on these milestones, Daniel Wiegand, co-founder and CEO, said: “It’s been thrilling to watch the Lilium Jet progress so rapidly and to see our first flying taxi manufacturing facility. We are taking tangible and concrete steps towards making our vision of regional air mobility a reality and we’re doing it on time.

“We believe that regional air mobility has the potential to be a remarkable force for good in society and we can’t wait for what comes next.”

The Lilium Jet and flight testing

The Lilium Jet prototype first took to the skies at 08.03 local time on 4th May 2019. Powered by 36 all-electric jet engines, the aircraft has zero operating emissions and requires less than 10% of its maximum 2000 horsepower during horizontal cruise flight thanks to the lift generated by having two sets of wings.

Since its maiden flight, which featured a simple vertical take-off and landing, the aircraft has been undertaking increasingly complex maneuvers and longer flights. Having successfully completed more than 100 different ground and flight tests, the first phase of testing culminated with a flight that saw the aircraft travel at speeds exceeding 100 km/h.

During the first phase of testing, the aircraft also successfully completed a range of safety tests, including engine failures and flap failures, as well as fuse-blow-tests on the ground and in the air.

The aircraft, which is controlled remotely from the ground, will now move on to its second phase of testing which will look specifically at how it performs at high speeds.

With a top speed of 300 km/h the Lilium Jet is expected to shortly become the fastest all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in the world.

Commenting on the successful completion of the first phase of flight testing, Leandro Bigarella, Head of Flight Test, said: “The Lilium Jet continues to meet our expectations, delivering excellent in-flight performance and remarkably smooth transition from vertical to horizontal flight.

“That said, we take a relentless approach to improvement and, like any good testing program, we have had the chance to implement a number of refinements to the aircraft along the way.

“We are now moving into a critical stage of testing as we prepare for high speed operations and eventual certification by the relevant authorities.”

New production facilities

Speaking about the new production facilities at the company’s headquarters in southern Germany, Daniel Wiegand, co-founder and CEO, said: “Our ambition is to develop a world-class production facility here that will allow us to build critical parts ourselves and then deliver fully-assembled aircraft at the scale of the automotive sector but at the extremely high quality levels required in the aerospace sector.

“Having considered many locations to produce our first Lilium Jets, we felt our location in the heart of Europe was best suited to our needs, given the strength of the local aerospace supply chain.

“Having our production facility co-locate with our headquarters also makes sense at this point in our development, allowing us to maintain the rapid pace at which we are developing the Lilium Jet, from innovation through to engineering and manufacturing.”

Today, Lilium employs more than 350 people at its base in Munich, with more than 150 roles currently available across a range of disciplines. The new production facilities are expected to create up to 500 new jobs between now and 2025.

Yves Yemsi hired to lead aircraft program

In addition to putting in place the physical infrastructure required to deliver serial production, Lilium has also recently hired industry veteran Yves Yemsi to oversee the Lilium Jet aircraft program. As Chief Program Officer, Yves will also lead strategic procurement activities for the company.

Over the past 15 years Yves has performed a wide range of roles at Airbus, most recently as a Senior Vice President, leading Procurement for their Defence and Space division. Prior to this he was the Head of Program Quality for the highly successful Airbus A350 aircraft, which has seen industry-leading levels of reliability.

Yves’ appointment complements the existing production team at Lilium, led by Chief Manufacturing Officer, Dirk Gebser, who also joined Lilium from Airbus, having led the assembly of the A380 and A320 aircraft.

The hiring of this role completes Lilium’s Senior Management Team, following the arrival of Christopher Delbrück, formerly Chief Financial Officer at Uniper, as CFO earlier this year.

Commenting on his appointment, Yves Yemsi, Chief Program Officer, said: “I’m extremely excited to be joining another iconic aerospace company and look forward to playing my part in revolutionizing this industry. In my time at Airbus I contributed to developing the most stringent quality standards for a brand new aircraft and I look forward to doing the same at Lilium.”

Source: Lilium

Electric aircraft, electric aviation, Lilium

Volocopter air taxi flies over Singapore’s Marina Bay

2019-10-23 Michael Wühle Electric Aviation, sNews (DE), sNews (EN)

Singapore, 22 October 2019 – Volocopter, the pioneer in Urban Air Mobility (UAM), successfully completed its first manned flight over Singapore’s Marina Bay today. This was the last trial of a demanding test series to verify and validate the ability of Volocopter air taxis to fly over the area. Government authorities including the Ministry of Transport (MOT), the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), and the Economic Development Board (EDB) supported Volocopter in this testing phase and will continue to do so in the future. This flight kicks-off Volocopter’s efforts to bring commercial air taxi services to Singapore.

“A 2X model of the company’s test series flown by a pilot onboard was used. The flight covered a distance of approximately 1.5 km and lasted for two minutes at an average cruising height of 40 m.

“The flight today in Singapore was the most advanced Volocopter flight yet and the piloted flight was as stable as ever. At the same time, we are showcasing a prototype of our full-scale VoloPort Infrastructure, allowing for a realistic demonstration of air taxi boarding and maintenance services. Never before have people been this close to experiencing what Urban Air Mobility in the city of tomorrow will feel like,” says Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter.

Leading up to the flight, the aircraft had undergone intensive testing in Germany for several months. Following which, a rigorous flight test program to verify the Volocopter 2X aircraft performance under local environment was conducted at Seletar Airport in accordance with CAAS.

“Since late 2018, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has been working with Volocopter to facilitate this flight in Singapore. The Volocopter team went through a series of stringent evaluations to ensure that all the necessary safety requirements were met before the flight was allowed to take place. By working closely with companies such as Volocopter, we hope to facilitate innovations for beneficial uses whilst ensuring aviation and public safety,” said Mr. Ho Yuen Sang, Director (Aviation Industry) from CAAS.

“Volocopter’s decision to testbed its innovative air taxi in Singapore is testament to the opportunities and environment that Singapore provides. The Singapore Economic Development Board hopes to be an enabling partner for companies developing new mobility technologies such as autonomous vehicles and urban aerial mobility. We are happy to support Volocopter in their development plans and hope that this is a first step towards the creation of more exciting business and job opportunities in Singapore,” said Mr. Tan Kong Hwee, Assistant Managing Director, EDB.

At the ITSWC, Volocopter and their partner Skyports built the first VoloPort prototype on the floating dock in Marina Bay. VoloPorts are the only physical infrastructure required for air taxis and they are one important step to commencing operations in cities. They are designed to provide passengers with a seamless air taxi experience that is safe, secure, and integrated into existing infrastructure.

Volocopter opened an office in Singapore in January 2019 and has started to build up a local team to support South East Asia expansion plans. The company has recently presented their VoloCity – the next generation eVTOL air taxi which is designed to comply with EASA requirements. With their recently announced Series C funding round the company will bring the VoloCity to commercial certification.

About Volocopter GmbH:

Volocopter is building the world’s first sustainable and scalable urban air mobility business to bring affordable air taxi services to megacities worldwide. With the VoloCity, the company is developing the first fully electric “eVTOL” aircraft in certification to safely and quietly transport passengers within cities. Volocopter leads and cooperates with partners in infrastructure, operations, and air traffic management to build the ecosystem necessary to ‘Bring Urban Air Mobility to Life’.

In 2011, Volocopter performed the first-ever manned flight of a purely electric multicopter and has since showcased numerous public flights with its full-scale aircraft. The most notable have been the flight at the CES 2018 in Las Vegas and the world’s first autonomous eVTOL flight in Dubai 2017.

Founded in 2011 by Stephan Wolf and Alexander Zosel, Volocopter has 150 employees in offices in Bruchsal, Munich, and Singapore. The company is managed by CEO Florian Reuter, CTO Jan-Hendrik Boelens, and CFO Rene Griemens, and has raised a total of 85 million euro in equity. Volocopters‘s investors include Daimler, Geely, Intel Capital, BtoV, and Manta Ray Ventures. Find out more at: www.volocopter.com

Source: Volocopter

Electric aircraft, electric aviation, Electric VTOL Aircraft, Volocopter, VTOL

SAS JOINS NORDIC INITIATIVE FOR ELECTRIC AVIATION

2019-09-30 Michael Wühle Electric Aviation, sNews (DE), sNews (EN)

September 25, 2019 17:38

A Nordic initiative to drive the development of electric aircraft is now being launched. Funded by Nordic Innovation (an organization under the Nordic Council of Ministers), a platform is created where SAS together with other Nordic players gather.

“We will be a Nordic network that works with both infrastructure, industry issues and new business models,” says Maria Fiskerud, project manager for The Nordic Network for Electric Aviation (NEA).

The NEA network will organize workshops and other events to build knowledge and cooperation in the Nordic countries. At present, the network has eleven members (Air Greenland, Avinor, Braathens Regional Airlines, El-fly AS, Finnair, Heart Aerospace, Iceland Air, NISA (Nordic Innovation Sustainable Aviation), RISE, SAS and Swedavia).

“The transition to sustainable air travel is existential to us and the aviation industry. Therefore, it is vital to exchange knowledge with other stakeholders to gain speed in the development of electric aircraft for commercial use. We have high ambitions for our sustainability work and we already collaborate with Airbus, among others, regarding the electrification of aviation,” says Lars Andersen Resare, Head of Environment and CSR at SAS.

There are four focus areas with clear objectives for driving the growth of electric aircraft: to Standardize electric air infrastructure in the Nordic countries, to Develop business models for regional point-to-point connectivity between Nordic countries, to Develop aircraft technology for Nordic weather conditions, and to Create a platform for European and global collaborations.

Source: SAS

Electric aircraft, electric aviation, sustainable aviation

Dublin Airport’s Electric Vehicle Strategy Takes Off

2019-07-23 Michael Wühle sNews (EN)

Dublin Airport has a target to convert its existing fleet of 111 vehicles to Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) over the next five years.

The move to LEVs is part of the airport’s overall sustainability strategy which includes targets based around carbon, energy, waste, water and the fleet of vehicles used on the airport campus. These initiatives will deliver a range of immediate benefits to those that work at the airport and to local communities.

The benefits include improvements in air quality, a reduction in noise and carbon emissions and further savings in airport energy consumption.

Some areas of Dublin Airport’s operation require specialist four-wheel drive vehicles. A recently developed plug-in, hybrid replacement for four-wheel drives that were traditionally powered by two-litre diesel engines has allowed the airport to convert vehicles across its operation.

“Our licence to grow Dublin Airport is predicated on operating in a sustainable manner and we take our responsibilities in this regard very seriously,” said Dublin Airport Managing Director Vincent Harrison.

“Using low-emission vehicles is another great step in achieving our sustainability targets and being an exemplar to other airports and organisations in Ireland and across the world. Our fleet management team continually monitor the developing LEV market to identify appropriate vehicles that can replace existing vehicles in line with our vehicle maintenance strategies,” Harrison added.

Teams across the airport recently took delivery of six low-emission vehicles with two more due for delivery in the coming months. Around 20% of the airport’s vehicle fleet have now been upgraded to Low Emission Vehicles (LEVs) and a further 5% are Hybrid vehicles.

Dublin Airport also aims to convert its bus operations to a low emission vehicle fleet by 2022. Trials of electric buses took place on the campus earlier this year in association with Aircoach.

The LEV strategy is part of daa’s overall Sustainability Strategy. Further details are available Opens in new windowhere.

In the last five years, Dublin Airport has reduced its primary energy consumption by a cumulative value of 9,285,011kWh. This is equivalent to the average yearly usage of about 450-500 standard semi-detached houses. In the last ten years, water consumption per passenger has reduced by 26.8 litres. That’s the equivalent of filling almost 10 million baths.

Dublin Airport supports 117,300 jobs in the Irish economy, including 19,200 people employed directly at the airport and its environs. The economic activity underpinned by Dublin Airport in terms of the spin-off benefits through trade, tourism, and jobs is worth €8.3 billion to the Irish economy annually.

Image: Myles Reilly, Airside Delivery Manager, Owen Hickey, Airside Training Instructor, Catherine Fox, Passenger Screening Supervisor, Siobhán Bisset, Vehicle Control Posts Assistant Manager, Joe Roche, Airfield Systems Manager, Seán McKessy, Airfield Supervisor and Darren McAtamney, Heavy Fleet and Logistics Engineer pictured with some of Dublin Airport’s LEV fleet.

airport, Electric Mobility, sustainable aviation

Ampaire Announces First Public Electric Flight

2019-06-11 Michael Wühle sNews (EN)

The Highest-Capacity Electric Aircraft Ever Flown Held First Public Test Flight in the Skies Above Southern California on Thursday, Paving the Way for Ampaire Inc. to Have Regular Commercial Service for Passengers and Cargo as Soon as 2021

Aviation Company Ampaire, Inc., Helps Further Cement Los Angeles as the Center of Innovation on Transportation Electrification

Camarillo, California, June 6, 2019.

Ampaire, Inc. has moved the aviation industry a major step forward with the test flight of the Ampaire 337, the highest-capacity hybrid-electric aircraft ever flown. On Thursday, June 6, Ampaire engineers, investors and journalists witnessed the hybrid-electric Ampaire 337 fly in the skies above Camarillo Airport.

This is a significant step for aviation because never before has a hybrid-electric aircraft this large flown. Ampaire’s 337 is built with a direct path towards commercialization—moving electric aviation firmly from futuristic to attainable.

The aircraft, based on the six-seat Cessna 337 Skymaster, was retrofitted with Ampaire’s proprietary electric propulsion system and is powered by a lightweight battery system. The battery-powered electric motor replaces a combustion engine of the aircraft’s original two-engine configuration, and the resulting system is a ‘parallel hybrid’, meaning the internal combustion engine and electric motor work in concert to optimize power output as the plane flies. In hybrid configuration, the aircraft sees significant greenhouse gas emissions savings and operating cost reductions. The experimental plane was flown by a test pilot and flight engineer.

“The first flight of Ampaire’s electric passenger aircraft is a huge step forward for aviation,” said Deborah Flint, CEO of Los Angeles World Airports. “As a cleantech company that was started in our great city as part of LACI, Ampaire’s incredible achievement further cements Los Angeles as the leader in transportation electrification and technology innovation.”

“Imagine that in just a few years you will be able to buy a ticket for a flight that is clean, quiet and inexpensive,” said Kevin Noertker, CEO of Ampaire. “Ampaire is proud to lead the aviation industry in transportation electrification, and we recognize the importance of electric aviation for climate change and community connectivity.”

“Given the urgency of the climate crisis, today’s historic flight not only signifies a huge step forward for aviation, it also shines a light on Los Angeles’s leadership in transportation electrification,” said Matt Petersen, CEO of the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI). “That’s why I’m so excited for the Ampaire team for their first hybrid-electric flight—as a LACI portfolio company, Ampaire and their Ampaire 337 flight test program further proves that Los Angeles is a cleantech hub that attracts investment and game-changing innovation for climate solutions.”

“Flight is becoming electric and this is the most incredible team to make that happen! Ampaire’s approach is one of the many reasons we chose to support them through our accelerator program,” said Van Espahbodi, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Starburst Accelerator. “We see tremendous potential in their business model, and we’re excited to see them achieve this significant technical milestone.”

Aircraft are a significant contributor to both local and global emissions. Electric and hybrid-electric aircraft will reduce GHG emissions and air pollution even as more and more goods and people fly. In addition, electric aircraft are quieter, more efficient and cost much less to fly and maintain connecting communities, making skies quieter.

Ampaire has mapped a clear path from today’s first test flight of a prototype to commercial operations in 2021. Thursday’s test flight follows the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) May 2019 airworthiness approval to begin a flight test program. The test flights will see the aircraft fly multiple times per week from June through August 2019 and will gather data about the electric propulsion performance characteristics.

In late 2019, Ampaire will begin a pilot project on a commercial route on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The aircraft will be a newly retrofitted Cessna 337 built with learnings from the test flight program that inform the configuration of the battery and motor. This aircraft will be a pre-production prototype and will move Ampaire closer to commercial readiness.

Ampaire’s focus is on supplying aircraft to regional airlines— who typically fly short-haul—often serving remote communities and island regions. In addition to the upcoming pilot project in Maui, Ampaire is also in collaboration with Vieques Air Link (VAL), a regional airline in Puerto Rico, to establish a pilot project in the region. Alongside Mokulele Airlines and VAL, Ampaire has signed Letters of Interest with 14 other airlines across the world.

About Ampaire

Ampaire is leading the charge in aircraft electrification. The Los Angeles based company is on a mission to be the world’s most trusted developer of practical and compelling electric aircraft. To start, Ampaire is retrofitting existing passenger aircraft to electric. It’s the leanest, fastest, most capital efficient approach to making commercial electric air travel a reality. As a LACI portfolio company, Ampaire has its roots in Los Angeles. Ampaire’s vision is to make flights more accessible to more people from more airports by providing electric aircraft that are safe, clean, quiet, and less costly to operate.

Source: Ampaire

hybrid-electric, sustainable aviation

1 2 3 … 10 »