IASA e.V.

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

Harbour Air and magniX Partner to Build World’s First All-Electric Airline

2019-03-29 Michael Wühle sNews (EN)

Aviation Leaders Set to Transform Seaplanes into ePlanes — a Zero-emission Aircraft for the Future

REDMOND, WA and VANCOUVER, B.C. – March 26, 2019 – magniX, the company powering the electric aviation revolution, and Harbour Air, North America’s largest seaplane airline, today announced a partnership to transform Harbour Air seaplanes into an all-electric commercial fleet powered by the magni500, a 750 horsepower (HP) all-electric motor.

Operating 12 routes between hubs like Seattle and Vancouver and across the pristine natural wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, Harbour Air welcomes more than 500,000 passengers on 30,000 commercial flights each year. Through this partnership, both companies are furthering the vision to someday connect communities with clean, efficient and affordable electric air travel.

“Harbour Air first demonstrated its commitment to sustainability by becoming the first fully carbon-neutral airline in North America in 2007, through the purchase of carbon offsets,” said Greg McDougall, founder and CEO of Harbour Air Seaplanes. “Through our commitment to making a positive impact on people’s lives, the communities where we operate and the environment, we are once again pushing the boundaries of aviation by becoming the first commercial aircraft to be powered by electric propulsion. We are excited to bring commercial electric aviation to the Pacific Northwest, turning our seaplanes into ePlanes.”

The aviation industry currently contributes 12 percent of all U.S. carbon emissions and 4.9 percent globally, all while providing few low-cost, fuel-efficient options for passenger flights under 1,000 miles. By modifying existing Harbour Air planes with innovative, all-electric magniX propulsion systems, the partnership will create the world’s first completely electric commercial seaplane fleet. A Harbour Air ePlane will have zero reliance on fossil fuels and produce zero emissions – a significant step forward in the innovation and advancement of the airline industry.

“In 2018, 75 percent of worldwide airline flights were 1,000 miles or less in range. With magniX’s new propulsion systems coupled with emerging battery capabilities, we see tremendous potential for electric aviation to transform this heavily trafficked ‘middle mile’ range,” said Roei Ganzarski, CEO of magniX. “We’re excited to partner with Harbour Air, a forward thinking, like-minded company that is dedicated to bringing environmentally conscious, cost effective air-transport solutions to the West Coast of North America. This partnership will set the standard for the future of commercial aviation operators.”

The first aircraft to be converted will be the DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver, a six-passenger commercial aircraft used across Harbour Air’s route network. Harbour Air and magniX expect to conduct first flight tests of the all-electric aircraft in late 2019.

This partnership follows significant milestones for both companies, including the successful testing of magniX’s 350 HP all-electric motor and the addition of a Vancouver to Seattle route in Harbour Air’s destination roster.

Source: Harbour Air

Electric aircraft, electric aviation, sustainable aviation

Hi Fly leads the world with plastic-free trial flight

2019-01-05 Michael Wühle sNews (EN)

26 December 2018

In a global first for the airline industry, and a defining moment for the sustainability of the planet, wet-lease carrier Hi Fly is poised to make the first-ever jet-age passenger flight with not a single-use plastic item on board.

The ‘plastics-free’ trial, involving four flights by Hi Fly’s wide-body Airbus A340, 9H-SUN, will jet into the history books for the first time on December 26th, when it takes off from Lisbon on its way to Natal in Brazil.

The first flight will be full with holidaymakers looking to Samba-dance their way out of 2018. It will return to Lisbon, this time with Brazilian passengers looking to welcome in the New Year Portuguese style. The revellers will then make the return journey home a week later. Over 700 passengers will take part in the trial.

Commenting ahead of the take-off, Hi Fly President Paulo Mirpuri said: “This historic Hi Fly flight, without any single-use plastic items on board, underlines our commitment to making Hi Fly the world’s first ‘plastics-free’ airline within 12 months.

“We take that commitment very seriously.”

Also speaking prior to the flight, he added: “We are obviously excited and delighted that Hi Fly will be the first airline to attempt such a feat.

“Our corporate mission is based around sustainability and we work hand in glove with the Mirpuri Foundation to make sure that our corporate practices match our wider responsibilities to the planet.

“The test flights will prevent around 350 KG of single-use, virtually indestructible plastics from poisoning our environment.

“Over 100,000 flights take off each day around the world and, last year, commercial aircraft carried nearly four billion passengers. This number is expected to double again in less than 20 years. So, the potential to make a difference here is clearly enormous.

The test flights will help us trial the many substitute items we have developed and introduced them, in a real-world environment.

“We know we may encounter some initial teething problems, but we are confident of addressing these over the coming months.

“We know, too, from the feedback we have received from client airlines and passengers, that it’s the right thing for the airline to be doing.”

Pedro Ramos, the Director-General of Tour operator Alto Astral, the company who chartered the flights between Lisbon and Brazil, spoke of his company’s delight at being a participant in this key industry event.

“Everyone at Alto Astral is excited to be involved in this adventure and we believe that future generations will thank those of us who have been prepared to stand up to try to make a difference now.

“Hi Fly has long been the leader in the field of corporate environmental responsibility and sustainability, and they have rightly identified, as a key objective, the early elimination of plastics pollution. It’s been great for us to see how, in practical terms, they have gone about replacing so much in order to kick-start this elimination process.

“All together for a better world, we say.”

The plastics-free test flight is just the latest move by Hi Fly to make its entire fleet ‘plastics free’ by the end of 2019.

Among the scores of single-use plastic items that have been replaced are: cups, spoons, salt and pepper shakers, sick bags, packaging for bedding, dishes, individual butter pots, soft drink bottles and toothbrushes.

And among the many innovations presented to passengers on the flight, by the Hi Fly environmental experts, will be bamboo cutlery, an array of paper packaging, and containers that, once used, can be readily composted.

Source: HiFly

HiFly, plastic-free flight, sustainable aviation

NASA Technologies Significantly Reduce Aircraft Noise

2018-06-25 Rudolf (Rolf) Dörpinghaus sNews (EN)

More than 70 % reduction in airframe noise achievable

Washington D.C., June 25, 2018: A series of NASA flight tests has successfully demonstrated technologies that achieve a significant reduction in the noise generated by aircraft and heard by communities near airports.The Acoustic Research Measurement (ARM) flights, which concluded in May, at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, tested technology to address airframe noise, or noise that is produced by non-propulsive parts of the aircraft, during landing. The flights successfully combined several technologies to achieve a greater than 70 percent reduction in airframe noise.While porous concepts for landing gear fairings have been studied before, NASA’s design was based on extensive computer simulations to produce the maximum amount of noise reduction without the penalty of increasing aerodynamic drag. The landing gear cavity was treated with a series of chevrons near its leading edge, and a net stretched across the opening to alter airflow, aligning it more with the wing.“The number one public complaint the Federal Aviation Administration receives is about aircraft noise,” said Mehdi Khorrami, an aerospace scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia, and principal investigator for Acoustic Research Measurement. “NASA’s goal here was to reduce aircraft noise substantially in order to improve the quality of life for communities near airports. We are very confident that with the tested technologies we can substantially reduce total aircraft noise, and that could really make a lot of flights much quieter.”NASA tested several experimental designs on various airframe components of a Gulfstream GIII research aircraft at Armstrong, including landing gear fairings and cavity treatments designed and developed at Langley, as well as the Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge (ACTE) wing flap, which had previously been flight-tested to study aerodynamic efficiency. The aircraft flew at an altitude of 350 feet, over an 185-sensor microphone array deployed on the Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base in California.The Landing Gear Noise Reduction technology element addressed airframe noise caused by airflow moving past the landing gear on approach. The experimental landing gear tested by NASA features fairings that are porous along their front, meaning they consist of many tiny holes that, in part, allow some of the air to flow through the fairing, while also deflecting some of the airflow around the landing gear.

While porous concepts for landing gear fairings have been studied before, NASA’s design was based on extensive computer simulations to produce the maximum amount of noise reduction without the penalty of increasing aerodynamic drag. The landing gear cavity was treated with a series of chevrons near its leading edge, and a net stretched across the opening to alter airflow, aligning it more with the wing.
Photo: NASA/Ken Ulbrich

Porous concepts have been studied before, but the unique design developed by NASA resulted from highly detailed computer simulations that led NASA engineers to what they believe is the ideal design for maximum noise reduction without increasing aerodynamic drag.Another area of focus was landing gear cavities, also a known cause of airframe noise. These are the regions where the landing gear deploys from the main body of an aircraft, typically leaving a large cavity where airflow can get pulled in, creating noise. NASA applied two concepts to these sections, including a series of chevrons placed near the front of the cavity with a sound-absorbing foam at the trailing wall, as well as a net that stretched across the opening of the main landing gear cavity. This altered the airflow and reduced the noise resulting from the interactions between the air, the cavity walls, and its edges.To reduce wing flap noise, NASA used an experimental, flexible flap that had previously been flown as part of the ACTE project, which investigated the potential for flexible, seamless flaps to increase aerodynamic efficiency. As opposed to conventional wing flaps that typically feature gaps between the flap and the main body of the wing, the ACTE flap, built by FlexSys Inc. of Ann Arbor, Michigan, is a seamless design that eliminates those gaps.Significant reduction in aircraft noise must be realized in order for air transportation growth to maintain its current trend. The reduction of airframe noise using NASA technology is an important achievement in this effort, as it may lead to quieter aircraft, which will benefit communities near airports and foster expanded airport operations.“This airframe noise reduction produced by NASA technology is definitely momentous, and the best part is that it directly benefits the public,” said ARM Project Manager Kevin Weinert. “While there are obvious potential economic gains for the industry, this benefits the people who live near major airports, and have to deal with the noise of aircraft coming in to land. This could greatly reduce the noise impact on these communities.”For more information about NASA’s aeronautics research, please visit: https://www.nasa.gov/aeroresearchSource: NASA Headquarters, Washington D.C. and Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, California

Aircraft Noise, NASA

SolarStratos Aims to Reach Stratosphere More Than 80,000 Feet Above Earth Using SunPower® Solar Technology

2018-06-20 Michael Wühle sNews (EN)

The Two-Seater Solar Plane is Expected to Break Records with World’s First Piloted Stratospheric Solar Flight by 2020

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR), one of the world’s most innovative and sustainable energy companies headquartered in California’s Silicon Valley, has joined the Mission SolarStratos expedition as the exclusive solar cell provider for its aircraft. Within the next two years, SolarStratos is expected to be the first solar-powered plane to soar above the Earth’s troposphere and into the stratosphere – flying twice as high as a commercial airliner’s typical cruising altitude – without a drop of fossil fuel.

“SolarStratos has an opportunity to push the limits of what we think is humanly possible and prove that renewable energy has the capacity to power our lives while preserving our planet,” said SolarStratos President and Pilot Raphael Domjan. “We are fortunate to energize SolarStratos with SunPower’s industry-leading solar technology and look forward to further showcasing the value of innovative and reliable solar solutions for the world to see.”

A passionate, award-winning adventurer with experience bringing record-breaking projects to fruition, Domjan was the founder and the expedition leader of PlanetSolar – also powered by SunPower solar technology – which became the first boat to sail around the world on solar energy alone in 2012. This September, Domjan will attempt his first world-record flight, reaching 33,000 feet in a SolarStratos prototype plane.

SunPower® Maxeon® solar cells were selected for SolarStratos aircrafts because they are highly efficient, durable, lightweight, and about as thin as a human hair. On the next generation SolarStratos plane, SunPower’s 24-percent efficient cells will be incorporated into the wings and horizontal stabilizer to power an electrical engine and charge a 20-kilowatt hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery for energy supply when the sun is out of sight.

Next Generation SolarStratos Plane at a Glance

Length: 8.5 meters – about 30 feet, or the distance from the end zone to the 10-yard line on an American football field
Wingspan: 24.8 meters – about 81 feet, or the length of two standard city buses
Weight: 450 kilograms – about as heavy as a grand piano; to make SolarStratos its lightest, the cabin will not be pressurized, requiring pilots to wear astronaut suits that are pressurized by solar energy
Engine: 32-kilowatt electrical engine, about one-third the size of what would power an electric vehicle
Energy: 22 square meters of SunPower Maxeon solar cells, each reaching 22 to 24 percent efficiency
Batteries: One 20-kilowatt lithium ion battery
Autonomy: Self-generates electricity with solar to power the plane for more than 12 hours

“Soaring at such heights requires an unprecedented level of solar performance and durability, making SunPower’s unique solar technology a natural choice for SolarStratos,” said Tom Werner, SunPower CEO and chairman of the board. “The plane features the same extraordinary cells as those found in our high efficiency solar panels powering homes and businesses here on land – a true testament to our innovation as a solar leader.”

In addition to supporting SolarStratos and the solar boat PlanetSolar, SunPower has a pioneering legacy of powering unique solar projects. In 1993, SunPower’s high-efficiency solar cells drove a Honda solar car to win the World Solar Challenge from Darwin to Adelaide in Australia a full day ahead of the second-place finisher. The company also worked with NASA to develop the unmanned Helios solar plane that flew to a record altitude of 96,863 feet, also powered by SunPower high-efficiency solar cells. Most recently, SunPower helped Solar Impulse 2 – a single-seater solar plane – complete its groundbreaking flight around the world with zero fuel, the first for an aircraft of its kind.

About SunPower
As one of the world’s most innovative and sustainable energy companies, SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR) provides a diverse group of customers with complete solar solutions and services. Residential customers, businesses, governments, schools and utilities around the globe rely on SunPower’s more than 30 years of proven experience. From the first flip of the switch, SunPower delivers maximum value and superb performance throughout the long life of every solar system. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, SunPower has dedicated, customer-focused employees in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. For more information about how SunPower is changing the way our world is powered, visit www.sunpower.com.

SunPower’s Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding projected energy output, product performance and efficiency, and project plans and timeline. These forward-looking statements are based on our current assumptions, expectations, and beliefs and involve substantial risks and uncertainties that may cause results, performance, or achievement to materially differ from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: regulatory changes and the availability of economic incentives promoting use of solar energy, competition and market conditions in the solar and general energy industry, and fluctuations or declines in the performance of our solar panels and other products and solutions. A detailed discussion of these factors and other risks that affect our business is included in filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from time to time, including our most recent reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, particularly under the heading “Risk Factors.” A copy of this filing is available online from the SEC or on the SEC Filings section of our Investor Relations website at investors.sunpowercorp.com. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information currently available to us, and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events.

© 2018 SunPower Corporation. All Rights Reserved. SUNPOWER, the SUNPOWER logo and MAXEON are registered trademarks of SunPower Corporation in the U.S. and other countries as well. All other trademarks and logos are properties of their respective owners.

SolarStratos (prototype pictured) aims to reach the stratosphere more than 80,000 feet above Earth using SunPower solar technology. (PRNewsfoto/SunPower Corp.)

SOURCE SunPower Corp.

renewable energy, solar technology, SolarStratos, SunPower

EmbraerX unveils first eVTOL concept

2018-05-14 Michael Wühle sNews (EN)

eVTOL aircraft concept

Los Angeles, California, May 8, 2018

EmbraerX, an Embraer organization dedicated to developing disruptive businesses, today unveiled its first electrical Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft concept. The unveiling was made during Uber Elevate 2018, in Los Angeles, California.

EmbraerX is engaged in several projects, including the development of eVTOL concepts through a cooperation with Uber and other companies to explore business opportunities within the Uber Elevate ecosystem. “We have excelled in our near-50-year journey by introducing innovations into the aviation industry and delivering true value to customers,” said Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva, President and CEO of Embraer. “We are relentless in our quest for constant growth and through EmbraerX we will drive disruptive innovation and accelerate the creation of new businesses with the potential for exponential growth. Urban mobility is ripe for transformation and we are committed to having a major role in this key market.”

The eVTOL concept presented at Uber Elevate 2018 represents an aircraft with a mission to serve passengers in an urban environment, based on the key design drivers of safety, passenger experience, affordability and a very low footprint for the community, in terms of noise and emissions. “We are developing solutions to bring on-demand air transportation to urban areas to improve quality of life for millions of people. Our collaboration with key stakeholders will accelerate the arrival of this new ecosystem,” said Antonio Campello, President & CEO of EmbraerX. “This is one example of how EmbraerX is committed to exploring a range of disruptive products and services that could revolutionize the business of air transportation.”

Embraer X’s first eVTOL concept unveiled today is the outcome of extensive interaction with potential urban air travelers about their desired experience, combined with the expertise of Embraer’s teams and the collaboration with various companies and institutions. Embraer X will continue to engage with communities to expedite the development of desired solutions for this new market. Over the last five decades, Embraer has designed, developed and certified close to 50 aircraft models, delivering over 8,000 aircraft to 100 countries.

Embraer’s fleet has accumulated more than 50 million flight hours. Leveraging Embraer’s experience and longstanding relationships with aircraft certification authorities around the globe, EmbraerX will ensure that safety design drivers meet and exceed the highest industry standards.

Source: EmbraerX

disruptive business, electrical Vertical Take-Off and Landing, Embraer, eVTOL, Uber

Aim for 1 Billion Passengers to Fly on Sustainable Fuel Flights by 2025

2018-04-02 Michael Wühle sNews (EN)

IATA set out an aim for one billion passengers to fly on flights powered by sustainable aviation fuel by 2025.

26 February 2018

Geneva – The International Air transport Association (IATA) set out an aim for one billion passengers to fly on flights powered by a mix of jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2025. This aspiration was identified on the tenth anniversary of the first flight to blend sustainable aviation fuel and ordinary jet fuel.

On 24 February 2008, a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 flew from London to Amsterdam with sustainable aviation fuel in one of its engines. The flight demonstrated the viability of drop-in biofuels, which can be blended with traditional jet fuel, using existing airport infrastructure. A flight completely powered by sustainable fuel has the potential to reduce the carbon emissions of that flight by up to 80%.

“The momentum for sustainable aviation fuels is now unstoppable. From one flight in 2008, we passed the threshold of 100,000 flights in 2017, and we expect to hit one million flights during 2020. But that is still just a drop in the ocean compared to what we want to achieve. We want 1 billion passengers to have flown on a SAF-blend flight by 2025. That won’t be easy to achieve. We need governments to set a framework to incentivize production of SAF and ensure it is as attractive to produce as automotive biofuels,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

The push to increase uptake of SAF is being driven by the airline industry’s commitment to achieve carbon-neutral growth from 2020 and to cut net carbon emissions by 50% compared to 2005. A number of airlines, including Cathay Pacific, FedEx Express, JetBlue, Lufthansa, Qantas, and United, have made significant investments by forward-purchasing 1.5 billion gallons of SAF. Airports in Oslo, Stockholm, Brisbane and Los Angeles are already mixing SAF with the general fuel supply.

On the present uptake trajectory it is anticipated that half a billion passengers will have flown on a SAF-blend powered flight by 2025. But if governments, through effective policy, help the sustainable fuel industry to scale-up its production, it is possible that one billion passengers could experience an SAF flight by 2025. The steps needed to deliver this include:

Allowing SAF to compete with automotive biofuels through equivalent or magnified incentives
Loan guarantees and capital grants for production facilities
Supporting SAF demonstration plants and supply chain research and development
Harmonized transport and energy policies, coordinated with the involvement of agriculture and military departments.

Acknowledging that some sources of biofuels for land transport have been criticized for their environmental credentials, de Juniac emphasized strongly the determination of the industry to only use truly sustainable sources for its alternative fuels.

“The airline industry is clear, united and adamant that we will never use a sustainable fuel that upsets the ecological balance of the planet or depletes its natural resources,” he said.

Source: IATA (www.iata.org)

IATA, sustainable aviation fuel

Bringing together international expertise on jet biofuel and electric aircraft

2018-03-21 Michael Wühle sNews (EN)

Press Release • Mar 21, 2018 12:18 GMT

On Thursday Avinor, the Federation of Norwegian Aviation Industries and Zero are organizing the conference “Emission-free aviation in 2040?”

“Aviation is of key importance for Norway and the industry must take its share of responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable jet biofuel will play an important role and we are facing the electrification of aviation. We want to bring together the communities working on these issues, with an aim of sharing expertise and insights for the road forward,” says CEO of Avinor, Dag Falk-Petersen.

Must develop the market for jet biofuel
Studies show that 30 per cent of all aviation fuel at Avinor’s airports can become sustainable by 2030. The fuel can be produced from forestry waste and pulpwood from Norwegian forests. At Avinor Oslo airport and Bergen Airport, Flesland, jet biofuel is available, but it is difficult to source enough.

In 2016 1.25 million litres of sustainable jet biofuel were uplifted in Norway. This corresponded to 0.1 per cent of all jet fuel sold in Norway that year. In August 2017 the scheme was also extended to include Flesland. However, there was very limited availability of jet biofuel on the market in 2017, resulting in the drop in of only 125,000 litres of jet biofuel during the year in total for the two airports.

“Currently very little sustainable jet biofuel is produced globally, and what little there is has a price that is not competitive. To achieve the target of a 30 per cent drop in and corresponding emission reductions, there will therefore be a need for public instruments,” says Torbjørn Lothe, Managing Director of the Federation of Norwegian Aviation Industries (NHO Luftfart).

Electric aircraft are on the way
There is considerable interest in and a good deal of activity surrounding the development of electric aircraft. A number of stakeholders, including Boeing, Airbus, Siemens, Rolls Royce, and NASA, are working with and can see the commercial potential of electric and hybrid-electric aircraft. In Norway, Avinor is playing an active role in these efforts. Together with the Norwegian Association of Air Sports (NLF), Avinor has established a long-term project for the introduction of electric aircraft in Norwegian aviation. The project is supported by the government, and the project partners are Widerøe, SAS, and the climate foundation ZERO.

“Just a short time ago electric aircraft were unimaginable. Now a number of major players are claiming that in only a few years they will be able to provide aircraft with electric solutions for domestic scheduled traffic in Norway. In order to bring up the volume of emission reductions from aviation, we also need to see a quick phasing in of sustainable jet biofuel. This will allow Norway to lead the way and show how we can realign aviation,” says Marius Holm, head of ZERO.

Detailed programme and registration here: https://avinor.no/en/corporate/emission-free-aviation-in-2040/

Source: Avinor

Avinor, Electric aircraft, Emission-free aviation, sustainable aviation

Drone Delivery Canada Achieves Compliant Operator Status with Transport Canada

2018-02-09 Michael Wühle sNews (EN)

Toronto, Ontario, February 9, 2018, Drone Delivery Canada ‘DDC or the Company’ (TSX.V:FLT OTC:TAKOF), is pleased to announce that Transport Canada has granted the Company a Compliant UAV Operator Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC).

A Compliant ‘UAS’ (Unmanned Aircraft System) was the first of three regulatory components to the Transport Canada Compliant UAS Operator program, and mandatory for a Compliant UAS Operator SFOC, which the Company obtained and announced in December 2017.

Today, receiving this additional approval represents the balance of the remaining two steps of a methodical process to prove the Company’s operational safety practices and our professionalism to Transport Canada. This milestone, achieving a Compliant Operator SFOC, is both essential and necessary for any UAV operator wanting to conduct Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight operations; and for our specific purpose of drone delivery services.

“The Company has been working around the clock to achieve compliant status and is both grateful and appreciative of being recognized as a professional and safe operator of unmanned aircraft (UAS) by Transport Canada. Realizing this milestone enables DDC to continue moving towards becoming a leader in drone delivery services for Canadians by Canadians across our vast geography”, commented Mark Wuennenberg, Vice-President of Regulatory Affairs Drone Delivery Canada.

Approval of this certificate is the starting point for the commercialization of drone delivery services in Canada. To this end, DDC intends to work with Transport Canada to trial beyond visual range delivery solutions in remote areas of Canada’s north.
Drone Delivery Canada appreciates the efforts of Transport Canada in creating a favorable environment to grow innovative technology.

For more information, please visit; www.dronedeliverycanada.com

About Drone Delivery Canada

Drone Delivery Canada is a drone technology company focused on the design, development and implementation of its proprietary logistics software platform, using drones. The Company’s platform will be used as Software as a Service (SaaS) for government and corporate organizations.
Drone Delivery Canada Corp. is a publicly listed company trading on the TSX V Exchange under the symbol FLT, on the U.S. OTC Q B market under the symbol TAKOF and on the Frankfurt exchange in Germany under the symbol A2AMGZ.

Source: Drone Delivery Canada Corp.

drone delivery, UAS, Unmanned Aircraft System

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