Sustainability In The Air

• Why IAG believes sustainable aviation requires both collaboration and competition

  In this episode, we speak with Aaron Robinson, Vice President of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at the International Airlines Group (IAG), which has become the top airline globally for SAF use.IAG is one of the visionary companies featured in our new book Sustainability in the Air: Volume Two. You can learn more about the book and order a copy here.Robinson discusses:How IAG leveraged European incentives, Heathrow Airport programmes, and emissions trading schemes to make SAF economically viable whilst partnering with corporate customers like DHL and Microsoft to fund the price gap.Why 52% of airlines globally still haven’t used any SAF, exploring how the industry’s safety culture can create resistance to technological change and first-mover disadvantage.The cultural and policy differences driving higher SAF adoption rates in Europe versus North How regulatory backlash against sustainability claims can discourage innovation and communication about genuine progress.The role of book-and-claim systems in optimising SAF deployment whilst developing production capacity in emerging markets across Latin America, Asia, and Africa.Why the industry needs both elements – collaboration to build infrastructure foundations and healthy competition to drive innovation.Note: This interview was recorded in August 2024. For the latest figures on SAF use, follow Robinson’s ongoing LinkedIn series. You can read the first post here.If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Jolanda Stevens, Program Manager for Zero Emission Aviation at KLM, who shares how the airline is advancing sustainable aviation through innovation, partnerships, and strategic investment. Check it out here. Feel free to reach out via email to [email protected]. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.Links & more:Sustainability – International Airlines GroupInfinium and Twelve raise a total of up to $1.7 billion towards eSAF production – GreenAir NewsMicrosoft backs SAF for Scope 3 business travel emissions in agreements with IAG and FEG – GreenAir News  British Airways owner IAG ups sustainable fuel intake with Infinium – Forbes 

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• How the GBTA aims to align corporate travel demand with aviation sustainability goals

  In this episode, we speak with Suzanne Neufang, CEO of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), who shares how the world’s leading business travel association is transforming corporate travel to accelerate aviation decarbonisation through industry collaboration.Neufang discusses:How sustainability priorities amongst travel managers more than doubled from 8% in 2023 to 19% in 2024, though the industry baseline remains at just 1.3 out of 5 on GBTA's sustainability maturity scale.Why sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is the most promising decarbonisation pathway for aviation today, and how corporate customers must play an active role in stimulating market demand through SAF certificate purchases.How GBTA's Sustainability Acceleration Challenge mobilised over 240 companies to benchmark their decarbonisation efforts and identify best practices.Why GBTA takes a pragmatic rather than activist approach, focusing on harmonising standards across the complex corporate travel ecosystem to eliminate inefficiencies.How artificial intelligence holds great promise for optimising travel decisions and emissions tracking, with potential for 10-15% emissions reductions through more efficient air routing alone.Why business travel serves as a catalyst for broader aviation sustainability, given that corporate travellers are the frequent flyers responsible for most airline profits and emissions.Neufang also explains GBTA’s three-pronged strategy of bringing the industry together, rallying players around common standards, and building capacity at scale to move the entire travel industry towards more sustainable practices.If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Sally Davey, CEO of Travalyst, who shares how the not-for-profit coalition is transforming the travel industry through collaborative data initiatives. Check it out here. Learn more about the startups, strategists, and sceptics working to close the gap between growth and green ambition in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume Two’. Click here to learn more.Links & more:Global Business Travel Association - GBTA Sustainability - GBTA GBTA Sustainability Acceleration Challenge - GBTA Foundation Business travel bounces back: spending forecast to hit record - Skift 

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• How Heart Aerospace is rewriting the rules of new aircraft development

  In this episode, we speak with Anders Forslund, Co-founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace, who shares the radical transformation his electric aircraft company has undergone in the past year — relocating from Sweden to Los Angeles and fundamentally changing how aerospace companies operate in the 21st century.Forslund discusses:Why Heart moved its operations to the US despite strong European roots, driven by the need to access customers, suppliers, and investors in the world’s largest aerospace market.How the industry’s talent crisis stems from decades without clean sheet aircraft development, and why bringing in top performers from SpaceX, Tesla, and other mission-driven technology companies is essential for attracting the right talent.Why all aerospace companies are actually software companies, given that most aircraft delays and crashes today stem from software issues rather than structural failures, and how this demands in-house control of software.Why companies should actively take on uncertainty rather than minimise it, viewing adaptability as more crucial than strength or intelligence in today’s rapidly changing world.How the loss of regional connectivity serves as the “canary in the coal mine” for broader industry problems, and why this represents the natural entry point for introducing new technology and training the next generation of aerospace talent.Forslund also reveals his seven-rule framework for modern aerospace product development and explains why focusing on building rather than predicting the future is the key to success.If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Daniel Rosen Jacobson, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Elysian Aircraft, who discusses the startup’s unique approach to electric aviation. Check it out here. Learn more about the startups, strategists, and sceptics working to close the gap between growth and green ambition in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume Two’. Click here to learn more.Links & more:Heart Aerospace Heart Aerospace unveils full-scale 30-seat hybrid-electric aircraft demonstrator - GreenAir News Heart Aerospace relocates headquarters to Los Angeles - AviationSource NewsHeart Aerospace to Launch World’s Largest Fully Electric Aircraft in 2025 - Aviacionline 

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• Why JetZero believes blended wing body aircraft are essential for net-zero aviation

  In this episode, we speak with Tom O'Leary, CEO and co-founder of JetZero, which is developing the world's first commercial blended wing body (BWB) aircraft that promises to revolutionise aviation efficiency and passenger experience.JetZero is one of the visionary companies featured in our new book Sustainability in the Air: Volume Two. You can learn more about the book and order a copy here.O'Leary discusses:JetZero's mission to bring the first all-wing jet to market by the early 2030s, touting its unbeatable 30% aerodynamic efficiency advantage.How the BWB design achieves up to 50% reduction in fuel burn and emissions through optimised lift across the entire wingspan, reduced drag, lower weight from carbon composites, and integration with existing single-aisle-sized engines.Strategic partnerships with the U.S. Air Force and NASA for dual-use development, plus collaboration with major suppliers like RTX (Pratt & Whitney) and airlines including Delta and Alaska.Revolutionary passenger experience features including eight-foot ceilings, six boarding aisles, dedicated personal storage space, and wider seats across all classes.If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Dr. Christoph Gebald, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Climeworks, who talks about scaling direct air capture technology and its vital role in sustainable aviation. Check it out here. Learn more about the startups, strategists, and sceptics working to close the gap between growth and green ambition in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume Two’. Click here to learn more.Feel free to reach out via email to [email protected]. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.Links & more:New book: Sustainability in the Air, Vol Two - SimpliFlyingJetZero United Invests in JetZero, Could Acquire 200 Blended Wing Body Aircraft - FLYING Magazine JetZero Pitches Blended Wing Body Tanker as 'Game-Changer’ - A&SF Magazine‘Daunting but not impossible’: JetZero endeavors to deliver world’s first ‘all-wing’ commercial jet - Flight Global Sustainability In The Air (2 book series) Paperback Edition - Amazon How Climeworks is making Direct Air Capture a viable decarbonisation pathway - SimpliFlying

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• How Edmonton International Airport is becoming a “sustainability engine” for Canada

  In this episode, we speak with Marion N Chivot-Legris, Director of ESG & Sustainability Strategy at Edmonton International Airport (YEG), who shares how the Canadian airport is leveraging its unique position to drive sustainability innovation across the region.Chivot-Legris discusses:YEG’s transformation into a “sustainability engine” for the entire region, building an integrated ecosystem that brings together clean energy companies, logistics, agri-food technologies, and education beyond traditional aviation operations.The airport’s leadership in hydrogen development, leveraging Alberta’s position as Canada’s hydrogen corridor, with nearly 60% of the country’s hydrogen produced in the Edmonton metropolitan region, to test use cases from ground vehicles to potential future aircraft.YEG’s methodical approach to hydrogen adoption, starting with Toyota Mirai cars and Hyundai NEXO vehicles before progressing to heavier equipment like hydrogen-diesel dual fuel runway sweepers as stepping stones toward future hydrogen infrastructure.The airport’s complementary approach to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and hydrogen, and how it’s working with local partners to advance SAF production.Key lessons for airports beginning their sustainability journey: progress doesn’t require perfection, partnerships are essential, and transparency in sharing both successes and challenges builds trust and encourages collaboration.Chivot-Legris also offers unique insights into how airports can serve as innovation hubs that extend their impact far beyond traditional aviation operations.If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Swedavia’s Lena Wennberg & Therese Forsström, who share the airport operator’s ambitious plans for a fossil-free future. Check it out here. Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.Feel free to reach out via email to [email protected]. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.Links & More:Environmental, social & governance (ESG) - YEG CorporateHydrogen-powered runway sweepers at Edmonton Airport - International Airport Review Drone Delivery Canada expands collaborative drone operations at Edmonton International Airport - DRONELIFEEdmonton Airport and ZeroAvia partner to develop hydrogen infrastructure in Canada - FTE  

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