Sustainability In The Air

In this special holiday episode, we re-visit conversations with six aviation industry executives about their approaches to sustainability and decarbonisation.Scandinavian Airlines CEO Anko van der Werff shares how regional environmental consciousness shapes their strategy, combining SAF adoption with electric and hydrogen partnerships. Their first electric flight is scheduled for 2028.Alaska Airlines SVP Diana Birkett Rakow details their 2040 net-zero target, with initiatives including employee bonus links to carbon targets and a partnership with Microsoft for synthetic fuel production.Boeing’s Chief Sustainability Officer Brian Moran discusses their “SAF&” strategy and goal for 100% SAF-compatible aircraft by 2030. They’re advancing electric propulsion through their Saab 340B retrofit project.Pittsburgh International Airport CEO Christina Cassotis reveals how they’ve operated completely off-grid for three years using a microgrid system, while developing multiple SAF pathways and an innovation testing ground.Truckee Tahoe Airport GM Robb Etnyre describes becoming the first airport to fully adopt SAF, achieving price parity with conventional jet fuel at $8 per gallon.IAG’s Group head of Sustainability Jonathon Counsell outlines their commitment to 10% SAF fuel use by 2030, emphasizing the importance of managing cost transitions across the industry.If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love all the conversations we had through the year with dozens of industry executives, technology leaders and scientists. Check out the archive 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’. 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:How SAS wants to pioneer sustainable aviation in Scandinavia Alaska Airlines’ multi-faceted approach to achieving net zero by 2040How Boeing’s ‘SAF&’ strategy is laying the foundation for sustainable flyingWhy airports should become energy innovation hubs, not just transport hubsHow Truckee Tahoe Airport is transitioning towards its 100% SAF goalWhy IAG is focusing on the practicality of SAF more than emerging technologies This episode is brought to you by 4AIR. 4AIR is leading the way with the industry’s first framework to address aviation’s climate impact—offering clear, verifiable pathways to reduce and counteract aircraft emissions. For more information, please visit: https://www.4air.aero/

In this special holiday episode, we explore conversations with five industry leaders developing innovative sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production technologies.INERATEC CEO Tim Boeltken explains their modular e-fuel technology that converts green hydrogen and CO2 into carbon-neutral liquid fuels. They aim to transform 1 gigawatt of renewable energy into 125 million gallons of sustainable e-fuel by early 2030s.LanzaJet CEO Jimmy Samartzis discusses their alcohol-to-jet technology, which efficiently converts ethanol into 90% SAF and 10% renewable diesel. Their Georgia facility, LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels, is the world’s first ethanol-to-SAF production plant.Twelve CEO Nicholas Flanders details their E-Jet® fuel technology that transforms CO2 and water into aviation fuel with up to 90% lower lifecycle emissions. Their partnership with Alaska Airlines and Microsoft aims to scale E-Jet® production.Arcadia eFuels CEO Amy Hebert outlines their strategy to scale commercial e-fuel production without pilot plants, targeting 100 million litres annually through fully electrified facilities that could reduce CO2 emissions by 250,000 tonnes.Nova Pangaea Technologies CEO Sarah Ellerby describes their REFNOVA® technology that converts agricultural and woody wastes into SAF precursors. Their Project Speedbird partnership with LanzaJet and British Airways has secured £9 million in UK government funding.If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love all the conversations we had through the year with dozens of industry executives, technology leaders and scientists. Check out the archive 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’. 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:How INERATEC plans to turn 1 gigawatt of power into 125 million gallons of e-fuelLanzaJet plans to produce 1 billion gallons of SAF by 2030How Twelve’s carbon transformation technology is making carbon-neutral fuels a realityAre eFuels the holy grail of sustainable aviation fuels?How Nova Pangaea Technologies plans to turn agricultural and forestry waste into SAF 

In this episode, we speak with Valérie Guénon, Vice President of Product Environment Policies at Safran Aircraft Engines. She shares insights into how the company aims to tackle its environmental challenges through innovative engine design and sustainable fuel integration.Guénon discusses Safran’s comprehensive approach to aviation sustainability, and highlights:The RISE (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) program, developed in partnership with GE Aerospace that features an innovative open fan architecture that could significantly reduce fuel consumption by removing the heavy engine nacelle and optimising propulsive efficiency.Safran’s commitment to environmental research, with the company dedicating 88% of its self-funded research to environmental performance improvements, covering areas like CO2 reduction, noise reduction, and local air pollution mitigation.Safran is actively working to ensure engine compatibility with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), addressing challenges beyond just combustion.Through the Renewable Low Carbon Fuels European Alliance, Safran chairs the aviation chamber and helps coordinate industry-wide efforts to scale up SAF production and adoption.The complexities of hydrogen adoption in aviation, drawing from Safran’s experience with rocket propulsion.Safran’s electrification initiatives that focus on smaller aircraft through Safran Electrical & Power.Throughout the conversation, Guénon emphasises that while engine manufacturers can’t control air traffic growth, they can significantly impact efficiency. Guénon also shares her pioneering experience as a woman in aerospace engineering, highlighting how both cultural changes and legislation have improved gender equality in the field.If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Graham Webb, Chief Sustainability Officer at Pratt and Whitney. 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’. 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:Sustainability - SafranHow Safran is helping to develop sustainable fuels - Safran GE Aviation and Safran launch advanced technology demonstration programme for sustainable engines - ERA Safran invests €1bn to develop global MRO network for LEAP engine - Aerospace Manufacturing 

In this episode, we talk to Kennedy Ricci, President of 4AIR, who shares insights into how business aviation can accelerate sustainability initiatives that could benefit the entire industry. 4AIR helps private aviation stakeholders implement impactful sustainability programs, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations and industry commitments through independent reviews. Ricci explains 4AIR’s broad approach to aviation sustainability, that extends beyond traditional carbon offsetting.He discusses:The development of 4AIR’s four-tier rating system for aviation sustainability, starting with carbon offsetting and progressing to more advanced solutions including SAF usage and investment in future technologies.Recent research on contrail reduction shows that adjusting just 50 flights out of nearly 17,000 could reduce the non-CO2 impact by about 50%. The study also found that 70% of contrail-producing flights could have avoided contrails by flying at different altitudes.The stark difference in contrail formation between US and European operations, with aircraft making contrails almost twice as frequently in Europe due to air traffic control (ATC) practices, highlighting the importance of ATC cooperation in sustainability efforts.Business aviation’s outsized role in sustainable aviation fuel adoption, consuming about 10-15% of global SAF production despite representing only 2% of aviation fuel usage, effectively serving as an early adopter for the broader industry.The implementation of innovative tracking solutions through their Assure platform, which has documented over 15 million gallons of SAF and helped establish a more robust system for tracking sustainable fuel usage.If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Eloa Guillotin, Co-Founder & CEO of Beyond Aero. 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’. 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:4AIR 4AIR launches Assure SAF registry to track and validate sustainable aviation fuel - Financial Post 4AIR awarded prestigious recognition by Environment+Energy - GlobeNewswire ‘Small changes to aircraft routings’ could reduce environmental impact - AGN 4Air compliance services expands with 21 more environmental requirements - Aviation International News