March 25, 2021 - No. 23 In This Issue : Illinois Tech wins grant for electric aviation technology : Bell Becomes First Rotorcraft Customer to Use Sustainable Aviation Fuel for Training : Finnair strengthens collaboration on electric aircraft with startup Heart Aerospace : Technology and Aviation. New step towards the U-space for drones in the EU : Swiss Air in blockchain project for managing airport takeoff slots : The Future Planes Of Airbus: Zero Emission Hydrogen Aircraft : Sustainable Aviation Fuel incorporated into all Bell Training Academy aircraft : Sydney Airport signs tech deal with SITA : Aviation’s Hydrogen Targets Tied to a Renewables ‘Ecosystem’ : Largest Contaminated Air Conference Ever Held Concludes 'Bleed Air' Filters and Sensors Should be Installed on Passenger Jet and Turboprop Aircraft : SpaceX marks anniversary of first launch with Starlink mission Illinois Tech wins grant for electric aviation technology The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech), a private, technology-focused research university in Chicago, a grant to develop critical technologies to help usher in a new era in electric aviation. The $779,374 grant was awarded to Illinois Tech's Grainger Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering John Shen to create the first-ever momentary circuit interrupter that can be used in turboelectric aircraft to help keep planes flying safely with megawatts of power coming out of their engines. Shen said, “Turboelectric aircraft, being propelled by many electric fans distributed across the body of the aircraft instead of just at the wings, represents a fundamental and exciting shift in air travel as we know it, with the potential to reduce air travel emissions by up to 90% – and this technology will be a critical step to make that a reality.” Within the next 20 years, each turboelectric plane will be powered by around 50MW of electricity, enough to power a small city. Ensuring these planes continue to function safely while in the air will require a completely new kind of circuit protection technology. Illinois Tech received this competitive award alongside General Electric (GE) Research, Virginia Tech, University of Tennessee, Advanced Conductor Technologies, and Hyper Tech Research as a part of ARPA-E’s Topics Informing New Program Areas - Connecting Aviation By Lighter Electric Systems (CABLES) initiative, for the development of technologies for medium-voltage power instruments, such as distribution cables, connectors, and circuit breakers for electric aviation applications. The Illinois Tech proprietary superconducting momentary circuit interrupters (SMCI) aim to provide fault protection with ultralow power loss (less than one watt), ultrafast response (less than a ten millionth of a second), and high power density for future turboelectric aircraft power systems. SMCI is not a circuit breaker but can perform fault interruption and isolation functions working in concert with the mechanical switch. “With that much electricity flowing through turboelectric aircraft, it’s crucial to avoid the conduction loss of solid-state circuit breakers that causes excessive heat, and it is vital that we improve on the response time of hybrid circuit breakers to prevent potential damage from the electrical fault,” Shen said. “Using high-temperature superconducting materials for fault protection in this way is a really exciting technological advancement beyond conventional circuit breakers.” https://www.aerospacemanufacturinganddesign.com/article/illinois-tech-awarded-grant-electric-aviation-technology/ Bell Becomes First Rotorcraft Customer to Use Sustainable Aviation Fuel for Training On March 24, Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, announced that it will begin incorporating Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) into all Bell Training Academy (BTA) and customer demonstration fleet aircraft. Bell will be the first rotorcraft customer to receive SAF supply from global aviation fuel supplier, Avfuel Corporation. “Bell is an active supporter of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s sustainable fuel initiative, and we are committed to seeking more eco-friendly solutions for rotorcraft,” said Michael Thacker, executive vice president, technology and commercial business. “As the industry moves toward a greener future, Bell’s decision to introduce SAF in our training and demonstration aircraft is a reflection of our dedication to this shared goal and to providing clean alternatives for the environment.” All Bell-operated demonstration and training fleet aircraft, totaling 20 aircraft, will begin using sustainable aviation fuel starting March 25. SAF provides a cleaner source of fuel to power rotorcraft and decreases the environmental impact of general aviation. Aside from SAF integration, Bell is exploring other ways to diminish fuel consumption by testing electrically powered technology in new vehicles like the Bell Autonomous Pod Transport and the Electrically Distributed Anti-Torque demonstrator. Bell continues to support the aviation industry in its objective to achieve carbon-neutral growth and reduce CO2 emissions by 50 percent by 2050. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/rotorcraft/press-release/21215794/bell-bell-becomes-first-rotorcraft-customer-to-use-sustainable-aviation-fuel-for-training Finnair strengthens collaboration on electric aircraft with startup Heart Aerospace Finnair has signed a letter of interest with pioneering Swedish sustainable aviation company Heart Aerospace and could acquire up to 20 of its 19-seater ES-19 electric aircraft for use on shortest haul routes. The planes, which are currently in development, could be a part of the toolbox of new technologies in helping Finnair meet its plans to be carbon neutral by 2045. Two years ago, Finnair joined the Nordic Network for Electric Aviation (NEA), which has seen governments, airlines and companies collaborate on exciting new projects to help develop sustainable ways to travel. The NEA has four key goals: standardising electric air infrastructure in the Nordic countries; developing business models for regional point-to-point connectivity; developing aircraft technology for Nordic weather conditions and creating a platform for European and global collaborations. “We have worked closely with the NEA but getting this commitment from Finnair is really important,” says Anders Forslund, CEO and Founder of Heart Aerospace. “The big challenge of building an electric aircraft isn’t just in the technology, but also building the momentum to create a project like this and building it all the way.” “When developing a completely new type of aircraft, you need partners, such as airlines and airports, to ensure that the whole ecosystem develops in line with the aircraft. Needs throughout the value chain are considered at an early phase,” says Anne Larilahti, Head of Sustainability at Finnair. ENTIRELY NEW INFRASTRUCTURE Initially, electric aircraft are likely to be used for shortest haul flights, helping to cut emissions as well as, potentially, invigorating local economies, says Forslund. “If you bring electric aircraft to the table, we can fly small planes at unit economics that are similar to where the larger planes are today,” he says. “We can do this with planes that have zero emissions but also very low noise. We think this is not only going to replace some of the regional fleets that are out there today, but also create a new market and new types of connectivity. “An electric aircraft is better the shorter the route you fly. The shorter you fly, the less you wear the batteries and the faster they can be recharged,” explains Forslund. That, of course, means new infrastructure, potentially developing smaller airports to enable flights between smaller towns and cities in a shift away from the traditional hub airport model. New electric planes may also attract customers who are happy travelling light on planes that have little space for heavy luggage. It’s a major undertaking that will need years of work from multiple stakeholders. “You need to really understand what is needed at the airports as well,” says Larilahti. “You can’t expand faster than the available infrastructure that supports these planes.” Charging points will be required at every airport where an electric aircraft takes off and lands. Forslund explains that while Heart Aerospace, at a conservative estimate, thinks batteries for its ES-19 can be fully charged 1,000 times over their lifetime, planes will need to be topped up every time they land. That’s where the NEA comes in. “It makes sense to have a standard [for charging],” says Larilahti. “How much easier is life now that we have USB?” pointing to the charging standard which has provided easy and convenient charging of smartphones and tablets. NORDIC COUNTRIES AT FOREFRONT OF INNOVATION Nordic countries working together to solve technological problems is nothing new. Both Forslund and Larilahti highlight NMT (Nordic Mobile Technology), a precursor to the GSM standard which helped revolutionize mobile communications across the globe. “It was a Nordic collaboration project,” says Forslund. “That meant not only that we in the Nordics were among the first to have access to mobile phones, it also created some of the most successful telecoms companies in the world. The biggest impact of mobiles hasn’t been here, but in countries that didn’t have landlines, especially in the developing world. There’s a similarity here with electric aircraft.” “We can pilot this,” adds Larilahti. “Our advantage is that there are countries that have their differences, but also countries that are very used to working together and creating common approaches.” Larilahti points out that the cold weather in the Nordic region also means it’s the perfect place to pioneer electric aviation technology. “Our cold climate has an impact on batteries and operating a light plane. If we know how to do it here, it’s easier to do it elsewhere.” “From a sustainability perspective you have something that is very palatable,” says Forslund. “If we grow this in the Nordic countries, then we can create a beneficial technology that we can then export to the rest of the world.” BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR AVIATION “In the near term, electric aircraft will not be the panacea to all sustainable aviation,” says Forslund. “But what it really does is remove the most expensive part of the aircraft, the jet engine and replaces it with a conceptually very simple electric motor. It’s cheap to make and maintain.” Larilahti agrees that electric aviation alone won’t be enough to bring down emissions across the aviation sector. “If we look at the requirements of the Paris agreement, it’s not going to be enough just to electrify,” she says. “There’s no silver bullet but this is something that is extremely interesting.” “We need a big toolbox,” she adds. “That means electric, hydrogen, biofuels and electro-fuels are all essential. If we don’t build everything in collaboration from the ground up, including infrastructure, it makes no sense. There’s no point if one thing is going fast and others are moving slowly.” Forslund agrees. “If we remove emissions from aviation in the Nordics that’s a good start, but it’s not nearly enough. We need to create a model that’s sustainable and exportable to the rest of the world. And I think that’s where we share ambitions with Finnair.” https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/finnair/finnair-strengthens-collaboration-on-electric-aircraft-with-startup-heart-aerospace/ Technology and Aviation. New step towards the U-space for drones in the EU. In March 2021, EASA’s Committee for the application of common safety rules in the field of civil aviation approved the proposed EU ‘U-space’ regulatory package. This legislative package aims at allowing routine drone operations in low level airspace and in urban area. It is considered a key enabler for delivery drones, while paving the way towards urban air mobility. U-space ‘U-space’[1] concerns the services and the specific procedures designed to support safe, efficient and secure access to airspace for drones’ operations, whereby it is the intention to guarantee at all times the necessary physical distance between drones and other aircraft. U-Space technology should further allow access for the drones to new volumes of airspace (urban, suburban, rural). The U-space technology and proposed regulation deeply rely on extensive digitalization and automation functions (e.g. automatic detection of unauthorized drone flights, sharing of information between the different airspace users, online requests of drone flights authorizations). The draft U-space regulation refers to the two already existing EU delegated and implementing regulations on drones[2] and which have established a first set of detailed safety provisions for the harmonised operation of UAS (unmanned aircraft systems), and minimum technical requirements for UAS. The proposed legislative framework The draft Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) on a regulatory framework for a U-space, which together with two other proposed regulations forms “the package”[3], defines the roles and the responsibilities of the different stakeholders involved: The Member States will be responsible for designating the geographical zones where the drone operations will be allowed to take place with the support of U-space services. The Member States should remain fully competent to decide to which extent their national airspace should be open to the drones’ operations, or restricted. The ‘U-space service providers’ (USSP) are referred to as newly created organisations that are to be certified to provide U-space service, which may be in one or more Member States. They will have to provide - at least - four mandatory U-space services: geo-awareness, traffic information, flight authorisation and network identification. Reference is made to EASA as the certifying authority in case one USSP wishes to provide service across the EU (pan-European service). Drone operators should have non-discriminatory access to all U-space service providers in the Union. They will have to establish a contract with one certified USSP of their choice and request their flight authorisation at least 5 minutes prior to estimated take-off time. They will need to hold a certificate and will have to operate in accordance with the regulations of the package. Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) will continue to remain responsible for the provision of air traffic management (ATM) services to manned aircraft. They will have to establish arrangements with USSP’s to ensure adequate coordination and exchange of information. Manned aviation finally also will have to adapt and comply with those provisions from the package that apply to them.[4] The proposed regulations do not apply to (i) drones owned and operated by public entities (e.g. military, customs, police, etc.); (ii) to privately-built drones less than 250g and with a maximum speed of less than 19m/s; (iii) to very small drones marked as ‘class CO’; and (iv) to drones used in the framework of model aircraft clubs and associations. Privacy and data protection Because of the societal concerns flowing from the use of drones, the U-space package takes into consideration privacy concerns of the citizens. The establishment and access to the U-space should be conditional to privacy requirements. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will apply to the drone pilots and the drone operators as soon as personal data are processed at the occasion of the flight. A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) may be necessary. Anonymization or pseudonymization techniques may be required or advisable. Next steps Further safety regulation is being worked on. It is expected that ‘a Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA)’ will be published by EASA in December 2021. The draft implementing rules will then undoubtedly be made subject to public consultation, during 1 to 3 months, before the European Commission will adopt them. Entry into force is expected for January 2023. In parallel to the rulemaking activities, EASA has launched a study on the societal acceptance of urban air mobility (UAM) in six (6) European cities. The results will be presented this summer at the European Parliament. https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=fbacf958-a48f-45e0-8e4e-419c5d1ef612 Swiss Air in blockchain project for managing airport takeoff slots SlotMachine is an EU-funded project that uses blockchain technology to create a marketplace for airlines to exchange runway takeoff slots. The project started in October 2020 and runs until the end of 2022. The project involves a consortium of air traffic technology firm Frequentis, EUROCONTROL, which coordinates cross border air traffic control, the Austrian Institute of Technology, the University of Linz in Austria and Swiss Air. Air traffic slots aren’t purely for takeoff timing. They also regulate the time of landing and flight route. When there’s air traffic congestion, sometimes airlines swap two of their flights to ensure a higher profit one isn’t delayed. These internal fleet swaps are relatively straightforward, but there has previously been no easy way for separate companies to exchange multiple slots. Until now, slot swapping between airlines has been limited to two flights. SlotMachine is expected to offer a marketplace for companies to trade departure timings using semi-automated transaction processing. Developers hope the introduction of SlotMachine could engender better use of airport resources, fewer passenger delays and increased airline efficiency. Importantly, SlotMachine’s blockchain technology uses multi-party computation (MPC) to enable a greater degree of privacy over data. Airlines will not be able to access other companies’ data, so they can’t see what competitors are bidding on and how many slots different airlines have released. There is another solution in development by SESAR for Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) slots, but the blockchain solution aims to be more flexible and remove the need to disclose confidential information. SlotMachine received €1.94 million ($2.3m) of EU Horizon 2020 funding out of a total budget of €2.2 million ($2.6m). Although SlotMachine introduces a new application of blockchain technology for aviation, the technology is already used by the sector in various solutions. In late 2020, French aerospace contractor Thales announced its use of blockchain technology to trace aircraft parts undergoing compliance tests. Other blockchain initiatives for aircraft parts include Honeywell Aerospace, GE Aviation and SITA, the airline industry-owned technology firm. Airlines have also started using blockchain technology for digital health passports. Earlier this year, Emirates began a trial with GE Digital to develop a Covid-19 travel app. Recently, Singapore Airlines, BA and Etihad airlines all trialed IATA’s Travel Pass platform, which verifies Covid-19 credentials. https://www.ledgerinsights.com/swiss-air-in-blockchain-project-for-managing-airport-takeoff-slots/ The Future Planes Of Airbus: Zero Emission Hydrogen Aircraft Airbus released a proposal for a series of zero-emission aircraft in late 2020. These could set Airbus apart as a leading manufacturer in this arena, but there is still much work to be done. Airbus has since revealed more about its plans, its commitment to hydrogen and its timetable for development. This article takes a look at what we know so far. Airbus zero-emission aircraft Airbus has ambitious plans for three new aircraft that could fly with net-zero emissions. These plans were released in September 2020 – fittingly to mark zero-emissions day. Airbus aims to have the first of these aircraft in service by 2035. It has proposed three aircraft concepts, each based on a hydrogen fuel source. These are named ZEROe. Alongside aircraft and engine design and technology, Airbus is embarking on a much wider project to make the concept of hydrogen power and zero emissions economically viable. Airbus Chief executive Guillaume Faury explained Airbus’s ambition in a statement at the time of the launch. He said: “This is a historic moment for the commercial aviation sector as a whole and we intend to play a leading role in the most important transition this industry has ever seen. The concepts we unveil today offer the world a glimpse of our ambition to drive a bold vision for the future of zero-emission flight. I strongly believe that the use of hydrogen – both in synthetic fuels and as a primary power source for commercial aircraft – has the potential to significantly reduce aviation’s climate impact.” Three aircraft designs Three different aircraft designs have been proposed. The first two of these look very much like existing narrowbody aircraft, but the design would be altered to accommodate additional storage for hydrogen. The third is a new design optimized for hydrogen use. Regional Turboprop. The first concept is a smaller regional aircraft with a capacity of 100 passengers. This will offer a range of just 1,000 nautical miles, with modified gas turbine engines. Turbofan narrowbody. The second, larger concept is for a 120-200 capacity aircraft with a range of up to 2,000 nautical miles. This would use a modified turbofan jet engine. Additional hydrogen fuel would be stored at the rear of the fuselage, behind the rear bulkhead. A new, blended wing design. The third proposed aircraft is a big step forward. This uses a blended wing design to increase the fuselage width, providing more options for hydrogen storage and distribution. It would offer a passenger capacity of around 200 but with a whole new cabin concept. No proposals have been released for the interior, but there is an opportunity for innovative cabins and extra features – or just dense multiple aisle seating. Hydrogen rather than electric power All three Airbus aircraft will be hydrogen-powered. We have often discussed the future of aviation fuel, with sustainable fuel, electricity, and hydrogen power as the main focus. Sustainable fuel involves blending sustainable products into standard aviation fuel to reduce overall fossil fuel usage. Several airlines are now working with biofuels. Airbus is involved with this, of course, but these ZEROe aircraft will go further and replace the use of fossil fuels entirely. Electric power has potential in aviation, but there is still a long way to go for large aircraft. Battery technology and weight, in particular, is a major limitation. There are several proposals for smaller aircraft, such as a partnership between Rolls-Royce and Norwegian airline Widerøe to develop electric commuter aircraft. And Honeywell is working on larger hybrid-electric concepts. Hybrid approach to hydrogen use For hydrogen-powered aircraft, hydrogen can be used in two ways: It can be used as a fuel source for fuel cells. Hydrogen reacts with oxygen to produce electricity (with heat and water as the by-products). This then powers the engine. Alternatively, hydrogen can be used directly as a fuel source in a modified engine. Airbus is looking at both these methods for aircraft. It will likely take a hybrid approach, where hydrogen is used both directly as a fuel and via an electric fuel cell. Airbus previously released a proposal for a fuel cell-powered aircraft with podded engines. It hopes to confirm the selection of propulsion methods for development in 2022. Developing use of hydrogen Hydrogen use in aviation is currently in its early stages. Boeing flew the first hydrogen-powered aircraft in 2008. And ZeroAvia flew the world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft in 2020 – a converted six-seater Piper aircraft. It now plans to take this further and expand the range to 250 miles. But going back much earlier, gas turbines have been used with hydrogen before on larger aircraft. The US Air Force flew B-57 aircraft with hydrogen fuel in the 1950s. And in the 1980s, Tupolev converted a Tu-155 aircraft to a hydrogen gas turbine. This worked, but at the expense of lots of the seats. Tupolev looked at hydrogen for the supersonic Tu-144, but this never happened. The technology has been proven, but there is still a long way to go. Working with other industries Developing hydrogen technology is going to be a key part of the Airbus program. An important assumption being made is that its price will lower over time as usage expands. Several industries use or are studying the use of hydrogen – including automotive, trucking, rail, and shipping. We know a few things so far about how Airbus is approaching this development: Aviation needs to adopt liquid hydrogen as a fuel source rather than as a high-pressure gas. Airbus is working with other industries (in particular trucking and shipping) on the benefit of moving straight to this for less overall investment. Technology is coming not just from aviation but also space, energy, and automotive industries. Airbus is looking at ways to work with these sectors to improve these technologies for all sectors. It has highlighted that this multi-industry use is key to making hydrogen work for aviation. It has already formed a joint venture with German automotive company ElringKlinger. This will look at adapting automotive fuel cells for use in aviation with results fed back into that industry. Developing airport Infrastructure One major limitation of hydrogen is its adoption by airports. It is one thing to design an aircraft that can be powered by and store hydrogen. It is another to have a global infrastructure that supports it. This has often been cited as one of the major limitations of hydrogen use. Where would the first commitment come from? For airlines to make significant investments, they will want guarantees that aircraft can be used at many airports. And to invest in the fueling infrastructure required, airports will want to know airlines will use it. Airbus is committed to its zero-emission development, not just as a technical exercise to prove it can be done, but as a full plan for use and viability. With this, it is already looking at how aircraft could be rolled out with just limited airport availability – but still allowing a large number of flights. Paris as a first airport? In early 2021, Airbus announced a potential plan to make Paris a ‘hydrogen’ hub. Together with Air France-KLM, Groupe ADP, and the Choose Paris Region agency, it is seeking proposals from companies for hydrogen storage, transportation, and distribution at Paris airports. It is also interested in wider use in other airport operations. Jean-Brice Dumont, Executive Vice President Engineering at Airbus, explained the importance of this, saying: “Airbus is determined to drive a bold vision for the future of sustainable aviation and to lead the transition to zero-emission commercial flight. Hydrogen is the one of the most promising technologies that will help us meet that objective – but we won’t be able to do it alone. This revolution will also require our regulatory and infrastructure ecosystems to change worldwide. “Airports have a key role to play in enabling that transition, starting today, and we hope that this open innovation initiative will foster the development of creative projects and solutions.” Timeline for the new aircraft Airbus shared more details of its anticipated timescale at a recent CAPA Center For Aviation event. Its plan is to have the first aircraft in service by 2035 – but this will most likely not include the third blended wing concept aircraft. It has suggested the following indicative schedule for development: September 2020: Program launch 2022: Technology readiness level three (proof of concept) and selection of propulsion system 2024 – 2025: Product launch, with the selection of final design to move forward 2035: Entry into service of the first aircraft https://simpleflying.com/future-airbus-planes/ Sustainable Aviation Fuel incorporated into all Bell Training Academy aircraft Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) provides a cleaner source of fuel to power rotorcraft and decreases the environmental impact of general aviation Bell Textron Inc. has said it will begin incorporating SAF into all Bell Training Academy (BTA) and customer demonstration fleet aircraft and, in doing so, has become the first rotorcraft customer to receive SAF supply from global aviation fuel supplier Avfuel Corporation. All Bell operated demonstration and training fleet aircraft, totaling 20 aircraft, will begin using sustainable aviation fuel starting from the end of March. “Bell is an active supporter of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s sustainable fuel initiative, and we are committed to seeking more eco-friendly solutions for rotorcraft,” said Michael Thacker, Executive Vice President, Technology and Commercial Business. “As the industry moves toward a greener future, Bell’s decision to introduce SAF in our training and demonstration aircraft is a reflection of our dedication to this shared goal and to providing clean alternatives for the environment.” Electric power options under development Aside from SAF integration, Bell is exploring other ways to diminish fuel consumption in the aviation industry by testing electrically powered technology in new vehicles like the Bell Autonomous Pod Transport and the Electrically Distributed Anti-Torque demonstrator. Bell continues to support the aviation industry in its objective to achieve carbon neutral growth and reduce CO2 emissions by 50 per cent by 2050. https://www.airmedandrescue.com/latest/news/sustainable-aviation-fuel-incorporated-all-bell-training-academy-aircraft Sydney Airport signs tech deal with SITA Technology provider SITA announced a five-year contract with Sydney Airport for the provision of common-use services at both Terminal 1 (international) and Terminal 2 (domestic). The project went live on 1 March featuring SITA Flex, an airport common-use platform, and SITA BagMessage, which eliminates the need for multiple baggage system interfaces between airlines and airports. The solutions will enable the implementation of a low-touch, airline-ready mobile passenger journey, an improved baggage experience, and operational efficiency benefits for Sydney Airport. Sumesh Patel, SITA’s president for Asia-Pacific, said: “We understand the harsh impact of COVID-19 on airports globally and we’ve adapted our solutions to deliver airport operations that are resilient, agile, and highly cost-efficient. SITA’s goal is to provide best-in-class technology solutions and to help Sydney Airport reshape its value proposition to all its stakeholders. A key element is to ensure maximum use of existing assets and technology infrastructure.” Sydney Airport’s vision for development had been laid out in its 2039 Master Plan and the core tenets of this plan mirrored SITA’s mission and technology roadmap. Enhancing the passenger experience, increasing efficiency, focusing on safety and security, and driving productivity were shared focal points. John Raso, head of Aeronautical Technology and Infrastructure at Sydney Airport, said: “SITA was able to quickly understand and adapt their offering to the new world of passenger travel and the related commercial impact on airports. Their solutions align with our vision, help minimize our risk exposure, and improve the passenger experience. We’re excited to be investing in future-proofing Sydney Airport with a strategic partner and market leader in the region.” The cloud-based SITA Flex platform introduces a common-use environment that enables replacement of current traditional common-use touchpoints such as check-in, gate boarding, and service desks. It also builds on existing infrastructures – such as on-site and off-site bag drops and kiosks – which can be re-used and repurposed as required, offering efficiency benefits in a time of economic uncertainty. https://asianaviation.com/sydney-airport-signs-tech-deal-with-sita/ Aviation’s Hydrogen Targets Tied to a Renewables ‘Ecosystem’ Last year’s commitment by Airbus to introduce a hydrogen-powered airliner by 2035 has met with a host of questions and some skepticism, but not necessarily related to the development of the actual airplane technology. Rather, according to a panel assembled by Eurocontrol on the challenges associated with the conversion to hydrogen power, policymakers’ commitment to global standards for the use and production of the element and the need for a so-called green ecosystem remain the most pressing concerns. Speaking during one of a series of online Eurocontrol Stakeholder Forums, Ron van Manen, head of strategic development for the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking, characterized the massive need for renewable energy to create hydrogen in an environmentally sustainable way as “the elephant in the room.” Noting that one needs to use hydrogen to make both synthetic fuels and hydrogen itself, van Manen raised what he called the taboo subject of nuclear power as the basis for creating those fuels. “We often say in aviation, there is no silver bullet toward decarbonizing, but hydrogen does seem to be a golden key,” he said. “With the level of renewable energy that will be required for hydrogen production or, if you permit me to [raise] something that in some circles is considered a taboo, I think the nuclear option is going to be back on the table. But [demand for] non-carbon-producing energy sources on the ground for the creation of hydrogen will grow…Meeting that growth is going to be a challenge.” In fact, aviation will be a relatively small user of hydrogen power given all the industries that can benefit from its use, which, said Airbus vice president of zero-emissions technology Glenn Llewellyn, stands to create a scale of demand that could lower its cost—a “hugely important” part of making climate-neutral flying a reality. “We all want to eliminate our climate impact and other industries are, in fact, going to be much bigger users of hydrogen than aviation [will],” said Llewellyn. “It's also going to have an effect in making hydrogen much more ubiquitous.” Still, the airline industry’s transition to hydrogen will require sorely needed infrastructure at airports to make operating a hydrogen-powered narrowbody airliner in 2035 feasible. “No infrastructure means no aircraft,” added Llewellyn. “I think there's going to be lots of momentum through other sectors’ adoption of hydrogen. The trucking industry is going very fast in that direction.” Speaking from an airport operator’s perspective, Groupe ADP environment director Amelie Lummaux named four major issues related to ground operations, starting with ensuring compatibility between the airplanes and the airports. Requirements for hydrogen storage, liquefaction supply, and distribution systems all raise challenges related to airport-airplane compatibility. Authorities must put in place regulations to allow for hydrogen manipulation at airports, she added. Finally, airports will need a robust hydrogen supply chain to allow for sufficient production and distribution. “This we can start working on now, and that is exactly what we have been doing with our partners in this area,” said Lummaux. “From our point of view, not only is hydrogen a technical challenge, but it is also an economic challenge and a political challenge…Obviously, the political challenge…is to make sure the local population, the local communities nearby the airport, are willing to have hydrogen and liquid hydrogen stored at airports. And that's not that easy either.” At the same time, the aviation industry must address the fact that its rapid growth will mean its current 3 to 4 percent contribution to climate change would increase exponentially if it does not begin to take mitigation measures now, said van Manen. “We can afford, if you like, to be that 3 percent, but we cannot afford to be 20, 30, or 50 percent of the carbon budget in the 2040s,” he explained. For a start, aviation needs to use more sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), stressed Llewellyn. Airbus’s aircraft can all carry up to 50 percent SAF, but the industry hasn’t exploited the full potential of those products, he added. Llewellyn called it “a real shame” that governments haven’t put in place the necessary policies and incentives to encourage more use of SAF, given that hydrogen in its early application in the 2030s will power mainly regional airplanes and small narrowbodies. At that point, long-range aircraft will need to rely on SAF to do their part in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, given producers use hydrogen as an ingredient in synthetic fuel, SAF’s increased use will create more effective economies of scale for both. On the subject of policy measures, Llewellyn called on governments to better align their priorities and agree on a long-term plan to create an ecosystem across industries and encourage manufacturers to invest in the technology needed to achieve climate-change objectives. “I’m speaking on behalf of an aircraft manufacturer, but the truck manufacturers, the ship manufacturers, the energy sector, everyone needs to see the same thing that we do,” he said. “Many companies are now global players. So whatever we can do in terms of aligning globally is going to be really important.” https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2021-03-24/aviations-hydrogen-targets-tied-renewables-ecosystem Largest Contaminated Air Conference Ever Held Concludes 'Bleed Air' Filters and Sensors Should be Installed on Passenger Jet and Turboprop Aircraft The 2021 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference took place online via Zoom, over four days, from March 15 to 18. The conference saw over a dozen films shown, over 30 presenters speak ranging from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), scientist and medical experts, air accident investigators, engineers, attorneys who have or are running cases related to exposures, crew representatives bodies such as the Global Cabin Air Quality Executive (GCAQE) to companies offering potential solutions to help mitigate the contaminated air on aircraft problem, such as Pall Aerospace, BASF, PTI Technologies, Aircraft Clean Air to name a few. Nearly 1600 delegates registered for the event. Logging in from six continents via Zoom, they ranged from US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) personnel, US military, Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, numerous national aviation authorities, filtration and sensing companies and experts, numerous air accident departments, synthetic lubricant manufacturers, aircraft leasing companies, legal teams, scientists & researchers, airline crews and crew unions, to representatives from over 50 airlines. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has previously stated that: “The cabin/cockpit air quality is similar or better than what is observed in normal indoor environments (offices, schools, kinder gardens or dwellings)” and “A human exposure study is the long-needed tool to provide an unequivocal and sound data set to end the misguided discussion on cabin air quality once and for all.” The validity of the EASA view was brought into question by research presented at the conference. A film screened at the conference entitled “Ultrafine Particle Levels Measured On Board Short-haul Commercial Passenger Jet Aircraft” showed that although the air quality in the cruise / steady state phase of flight (the state when engine air quality is certificated) measured very low levels of ultra fine particles (UFPs), there was a clear pattern of increased UFPs during engine power changes and aircraft air conditioning system configuration changes. Levels were reported to be 25 times higher than in a home. Unfortunately, EASA were absent from the conference with no representatives registering. Over the last 20 years, there have been over 50 recommendations and findings made by 12 air accident departments globally, directly related to contaminated air exposures on passenger jet aircraft. However, commercial aircraft continue to fly, with no contaminated air warning systems to notify passengers and crews when the air they are breathing is contaminated despite numerous calls to EASA by air accident investigators. However, EASA have repeatedly stated that contaminated air is not a safety issue, something crew unions strongly dispute and disagree with. Every airline crew union representative presenting at the conference, endorsed or echoed the aims of one of the conference sponsors, the Global Cabin Air Quality Executive’s (GCAQE) ‘Clean Air Campaign’ launched in February 2021. The airline crew campaign is calling on regulators and Governments globally, to mandate the introduction of effective 'bleed air' filters and contaminated air warning sensors on passenger aircraft. The very successful 2021 conference which follows on from the 2017 and 2019 conferences held in London, discussed and debated primarily the design flaw that relates to the way the breathing air supply on all passenger jet aircraft (except the Boeing 787) is supplied. The breathing air is provided to passengers and crews unfiltered directly from the compression section of the engines or from the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), a small engine in the tail of the aircraft. This is a process known as "bleed air," because it is "bled" from the hot compression section of the engine. The "bleed air" is not filtered and known to become contaminated with synthetic jet engine oils and hydraulic fluids. The cans of the jet engine oils and hydraulic fluid products that are contaminating the breathing air supply and to which people have been exposed state: “Do not breathe mist or vapour from heated product," “Risk of causing cancer," “Risk of infertility," “Risk of neurological effects” etc… Conference sponsor BASF provided an informative presentation about their aviation catalytic converters and the importance that they be maintained in accordance with manufacturer guidelines and procedures. Conference keynote speaker Pall Corporation, who were the first company globally to provide an airline with a Cockpit Filter Unit (CFU) over 10 years ago, discussed the efficiency of their HEPA filters to deal with bacteria and viruses on aircraft and gave an update on their Cabin Air Quality Sensor (CAQS). They also presented an update on their total cabin air filtration system known as a Mist and Vapour Eliminator (MaVE) filter. Both CAQS and MaVE technologies are at an advanced design phase and attracting widespread airline and industry interest. Conference Director Captain Tristan Loraine stated: “I would like to thank our sponsors, speakers, the organisation team and everyone who attended the conference. It was the biggest conference ever held on the issue with the greatest diversity of attendees we have ever had. Although EASA elected sadly not to attend, I hope they will listen to the results of the conference poll taken on day 4. This was a poll voted on by representatives from all stakeholders in aviation. 94% of voters voted that effective ‘bleed air’ filters and sensors should be installed on passenger jet and turboprop aircraft. Although aviation is the safest form of travel statistically, it is time for EASA and the FAA to take steps to protect crews and the travelling public from contaminated air exposures and enhance flight safety. The technology is there to do it, airline crews globally want it, passengers expect it and air accident departments have been calling for it for over 10 years.” In their presentation and corporate film shown to attendees, US filtration company PTI Technologies highlighted that the industry filters the "bleed air" used for the Fuel Tank Inerting System (FTIS). FTIS was introduced after the TWA 800 tragedy to prevent a fuel tank ignition. The FTIS system works by providing a nitrogen rich environment in the fuel tank. The system also uses bleed air, but because of the presence of engine oil fumes in the "bleed air" and their adverse effects on the system, this "bleed air" is filtered. PTI Technologies suggested the "bleed air" people are breathing should also now be filtered to “enhance the in-flight experience, but more importantly, flight safety. “ The PTI Technologies promotional film explaining this is also available at: Both jet engine oils and hydraulic fluids contain organophosphates. These chemicals have been found in hundreds of swab samples carried out on the interior surfaces of aircraft and in many air-monitoring studies. In addition to the "Clean Air Campaign," conference sponsor the GCAQE, also recently created the first ever, global reporting system for contaminated air events, known as GCARS. Loraine also stated: “The industry has achieved so many great things in the last 50 years. It has taken numerous steps to enhance flight safety. Conference attendees made it very clear they now need to resolve the contaminated air issue. Regulators like EASA say they need to know what chemicals are present during a contaminated air event before they can consider mandating new technologies to mitigate the problem. They knew over 20 years ago what chemicals were present, as they have data from the investigation into the total incapacitation of two pilots on a domestic Swedish flight known as the ‘Malmo’ incident in 1999. This was shown in a film entitled ‘One Night Over Sweden’ at the conference.” https://www.aviationpros.com/education-training/trade-associations-events/press-release/21215735/largest-contaminated-air-conference-ever-held-concludes-bleed-air-filters-and-sensors-should-be-installed-on-passenger-jet-and-turboprop-aircraft SpaceX marks anniversary of first launch with Starlink mission WASHINGTON — A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched another set of Starlink satellites March 24, 15 years to the day after the company’s first, unsuccessful launch. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 4:24 a.m. Eastern. The rocket’s upper stage deployed its payload of 60 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit 64 minutes later. The rocket’s first stage, on its sixth flight, landed on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean eight and a half minutes after liftoff. That booster, which first launched last June carrying a GPS satellite, also launched Turksat 5A in January as well as three other Starlink missions. This launch, by coincidence, took place exactly 15 years after SpaceX conducted the first launch of its Falcon 1 rocket from Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. That March 24, 2006, launch was unsuccessful, as the first stage’s single engine failed about half a minute after liftoff. Two subsequent Falcon 1 launches also failed before the fourth Falcon 1 launch, carrying a test payload, reached orbit in September 2008. The Falcon 1 flew one more mission in 2009 before SpaceX retired the vehicle in favor of the far larger Falcon 9, which has become the company’s workhorse with more than 110 launches since its introduction in 2010. This launch was the ninth Falcon 9 mission of 2021 and the fourth this month. Seven of those nine launches, including all four in March, have been dedicated to Starlink, increasing the size of the constellation to more than 1,300 satellites. Growing capacity and international expansion The growth of that constellation has been enabled by both the high launch cadence of the Falcon 9 and mass production of satellites. “We’re currently building roughly six satellites a day at our factory in Seattle, which is pretty remarkable,” Jonathan Hofeller, SpaceX vice president for Starlink, said at Spacetide, a Japanese space business conference, held online March 23. He said the company has maintained that production rate for about a year so far. The satellites launched to date, he said, are all first-generation, or “Gen 1,” spacecraft. “We’re already working on the Gen 2 constellation,” he said. “These satellites will be continuously refreshed as we continue to increase both the network capacity and the density by orders of magnitude. We’re excited to be able to eventually provide a lot more internet than we’re even doing now.” He didn’t disclose additional details about the Gen 2 satellites or their schedule. SpaceX plans to have global coverage for Starlink by the end of this year. However, as the company expands beta tests in the United States and several other countries, Hofeller noted that the satellite constellation alone is just one element of that rollout. Other key factors include establishing ground stations to serve as gateways as well as the regulatory process, which varies from country to country. That regulatory process, he said, can be “very challenging” as the company explains its system to national regulators. “That process just takes a while.” Japan, he suggested, is one the countries where that regulatory process is stretched out. Hofeller said the company identified Japan as a country where it wanted to provide service relatively early, and thanked those who have advocated for Starlink to Japanese regulators. “Anything they can do to speed up the regulatory process will be greatly appreciated,” he said, projecting that Starlink service could begin in Japan “as soon as the very end of this year.” SpaceX has largely marketed Starlink directly to consumers, a move he said is intended to reduce costs to those customers while also providing a direct feedback loop to SpaceX to help it improve the service. However, as the company expands Starlink into other markets, which range from backhaul services for telecommunications providers to mobility applications, Hofeller said the company would be open to working with partners. “We are a rocket company,” he said. “As we grow the capacity, it could be inevitable that we have partners globally.” https://spacenews.com/spacex-marks-anniversary-of-first-launch-with-starlink-mission/ Curt Lewis