June 3, 2021 - No. 43 In This Issue : With Mandate Looming, Europe Looks To Future of SAF : Joby Aviation targets parking garages for its aerial ridesharing network : Halo Becomes First Global Provider for Private Urban Air Mobility with 200 eVTOL Aircraft Order from Embraer’s Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions : The Front Runner to Addressing Aviation’s Emissions Problem: SAF : First milestone towards all-electric aircraft : Boeing and Alaska Airlines Partner to Make Flying Safer and More Sustainable : BIDEN’S PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES INCREASE FOR FAA, AVIATION PROGRAMS : Urban Air Mobility in Japan: Next Gen Aviation Mobility Planning Offices will Support AAV, UAM : Rolls Starts Testing New Hybrid-electric Propulsion System : Archer Aviation pushes for dismissal of Wisk trade secret suit : SpaceX signs bulk deal for three private Crew Dragon missions With Mandate Looming, Europe Looks To Future of SAF Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has been viewed as a vital part of the business aviation industry’s decarbonization efforts since 2009 when several aviation alphabet groups issued the Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change (BACCC). Included in that document’s aspirational goals was the reduction of CO2 emissions by 50 percent by 2050 relative to 2005. More recently, the European Union has committed to climate neutrality in 2050 and intends to increase its 2030 climate ambitions by cutting its emissions by at least 55 percent compared with 1990 levels, and included in its scope is aviation. “We have committed to ambitious emissions reduction targets to decarbonize aviation,” said Adina-Ioana Vălean, European commissioner for transport. Speaking at the recent inaugural European Business Aviation SAF Summit, she noted that “for the European Union to hit its goals of cutting emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030 and attaining carbon neutrality by 2050, sustainable fuels must account for an increasing share of aviation’s fuel mix over time, to reach more than 60 percent.” That is a broad leap for the industry as SAF usage currently accounts for less than 1 percent of total jet fuel use. The summit examined what needs to be done for the industry to meet those goals, with the greatest expectations and largest margin of improvement pinned to SAF use. In 2009, the BACCC identified four pillars of carbon reduction: improved aircraft technology, air traffic control infrastructure and operational improvements, market-based measures such as carbon offset purchases, and alternative fuels. Thierry Lamant, Dassault Aviation’s Falcon training program coordinator and the airframer’s lead on SAF, explained that the company is working continuously on its product, lightening and improving airframes in its efforts to increase efficiency and lower carbon emissions. “This is giving us some percentage of improvement, but it's not a big step; each time it’s a lot of effort for obtaining a small percentage,” he said. Likewise, using newer, more efficient engine technology can also result in an improvement of possibly up to 15 percent. “When it comes to aircraft and engine technology, business aviation is already quite good,” noted Marilyn Bastin, Eurocontrol’s head of aviation sustainability. “You already have a very efficient fleet with a lot of equipment on board” that allows for the use of optimized flight profiles, she said. “What could be done is sustainable aviation fuel because it's already [available].” SAF offers the biggest potential for aviation’s carbon reduction through its lifecycle benefits. One big misconception about the fuel is these carbon reductions are derived from its actual use in the aircraft. The truth is that what comes out of the tailpipe after the burning of SAF is little different from that emitted when burning fossil fuel. Instead, rather than removing more carbon from the ground in the form of petrochemicals, the SAF production process simply recycles carbon that is already in the environment. In its unblended neat form, SAF can account for up to 80 percent lifecycle CO2 reduction over a like amount of conventional jet-A. While there is growing talk about the future of electrification and hydrogen-powered aircraft, those technologies are not near the point where they can be considered for long-haul aircraft. “Certainly the products we are producing are for long-range and medium-range flying, and the gas turbine won’t be replaced for a very long time,” said Frank Moesta, senior v-p for strategy and future programs with Rolls-Royce Deutschland. “We obviously are committed as an industry and as an industry player to introduce SAF." Indeed, SAF has been growing in recognition over the past several years. The Business Aviation Coalition for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, a group of industry organizations consisting of NBAA, EBAA, NATA, GAMA, IBAC, CBAA, and CAAFI, sponsored an education session/flight demonstration at California’s Van Nuys Airport, in January 2019. A similar event was held at the UK’s Farnborough Airport ahead of that year’s EBACE, and in January 2020, Jet Aviation sold the first SAF in Switzerland, fueling private aircraft arriving in Zurich for the World Economic Forum. Since then, following a number of one-off demonstration deliveries at various airports, continuous supplies of the approved drop-in SAF, blended with conventional fossil-based jet-A at a ratio of approximately 30 percent SAF, have begun, mainly in the U.S. SAF can currently be produced through several approved production pathways utilizing various feedstocks. The ratio of the SAF blends is determined by the ASTM, which approved the fuels as a direct replacement for conventional jet-A, and while the blends can go as high as 50 percent, the industry is already looking at utilizing 100 percent SAF. Rolls-Royce did testing using pure SAF on its Pearl business jet engine, as well as its Trent 1000 testbed. “The products are ready and certified for 50 percent blend, which we can introduce basically today without any problems,” said Moesta, "but obviously we are working on getting the industry to 100 percent [SAF]." But to get there will take a concerted effort across the entire value chain. “If we take the example of working on 100 percent SAF usage, we cannot make it alone as one company,” said Steven Le Moing, new energy program manager with Airbus, which recently flew one of its A350s on 100 percent SAF. “We need the engine manufacturers, for example, to work on it, so it's really important that the entire aviation sector understands where we want to go, where we need to go, and share and support this message toward the right people.” Many in the business aviation industry are interested in the fuel according to Joao Martins, Jet Aviation’s vice president for European regional FBO operations and general manager of the company’s Zurich location. “We know there are customers from all of our lines of business asking for SAF, [including] the MRO, the completions, aircraft management, charter, FBO customers,” he said, adding that the company has received tenders for some of its locations requesting that SAF be available there. Yet widespread adoption of SAF still faces hurdles ranging from the most basic of education about the safety and benefits of the fuel to the current price premium over conventional jet fuel to availability. “I think foremost among fellow operators I have spoken to…is that misconception about safety, and that’s why it’s very important that we stress again that [SAF] is safe to use,” said Juergen Wiese, head of BMW’s flight department and EBAA chairman. “That misconception is not only on the operator side…but the airport operator and tank farm operator who have some concerns about the safety and the technical aspects.” As for the increased price of the fuel, Martins said the industry is split. “There’s a portion of the customers that are ready to pay the premium, but there is still a big portion that is very much looking into that, so we need to work together to make sure that we can optimize this commercial part so that everyone actually goes on board.” Getting those operators on board is crucial to the expansion of SAF capacity. It has been described as a “chicken and egg” question. Will there be more SAF because there are more users, or will there be more users because there is more SAF? One has to come first, and the fuel producers, which require investment to build the facilities that produce renewable fuels, need the demand to come first. John Cooper, the director-general of Fuels Europe, the trade group that represents 40 fuel companies that operate refineries in Europe, noted that his membership acknowledges the changes that will occur in the fuel industry over the coming years as electrification and hydrogen gradually supplant liquid petroleum fuels. But he singled out aviation and maritime as sectors where it will be difficult to adopt these technologies. “We have put together an integrated strategy to dramatically scale up the production of low carbon liquid fuels with a target of 150 million tonnes by 2050, and that’s enough to supply all remaining liquid fuel needs across all sectors where it’s still needed,” he said. “We do have to be honest with everybody that producing this way costs more than making petroleum. It's typically capital intensive and that means investing for the long term, where you need stability in the market for sustainable aviation fuels.” He added that there are already at least 30 low-carbon-fuel production projects commenced or announced in Europe, but predicted that hundreds more would be needed to meet the fuel industry’s plans. Neste is among those businesses that are ramping up the production of SAF, according to Jonathan Wood, the Finland-based company’s v-p for renewable aviation. “In terms of production, we have about 100,000 tonnes' worth of capacity currently available and product being distributed across Europe, in North America, and indeed into Asia,” he said. Wood described a $1.5 billion investment in infrastructure that will increase that amount more than tenfold by the start of 2023. While Neste’s current production relies upon the HEFA production pathway, it is looking ahead to a second phase of technology that can utilize other methods and other pathways, and even to e-fuels, which will use renewable electricity to create liquid fuels from hydrogen and carbon taken from the atmosphere. All involved in the industry believe that governmental support is key to unlocking the full potential of SAF, in the form of incentives and/or mandates that will ensure demand and spur more investment. In her opening statement at the EBAA SAF Summit, commissioner Vălean said the EU Committee expects to adopt a ReFuelEU Aviation legislative proposal before the beginning of the European summer. While the exact terms were not discussed, Filip Cornelis, the European Commission’s director for aviation, explained it will involve an SAF mandate that “we hope to shape in a way that will both boost the supply and uptake of sustainable aviation fuels but also maintain and secure a level playing field for operators working out of European airports.” He believes the measure should apply to both domestic and international flights, and noted that the latter tend to burn more fuel due to the longer distances involved. As the geographic distribution of the fuel slowly expands, a process known as book-and-claim will become a major tool. “Certainly book-and-claim is being talked about a lot at the moment,” said John Angus Smith, Signature Flight Support’s EMEA managing director. “It's enabled by the substitutability of SAF for jet-A, and it is key in our view to accelerate the adoption of SAF by our industry.” The plan, which Signature expects to roll out soon across its 200-plus-location worldwide FBO network, enables an operator to purchase SAF in an area where it's not yet available but still receive the environmental benefits while the actual fuel is dispensed elsewhere. “The best analogy I can give you is depositing money for a family member at a local bank," Smith said. "The credit is then transferred to that family member’s account in a different country, and it is withdrawn." He explained that the process would bridge the local availability gap and enable the expansion of the market. Concluded Jet Aviation's Martins: “We know that SAF is already starting to be present [and] it is going to be the future, but we still need to get there. We need to get traction to start the ball rolling.” https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-06-03/mandate-looming-europe-looks-future-saf Joby Aviation targets parking garages for its aerial ridesharing network Joby Aviation is partnering with one of the country’s largest parking garage operators and a real estate acquisition company to build out its network of vertiports, with an initial focus on Los Angeles, Miami, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area, the company said Wednesday. The partnership with REEF Technology and Neighborhood Property Group will give Joby “access to an unparalleled range of rooftop locations across all key metropolitan areas in the US, as well as a mechanism to fund the acquisition and development of new skyport sites,” Joby said in a statement. Building out a convenient, accessible and large network of locations to hitch a ride on an air taxi will likely be a key factor determining which companies succeed in attracting would-be riders to their service. The current infrastructure to support helicopters is limited, especially in urban areas, where electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) companies intend to launch. The deal will give Joby exclusive access to the sites for a period, during which it said it can secure long-term leases within REEF’s real estate network. Until now little has been known about the electric aircraft giant’s intentions regarding its aerial ridesharing network, although founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt has publicly talked about the benefits of using existing parking garages. Such structures are typically in dense areas, they’re large and they’re built out of robust material that can support multiple small aircraft. But perhaps most importantly, parking garages already house cars, another form of transportation that will likely work hand-in-hand with air taxis in serving first- and last-mile segments of a journey. REEF, which began as parking lot management and servicing company ParkJockey, now operates around 4,500 mobility and logistics hubs that it says reaches 70% of the North American urban population. REEF raised $700 million from SoftBank, the Mubadala Corp. and others last November. In addition to the new partnership, Joby said its vertiport network will use existing heliport and regional airport locations. “This is a landmark deal on Joby’s path to building a transformational ridesharing service in our skies,” Bevirt said in a statement. “NPG and REEF have an unbeatable network of sites across the US and we’re excited to be working with them to identify sites that will become the backbone of our future service. https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/02/joby-aviation-targets-parking-garages-for-its-aerial-ridesharing-network/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMI1fvWVDO0ayrqKq1acetLqRZtTUQT0Z-QuSXF78gJKn5tdxcfPzeorMXaFV4I-peTb2tUtSmXHC6sNuzEi_tXBXV_R-OmSz_PxEqEsnk8a4RvPqV2UUYOdRVHuhqY1JlYm1vV_Zb2EVxmhNR0WcQdipooOeARigh-M1IVIZ5V8 Halo Becomes First Global Provider for Private Urban Air Mobility with 200 eVTOL Aircraft Order from Embraer’s Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions NEW YORK & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Halo, the first global provider for private urban air mobility, has placed a firm order of 200 Eve Urban Air Mobility vehicles, making it the launch customer for this aircraft. The electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft have an expected delivery date in 2026. One hundred of the vehicles will be used for operations in the United States and 100 will operate in the United Kingdom. Halo becomes Eve’s launch partner in building the world’s first comprehensive urban air mobility system. The order establishes Eve, an independent company formed by Embraer S.A. (NYSE: ERJ; BM&FBOVESPA: EMBR3), as the leader in a global eVTOL market that is growing rapidly in response to enthusiasm around sustainability and vertical mobility. In addition, Halo announced the alignment of U.K.-based Halo Aviation Ltd. (Halo) and U.S.-based Associated Aircraft Group (AAG) under the Halo brand. Both companies had been acquired earlier this year by OneSky Flight, a member of the Directional Aviation family. The alignment ensures consistent service for Halo’s clients traveling in two of the world’s leading global centers of business. In addition, Halo will provide streamlined experiences for world-traveling clients of sister companies in the Directional Aviation family of brands: Flexjet, Sentient Jet, PrivateFly and FXAIR. “Bringing together two companies, which are leading providers of vertical lift and urban mobility services in two of the most important markets, will create a phenomenal vertical mobility platform,” said Kenneth C. Ricci, Principal, Directional Aviation. “And in placing this order for a revolutionary breakthrough in urban air mobility, we are advancing toward safe, efficient and sustainable travel in and between our cities. eVTOL urban air mobility is the greatest opportunity, and the greatest challenge, I have seen in my 40 years in aviation, and Eve is positioned to make it a reality.” Andrew Collins will be leading the vertical lift transition for One Sky and said, “Where private aviation was previously thought of in terms of moving people from airport to airport, today’s travel is becoming a doorstep-to-doorstep concept. With the Halo and AAG leadership team’s core competency, we are particularly well-positioned to create that new reality better than any other provider. We are on the cusp of global aviation innovations that you can’t even imagine.” Nearly a dozen eVTOL aircraft designs were evaluated before Halo selected Eve as its launch product to deliver its vertical lift vision. In selecting this aircraft and manufacturer, Ricci said he assessed several elements that pointed to its future success. “We believe Eve has designed an aircraft that not only is well-prepared for initial certification but also has a proven track record of production,” Ricci said. “The outstanding lineage of aircraft design, certification and production that Embraer brings to this aircraft positions Eve with significant advantages in the competitive landscape. And our background as operators has taught us that product support is absolutely vital to the overall success of new programs. The relationship between Embraer and Eve will create one of the most successful global product support infrastructures in the industry. Finally, the work that Eve and Embraer have completed around their traffic management system is just one more example of how uniquely positioned Eve is to help us deliver on our vision.” Eve instantly becomes a global leader in eVTOL Incubated by Embraer, Eve combines a startup mentality with Embraer’s 50 years of aerospace expertise to address the singular challenges of eVTOL travel. Eve is taking a holistic approach to creating an urban air mobility ecosystem that combines not only new aircraft technology but also a comprehensive global services and support network and a unique air traffic management solution. With a unique and valuable market proposition, Eve will advance vertical lift to the next level. The 200 aircraft that Halo has ordered will begin delivery in 2026. Until then, Halo will continue to operate its Leonardo and Sikorsky helicopters as the eVTOL aircraft are phased into service, providing a natural bridge to the next generation of vertical lift. “This partnership is an important step for Eve to assume its position as a global leader in the UAM industry. We are ready to build the future of mobility with our partners in an extremely collaborative way. Halo is aligned with our mission to create comprehensive urban air mobility solutions, and this order marks an important milestone for Eve in key markets. We are confident that this mutually beneficial relationship will have a positive impact for many future users and enable both companies to grow their businesses exponentially,” said Andre Stein, President and CEO of Eve Urban Air Mobility. Halo becomes the leading premium helicopter travel provider in the U.K. and U.S. – and the first global vertical lift provider In May, 2021, OneSky Flight acquired Halo Aviation, a leading helicopter travel operator in the U.K., and in February, 2021, it acquired Associated Aircraft Group (AAG), the premier operator of executive Sikorsky helicopter service in the Northeastern U.S. Combining the two companies under the Halo brand creates a vertical mobility powerhouse, providing a foundation in the U.S. and U.K. for the establishment of eVTOL service. Halo will operate the fleets of the former Halo Aviation and AAG, giving it full control of their assets and ensuring that its vertical lift operations can be aligned with those of other OneSky companies including luxury fractional jet provider Flexjet; jet card pioneer Sentient Jet; and on-demand jet charter providers FXAIR and PrivateFly. The synergies will include a door-to-door air travel solution for users of private aviation so that, no matter how people prefer to fly, these companies will have solutions for them. Partnership between Eve and Halo will advance private urban air mobility In addition to offering a simple and intuitive eVTOL design that continues to reach development milestones, including the first flight of the engineering simulator in July 2020 and proof of concept in October 2020, Eve is working with Embraer and Atech, a subsidiary of the Embraer Group, to develop an Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) system that will set the standard for safety, efficiency and performance. Eve has been advancing vertical lift in the U.K. through its leadership of a consortium that is clearing the regulatory and operational issues to bringing eVTOL operations to London. Eve and Halo will work together with the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority and U.S. regulators to advance the first international eVTOL operator partnership of its kind, a key to creating a true urban air mobility ecosystem. About Halo Halo provides bespoke helicopter and private urban air mobility travel services in the United States and the United Kingdom. Formed through the alignment of Halo Aviation Ltd. in the U.K. and Associated Aircraft Group (AAG) in the U.S., Halo offers transportation in the leading helicopter types in their class piloted by instrument-rated pilots. In the U.K., Halo offers vertical lift via charter, card, fractional ownership and full ownership-management programmes. Its fleet of Agusta/Leonardo AW109 and AW169 helicopters dispatch from bases in the south of England, around London, the Midlands and in the Channel Islands. In the U.S., Halo provides helicopter charter, fractional ownership and helicopter maintenance services from its New York, Teterboro, Bridgeport, Providence and Philadelphia installations. For more information, visit www.fly-halo.com. About Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions (Eve) Eve is a new, independent company dedicated to accelerating the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem. Benefitting from a startup mindset, backed by Embraer’s more than 50-year history of aerospace expertise, and with a singular focus, Eve is taking a holistic approach to progressing the UAM ecosystem, with an advanced electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL) project, a comprehensive global services and support network, and a unique air traffic management solution. Eve is the first company to graduate from EmbraerX. For more information, visit www.eveairmobility.com. About Directional Aviation and OneSky Flight Directional Aviation is a private investment firm whose singular focus is private business aviation. Directional’s OneSky Flight portfolio of private jet travel providers includes shared/fractional jet ownership, jet card, membership, on-demand charter and vertical lift providers. Industry leaders representing MRO, private jet remanufacturing, aviation parts distribution and more also make up the Directional family. Directional Aviation is charting the course of private aviation, worldwide. For more information, visit www.directionalaviation.com and www.onesky.com. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005307/en/Halo-Becomes-First-Global-Provider-for-Private-Urban-Air-Mobility-with-200-eVTOL-Aircraft-Order-from-Embraer%E2%80%99s-Eve-Urban-Air-Mobility-Solutions The Front Runner to Addressing Aviation’s Emissions Problem: SAF About two percent of global greenhouse emissions come from carbon dioxide emitted from aviation and that number is expected to grow by three to four percent every year, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). With the global push to address climate change taking off, the aviation industry is being forced to find ways to address its environmental impact. As companies and organizations have begun research on how to tackle this issue, sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) have emerged as an early front-runner. “Aviation has an issue, right,” Chris Cooper, VP Renewable Aviation at Neste—a Finland-based oil refining and marketing company—told Avionics International. “We create greenhouse gas emissions through combustion, and so the opportunity is to change the fuel or the energy source within an aircraft. Some people choose offsetting and offsetting in some instances, planting trees or paying for a tree to do what it's already doing, right, but the consideration that we want to share with folks is that in renewable aviation, we have an opportunity to exchange an energy source that is sustainable.” What is SAF? SAF is aviation fuel derived from renewable sources or waste feedstocks and there are eight approved SAF pathways. SAF can include fuels of biogenic origin, fuels from hybrid feedstocks, liquid hydrogen, recycled carbon-based fuels, and electro-fuels, Pedro Piris-Cabezas, director of sustainable international transport and lead senior economist at the Environmental Defense Fund, told Avionics International via email. The benefit of SAF is that it has lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional fuel. “SAF provides a benefit when it has lower GHG emissions across its lifecycle than fossil jet fuel,” Piris-Cabezas said. “But SAF is not carbon neutral as is often reported, and the emissions reductions vary depending on the SAF as well. Because SAFs burn more cleanly than fossil fuels, high-integrity SAFs can, in principle, deliver local health benefits to communities by helping cut air pollution around airports. This may also help reduce the non-CO2 effects that occur when fuel is combusted and releases NOx gases, water vapor and soot (black carbon, organic compounds, sulfur and nitrogen) causing a warming effect known as radiative forcing.” It is important to consider the feedstock or where the SAF is derived from when deciding if the fuel is truly sustainable, Kim Carnahan, former U.S. chief climate change negotiator and current director of disruption technologies at ENGIE Impact, the New York-based energy and sustainability management company, told Avionics International. “There are different feedstocks, the base product, as well as different ways to turn those feedstocks into the fuel that can then be a drop in into the airplane,” Carnahan said. “Depending upon the feedstock, not so much the pathway or the process, but more of the feedstock, it can have a better or worse environmental impact.” Neste makes SAF using hydro-treated esters and fatty acid (HEFA) which refines vegetable oils, waste oils, or fats into SAF using hydrogen, Pratik Chandhoke, technical services manager of renewable aviation at Neste, told Avionics International. “Our SAF is produced from sustainable feedstock waste residue such as used cooking oil and animal fat, and then actually goes through a very, very involved process of getting it processed and certified,” Chandhoke said. “Generally, it's very similar to jet fuel processing. This same kind of technology; it's hydroprocessing, removing the oxygen component then further processing it to hydrocarbons. So very similar to an oil refinery. The only difference is that the feedstock is not from non-fossil sources.” Chandhoke said in order to use the waste residue Neste has to go through a process called pretreatment where all the contaminants are removed. “There’s a really key step that we do, it's called pretreatment, where we take all of this used cooking oil and animal fat, as you can imagine, the kind of contamination that can be in these in these feedstocks and removing those is really critical so that our processing units can actually process this and be able to produce a quality product which meets all specifications,” Chandhoke said. “So that's the key.” Is SAF actually sustainable? When asking is SAF really sustainable the answer comes down to, it can be. “SAF is sustainable when it provides significant emissions reductions across its lifecycle compared to fossil jet fuel; and does not cause direct or indirect negative effects on ecosystems and communities,” Piris-Cabezas said. “Not all alternative fuels are created equal. Some make environmental problems worse. Deploying SAF in the absence of a robust accounting and sustainability framework could negate the entire climate benefits and even increase emissions several-fold compared to fossil fuels. Accurate accounting and certification of sustainability must therefore undergird SAF deployment.” To make sure SAF is sustainable there are certification schemes and criteria that SAF has to meet. “There are certification schemes that are out there that have a set of sustainability criteria and the criteria are relatively high level and then the sort of certification schemes, then elaborate on that criteria in a very detailed way,” Carnahan said. “So, it's not just saying you have to make sure that you do not pollute groundwater, to like the details of how you prove that you're not polluting groundwater that kind of thing.” The certification of SAF takes a lifecycle assessment approach requiring that all emissions on the supply chain are accounted for, Piris-Cabezas said. ICAO’s Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) submitted a set of sustainability criteria to its council, which consists of 36 elected members from 193 member states, in 2017 and was partially adopted. ICAO’s emissions reduction program, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) also includes a SAF framework. Together this criteria and framework would make sure SAF is sustainable. “These guys have standards for how they evaluate each of those sustainability criteria, the processes that they could go through, and the top kind of their requirements to like redo those processes regularly so they don't just certify a producer once they do it annually to make sure that they're continuing to uphold the requirements that they previously met,” Carnahan said. “So that's how we prove that the SAF is actually sustainable, that's a big part of it is that certification process and then another big part of it is each different group will decide for itself what percentage of emission reductions, they kind of require to get their support.” ICAO currently has a reduction threshold of 10 percent when compared to fossil fuels, however, most SAF in the market is closer to 70 or 80 percent, Carnahan said. What SAF makers are learning from battery technology. When electric cars first came on the market it seemed like the automobile industry had found a solution to its climate change problems. However, reporting soon surfaced about the environmental drawbacks to creating these batteries which in turn made greenhouse gas emissions and lowered their sustainability prospects. The aviation industry is learning from this experience. “This industry has learned from past attempts to have a positive environmental impact and has seen that you have to be very careful about unintended negative consequences,” Carnahan said. “So, we've learned, and are continuing to learn, those lessons and are being very careful when developing approaches to these new kinds of environmentally friendly commodities that where we have an eye, not just on the prize of decarbonizing aviation, but also on any potential negative impacts of this alternative.” One commodity the industry is already deciding to stay clear of is palm oil. The concerns over palm oils' association with deforestation and destruction of native lands extend further than just the aviation industry, however, the industry is taking a stand to make sure that SAF associated with palm oil cannot be certified as sustainable. The use of palm oil is an example of a direct source that is unsustainable. The industry is also looking at indirect causes of environmental harm that could occur in the production of SAF that would not be considered sustainable, Carnahan said. “If you're disrupting forests and native habitats on purpose or accidentally, you shouldn't qualify,” Carnahan said. “And so that's one thing we're really focusing on now.” Furthermore, if an economically valuable feedstock is used for SAF making it unavailable for another market that will have to find a less environmentally friendly alternative, the SAF can also not be considered sustainable, Carnahan said. “We're really chasing it down the value chain to make sure that this fuel is actually sustainable,” Carnahan said. Why is SAF the front runner for cutting aviation emissions? A big reason SAF is seen as a front runner for reducing emissions in aircraft is because it can be used in today’s aircraft without modifications, however, to do this, current standards require it to be mixed with traditional jet fuel. “Right now, SAF must be blended with fossil jet fuel for use in an aircraft,” Piris-Cabezas said. “The current maximum blend ratio of SAF to conventional jet fuel which has been approved by ASTM [the American Society for Testing and Materials] International is 50 percent, although airlines hope to quickly increase the blend ratio to 100 percent in the future. Once blended, SAF has the same characteristics as fossil jet fuel.” The reason it has to be mixed is because SAF does not have the same properties as jet fuel and therefore acts differently in aircraft. “The sustainable aviation fuel as a neat component doesn't mean called properties of jet fuel,” Chandhoke said. “So, there's some properties, like aromatics, there's a minimum requirement so our fuel doesn't have any, so there are some other reasons why just to meet the properties of jet fuel, you need to blend it.” The aromatics of jet fuel are important because they react a certain way in the seals within the aircraft making them swell, Chandhoke said. This does not happen with SAF. However, these requirements are set to make sure that all eligible in-service aircraft are able to use the fuel. “The issue is generally on the older generation aircraft that the seals technology is a little older than the new generation,” Chandhoke said “The new generation aircraft can work on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel.” Some aircraft manufacturers have already committed to making their aircraft capable of flying on 100 percent SAF. In January, Boeing announced that it would commit to having all commercial airplanes capable of using 100 percent SAF by 2030. Where does SAF go from here? The guidance from regulatory bodies requiring aircraft to use a 50 percent blend of SAF and traditional jet fuel is also necessary because of the supply of SAF. “Part of the reason it's only 50 percent now is that we have so little SAF in the market that there's no chance of getting higher than 50, on average, that's not going to happen,” Carnahan said. “Globally it's less than point one percent, is what the mix of SAF is, so it takes time and it takes money to get these things certified and so far no one has gone through the process to certify staff for anything above 50 percent.” One way to increase the demand and usage for SAF within the aviation industry could involve policy support from governments. U.S. legislators recently introduced the Sustainable Skies Act which would establish a blender’s tax credit for using SAF that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent. “The SAF blenders tax credit was introduced in Congress,” Carnahan said. “I think it has a very good chance of passing. It's pretty generous, and so it could have a significant, and it's only in the U.S., but it's it could have a very significant impact on airlines' willingness to pay the premium and bring SAF into their fuel supply in a significant amount.” The other side of this would involve government mandates, similar to what is happening in Europe, which would require SAF usage, Carnahan said. The deployment of SAF has also been slowed the issues with technology, Piris-Cabezas said. “Eight production pathways have been approved for blending with fossil jet fuel and of those eight, only one is technically mature and commercialized,” Piris-Cabezas said. The push to use SAF could also come from outside the aviation industry. Carnahan said organizations like the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance could get more operators involved in the purchasing of SAF. The Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance is a joint initiative with companies like Netflix, Microsoft, Salesforce and others who want to support investments in SAF. “I think it's a critical piece of the puzzle to driving decarbonization in the aviation sector is getting customers involved because customers, rather than having to look at their entire budget and seeing okay fuel represents X percent of my entire budget, they just have to look at one flight,” Carnahan said. “So if they can see that paying for SAF…only increases their travel spend by 6 percent, for example, they might be willing to do that.” https://www.aviationtoday.com/2021/06/01/front-runner-addressing-aviations-emissions-problem-saf/ First milestone towards all-electric aircraft The wings and empennage feature advanced composite technology and are the first delivered by GKN Aerospace as fully integrated structures. Alice is taking advantage of GKN Aerospace’s multi-technology specialist skills in airframe, structures and EWIS from right across the business. The build and assembly was supported by products manufactured on the Isle of Wight, in the UK and the Netherlands. Final assembly and integration was completed at the new £32 million Global Technology Center in Bristol, UK. GKN Aerospace and Eviation announced the collaboration covering the design and manufacture of wings, empennage and EWIS in May 2020. Alice is preparing for its first flight later this year where it will take nine passengers for up to 440 nautical miles. Flying the flag for green aviation UK Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “It is great to see GKN Aerospace flying the flag for green aviation and driving forward the technology necessary to end our contribution to climate change. The fantastic work happening at GKN Aerospace’s new Global Technology Centre is wonderful news for our plans to invest in the next generation of green aviation technologies here at home, bringing them to market and then to our skies.” John Pritchard, President of Civil Airframe at GKN Aerospace, added: “The development of all-electric aircraft is a game-changer. This first delivery is not only an important milestone in our collaboration with Eviation, but also in the quest for more sustainable and environmentally friendly aviation. GKN Aerospace is proud to bring its wealth of experience in design and certification, as well as technology leadership, to achieve this landmark.” Last year, AirMed&Rescue looked at the latest efforts by the aviation sector to minimize the effects of emissions from the global air rescue and air medical industry. https://www.airmedandrescue.com/latest/news/first-milestone-towards-all-electric-aircraft Boeing and Alaska Airlines Partner to Make Flying Safer and More Sustainable SEATTLE, June 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE:BA] and Alaska Airlines [NYSE:ALK] announced today they are partnering on the latest Boeing ecoDemonstrator program and will flight test about 20 technologies on a new 737-9 to enhance the safety and sustainability of air travel. In flights beginning this summer, Boeing and Alaska will test a new halon-free fire-extinguishing agent that significantly reduces effects on the ozone layer, evaluate an engine nacelle designed to reduce noise and assess cabin sidewalls made from recycled material, among other projects. "We have a long history of working with Boeing to advance aviation technology, safety and fuel efficiency," said Diana Birkett Rakow, Alaska Airlines' vice president, public affairs and sustainability. "Alaska Airlines flies to some of the most beautiful and geographically diverse regions in the world and we are committed to finding ways to reduce climate impacts across our network. This work with Boeing to accelerate innovation on the ecoDemonstrator program enables us to contribute to a more sustainable future for our global community." Since 2012, the ecoDemonstrator program has accelerated innovation by taking nearly 200 promising technologies out of the lab and testing them in the air to address challenges for the aviation industry and improve the passenger experience. "Boeing is committed to continually improve air safety and the environmental performance of our products," said Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO. "We're proud to collaborate with our hometown customer and other partners around the world this year to make flying more sustainable." In five months of ecoDemonstrator flight tests, Boeing and Alaska will work with nine other partners to test new technologies. After tests are complete, the airplane will be configured for passenger service and delivered to Alaska. The program's technologies include: Testing a new fire extinguishing agent for aircraft that significantly reduces effects on the ozone layer. This material is intended to replace Halon 1301, which is no longer being produced. Collaborating with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to measure greenhouse-gas levels in the atmosphere to support the agency's climate modeling and long-term forecasting. Evaluating acoustic lining concepts within the engine nacelle that may reduce noise on current engines and will inform designs for next-generation models. Recycling carbon composite material from Boeing 777X wing production into a cabin sidewall panel. This durable, light material would reduce fuel use and carbon emissions, and supports Boeing's goals for sustainable manufacturing. Boeing's current and future airplanes leverage a number of technologies evaluated in previous ecoDemonstrator testing, including: Advanced Technology winglets on the 737 MAX family that reduce fuel use and emissions. iPad apps that provide real-time weather and other data to pilots, improving fuel efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions. These apps complement digital analytics services Boeing offers to help airlines optimize fleet utilization. A camera system on the new 777X that will enhance safety by helping pilots avoid obstacles on the ground. "Boeing put additional emphasis on sustainability in 2020 to align with our stakeholder and business priorities as well as our values," Boeing Chief Sustainability Officer Chris Raymond said. "Through our collaboration with industry partners, the ecoDemonstrator program is a great example of our commitment to work together to make flying safer and more sustainable for current and future generations." ecoDemonstrator test flights are flown on a blend of petroleum-based and sustainable aviation fuel. SAF is in regular use today, reduces life-cycle CO2 emissions by up to 80%, and offers the most immediate and greatest potential to reduce emissions over the next 20 to 30 years in all commercial aviation markets. In January this year, Boeing committed to make sure its commercial airplanes are capable and certified to fly on 100% SAF by 2030. The company also plans to work with regulatory authorities and across the industry to raise the current 50% blending limit for expanded use of SAF. Boeing's 2018 ecoDemonstrator 777 Freighter made history as the world's first commercial airliner to fly on 100% sustainable fuel. Learn more at boeing.com/ecodemonstrator. As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing's diverse team is committed to innovating for the future and living the company's core values of safety, quality and integrity. Learn more at www.boeing.com. Alaska Airlines and its regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States and to Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica. The airline emphasizes Next-Level Care for its guests, along with providing low fares, award-winning customer service and sustainability efforts. On March 31, 2021, Alaska became the 14th member of oneworld. With the global alliance and Alaska Airlines' additional partners, guests can travel to more than 1,000 destinations on more than 20 airlines while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world. Learn more at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/boeing-and-alaska-airlines-partner-to-make-flying-safer-and-more-sustainable-301304735.html BIDEN’S PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES INCREASE FOR FAA, AVIATION PROGRAMS The proposal includes $88 billion for the Department of Transportation to, among other things, continue the deployment of NextGen air traffic technologies, and integrate such new entrants as unmanned aircraft systems and commercial space operations. The budget request supports the development of sustainable aviation fuels and accelerating technologies to reduce emissions and fuel burn from new commercial aircraft and engines. The president’s budget for the FAA includes: FAA Operations: $11.4 billion (increase of $432 million from FY21) to oversee the safety of civil aviation, and to provide for the operation, maintenance, communications, and logistical support of the air traffic control and air navigation systems. This funding level enables the FAA to preserve the highest level of safety in the national airspace system (NAS) while investing in innovation, and address future workforce shortages. Facilities and Equipment: $3.41 billion (increase of $395 million) to maintain the capacity and safety of the current airspace system, while continuing the modernization and transformation of both the NAS and facilities infrastructure. Research, Engineering, and Development: $258.5 million (increase of $60.5 million) to enable continued research and innovation to sustain and improve mission performance across all elements of the aviation system. Many of these investments would be targeted toward climate change. The budget also includes $5 million to support the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative (PAFI), charged with finding a fleetwide replacement for leaded avgas. AOPA continues to serve a leadership role on the PAFI Steering Group. Airport Grants-in-Aid: $3.35 billion is requested to preserve and improve critical airfield infrastructure at more than 3,300 public-use airports nationwide. The request also includes $41 million for airport technology research to support the safe and efficient integration of new and innovative technologies into the airport environment (including the continued testing off unmanned aircraft systems at airports, and the development of infrastructure standards for electric vertical takeoff vehicles). The request also includes $5 million for two Aviation Workforce Development grant programs created by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. The president’s budget proposal is a blueprint for the administration’s priorities. Ultimately, Congress will determine where and how much to provide to specific departments and agencies across the federal government. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2021/june/03/bidens-proposed-budget-includes-increase-for-faa-aviation-programs Urban Air Mobility in Japan: Next Gen Aviation Mobility Planning Offices will Support AAV, UAM Urban Air Mobility in Japan is ready to take off. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in Japan has announced the formation of the “Next Generation Aviation Mobility Planning Office” to handle regulation and issues surrounding aviation mobility. The Ministry also announced that it would regularize flight beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) before 2023, the target date for introducing passenger drones and urban air mobility in Japan. The Next Generation Aviation Mobility Planning Office will be staffed by 22 full-time employees of the Minister’s Secretariat. The Office will research issues of urban air mobility and passenger drone use in order to establish safety standards and appropriate regulations and systems, such as registration systems for unmanned aerial vehicles, appropriate maintenance requirements, and operations standards. The Office will collaborate with the Civil Aviation Bureau’s Safety Department’s Aircraft Technology Examination Center (in charge of examinations for next-generation aviation mobility, located in Aichi Prefecture) and the Fukushima Robot Test Field to design systems for next-generation aviation mobility. The Japanese government has worked to support the drone industry, despite tight restrictions in urban areas. A public-private partnership in Japan determined that passenger drones, flying cars, and other advanced aviation vehicles (AAV) would be able to begin operations in 2023. (Check out this video to see the Japanese SkyDrive in flight!) The establishment of the Next Generation Aviation Mobility Planning Office provides businesses and government sectors with a central resource responsible for moving next-generation aviation mobility forward in Japan. Since 2014, Japan UAS Industrial Development Association (JUIDA) has been facilitating & supporting the development of UAS/UAM in Japan, ranging from education, legislation, tradeshow, business matching up to international collaborations with the public and the private sectors. With more than 13,000 members & 250 accredited drone pilot schools, JUIDA continues to be a key player in Japan and overseas. https://dronelife.com/2021/06/03/urban-air-mobility-in-japan-next-gen-aviation-mobility-planning-offices-will-support-aav-uam/ Rolls Starts Testing New Hybrid-electric Propulsion System Rolls-Royce has started testing the first elements of the most powerful hybrid-electric aero power and propulsion system in aerospace at a newly renovated testbed, the company said Thursday. The tests support the 2.5-megawatt (MW) Power Generation System 1 (PGS1) demonstrator program for future regional aircraft. Rolls-Royce has begun testing the AE2100 engine element and specialist controls and thermal management system, supported by a system integration generator, at its Testbed 108 in Bristol, UK. It plans “later this year” to bring together a fully operational generator and a 3,000-volt power electronics system, now completing testing at Rolls’s facility in Trondheim, Norway, to start full PGS1 system testing. The generator can apply to either hybrid-electric propulsion systems or as part of a “more-electric” system for larger aircraft. Rolls said PGS1 forms an important part of its sustainability strategy, which includes developing innovative electrical power and propulsion systems, as well as further improving gas turbine performance and promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels. “Our PGS1 tests will lead the way in finding out what this new generation of hybrid-electric propulsion system is capable of delivering,” said Rolls-Royce director of aerospace technology and future programs Alan Newby. “For example, our generator is about the size of a beer keg but it needs to produce enough electricity to power around 2,500 homes and do so continuously. By doing these tests we will be able to validate our digital modeling and find out precisely what is physically and technically possible.” Once ground tested, PGS1 will provide a technology basis for any future hybrid aircraft program requiring MW power, said Rolls. The UK Aerospace Technology Institute’s MegaFlight project has supported both Testbed 108 and PGS1, while the EU Clean Sky 2 program supports the 2.5-MW electrical generator, motor, and power electronics design in Trondheim. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2021-06-03/rolls-starts-testing-new-hybrid-electric-propulsion-system Archer Aviation pushes for dismissal of Wisk trade secret suit Archer Aviation hit back against allegations that it misappropriated trade secrets and infringed on patents from electric aircraft rival Wisk Aero, telling a court this week that it designed its Maker aircraft with a third-party eVTOL consultant prior to any former Wisk employees joining the company. Archer said it worked with consultant FlightHouse Engineering at the end of 2019, when the consultancy firm modeled a 12-rotor fixed-wing aircraft, with the front six rotors capable of tilting from a vertical to a horizontal position. This is the design that ultimately became the Maker. By the time the first Wisk employee arrived at Archer, this design had already been modeled, Archer says. “Despite the breathless innuendo and baseless speculation to which Wisk devotes its entire complaint, Archer’s eVTOL aircraft design is not only the best eVTOL aircraft around, it is entirely Archer’s design,” the answer says. A Wisk spokesperson told TechCrunch that Archer’s filing changes nothing about the case. It “contains no substantive response to the allegations Archer misappropriated more than 50 specific Wisk trade secrets, which were disclosed in a court filing last month and cover multiple components, systems, and designs for the aircraft,” the spokesperson said. “We believe Archer’s business is built on Wisk’s intellectual property as detailed in our filings, and we look forward to proceeding with our case.” Wisk filed its lawsuit with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in April, alleging that Archer perpetrated a “brazen theft” of confidential information and intellectual property. The suit came just two months after Archer announced it would merge with special purpose acquisition company Atlas Crest Investment Corp. in a deal valued at $3.8 billion. In its filing Tuesday, Archer included counterclaims alleging “tortious interference and unfair competition.” Archer stated that Wisk engaged in a “media campaign” that was timed “to maximize harm to Archer after learning of Archer’s impending financial success.” In a separate motion to dismiss, Archer also said that Wisk failed to identify any specific trade secrets that it allegedly misappropriated in the April complaint. Wisk, born of a joint venture between Boeing and Kitty Hawk Corp., did include a 72-page trade secret disclosure in a separate injunction filed on May 19. That injunction could potentially bar Archer from using any of the purportedly stolen technology. An Archer spokesperson told TechCrunch that the company will file an opposition to that injunction on June 23, “which will address Wisk’s purported trade secret disclosure statement.” A major part of Wisk’s suit are allegations that a former Wisk employee, Jing Xue, downloaded thousands of proprietary files from his work computer prior to joining Archer. However, Archer said in the motion to dismiss that Wisk does not allege that the former employee disclosed any such information to Archer. According to Archer, “such allegations do not suffice to show that Archer […] came into possession of the files or learned of the confidential information therein, much less that it did so knowingly, as is required to state a trade secret claim.” https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/02/archer-aviation-pushes-for-dismissal-of-wisk-trade-secret-suit/ SpaceX signs bulk deal for three private Crew Dragon missions SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule will launch three more private astronaut missions tentatively through 2023 under a bulk deal signed this week with mission manager Axiom Space, the companies announced on Wednesday. Though specific terms weren’t disclosed, it marks one of the biggest deals yet in the burgeoning private spaceflight industry and makes for a busy ISS schedule for the next few years. The three missions, paced roughly six months apart, will come after Axiom’s first ride on Crew Dragon in January next year flying an “all-civilian” crew to the International Space Station for eight days. Ax-2, the second mission, will be led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. Crews for Ax-3 and 4 haven’t been announced yet. All flights will involve similar stays on the ISS. Axiom declined to disclose the value of the agreement, which had been in the works for months and was officially signed with SpaceX in recent weeks. SpaceX didn’t return an email seeking comment. The timing and parameters of missions are subject to approval from NASA, which manages the ISS schedule, as well as a panel of NASA’s international space station partners. “A new era in human spaceflight is here,” SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said in a statement. “The growing partnership between Axiom and SpaceX will enable more opportunities for more humans in space on the road to making humanity multiplanetary,” SpaceX said of the Axiom deal on its website, referring to its founder Elon Musk’s main goal of colonizing Mars. For Houston-based Axiom, founded in 2016 by veteran NASA ISS manager Mike Suffredini, these initial Crew Dragon treks to the space station will serve as “precursor missions” ahead of the company’s core project of building commercial ISS modules, the first of which is planned for installation in 2024. Suffredini, Axiom’s CEO, said these missions keep the company on track for those commercial space station plans. “All four crews will receive combined commercial astronaut training from NASA and SpaceX, with SpaceX providing training on the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft, emergency preparedness training, spacesuit and spacecraft ingress and egress exercises, as well as partial and full simulations,” SpaceX’s statement said. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule was developed under a mix of private funds and a roughly $3 billion NASA contract in the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, which was started to revive America’s ability to launch crews to space from US soil after a decade-long dependence on Russian rockets. SpaceX has launched three crews of government astronauts under that program since May 2020, with four more planned in the future. Boeing, the second company under that program, is further behind with its Starliner capsule, which is slated to fly its first astronaut crew by year’s end. Adding four private Axiom-arranged Crew Dragon missions on top of SpaceX’s commercial crew cadence would make for a busy schedule for the ISS, which only has two docking ports that are compatible with Crew Dragon, a cargo-only version of Crew Dragon, and Boeing’s Starliner. With Starliner flights planned ahead, and NASA stating it allows only two private astronaut flights to the ISS per year, it’s unclear whether all four Axiom missions would get approved for flight through 2023. NASA didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment. “We continue to be extremely busy onboard the International Space Station,” NASA’s ISS program manager Joel Montalbano said Wednesday during a press conference on SpaceX’s cargo mission launching tomorrow. “NASA’s partnership with the commercial industry is changing the way we look at low Earth orbit.” https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/2/22465134/spacex-axiom-space-sign-bulk-deal-private-crew-dragon-missions Curt Lewis