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Sustainable Flight Fund, which was launched
earlier this year with more than US$100 million
in investments from the carrier and partners
Air Canada, Boeing, GE Aerospace, JPMorgan
Chase and Honeywell, has swelled to US$200
million in less than six months. Among the
eight new partners in the Fund are American
Express Global Business Travel, Aviation
Capital Group, Bank of America, Hawaiian
Airlines and JetBlue Ventures. Delta, which
has a goal of using 10 per cent SAF for flights
by 2030, has signed offtake agreements for
over 200 million gallons of SAF.

Initiatives Galore
Among GE Aerospace’s sustainability initia-
tives is the CFM RISE (Revolutionary Innovation
for Sustainable Engines) programme, which
involves CFM parent companies GE and
Safran Aircraft Engines. Airbus is supporting
RISE and will partner with CFM to carry out carry up to 50 passengers. After unveiling four concepts, the
a flight test demonstrator programme on an company has decided to focus on 19- and 30-seater designs for
Airbus A380 during the second half of this hybrid-electric and hydrogen-electric propulsion.
decade, to validate the open-fan engine archi-
tecture. Currently, all Airbus commercial and Although much of the focus is on producing and using enough
military aircraft, as well as helicopters, can fly SAF, there are signs of promise in other areas as well. Battery
with an up to a 50 per cent blend of SAF. The weight and size constraints limit the use of eVTOLs to short-haul
goal is to ensure 100 per cent SAF capability markets, but the sector looks set to be bustling with activity by
by 2030 of these aircraft types. The European the end of the decade, with aircraft manufacturers competing to
aerospace company is also working on hydro- certify aircraft and regulators in different regions coordinating
gen-powered concepts for future aircraft and with each other to introduce a uniform set of regulations. Some
has committed to having a hydrogen-powered eVTOL companies have announced that they will start commer-
jet ready for entry into service by 2035. cial operations within the next two years, but many stakeholders
in the nascent sector believe there will be a delay.
Boeing’s “Cascade” Climate Impact Model is
a data-modeling tool that provides action-
able insights towards the aviation industry’s Breaking Through
goal of net-zero emissions. The company has
also introduced a tool that tracks SAF capac- Hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft is further down the road,
ity around the world. The aerospace giant’s but signs of promise are already visible in this area. in March this
sustainability initiatives include a research year, US-based startup Universal Hydrogen successfully tested a
project with MIT to help decarbonize aero- De Havilland Dash 8-300 turboprop powered by hydrogen fuel
space, a partnership with Alder Fuels to scale cells during 15 minutes at an altitude of 3,500 feet or roughly 1
SAF globally, and a purchase of 2 million gal- kilometer. The plane featured one normal engine and one electric
lons of SAF in 2022 for its commercial airplane motor fed by a hydrogen fuel cell.
operations.

In July, ZeroAvia announced the completion of its initial prototype
Embraer plans to implement 25 per cent SAF ZA600 flight testing campaign at Cotswold Airport; the next stage
use in its operations by 2040 and 100 per cent of testing and demonstration will involve cross-country flights.
renewable energy sources by 2030. Last year, In August, the company announced the development of a world-
the Pratt & Whitney GTF-powered E195-E2 first, high-performance compressor for fuel cell-based aviation
was successfully tested on 100 per cent SAF. propulsion systems, including its first ZA600 hydrogen-electric
The E2 family of jets is targeted to be com- powertrain. The company’s hydrogen-electric engine, the ZA600
patible with 100 per cent SAF before 2030. for 9-19 seat aircraft, is scheduled to enter service by 2025. The
The Brazilian plane maker’s Energia project second engine, the ZA2000 for 40-80 seat aircraft, has likely to
explores a range of sustainable concepts to enter service in 2027.

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