Home

New Biofuel flights for KLM

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The purpose of this series of flights is to demonstrate that it is possible to mix sustainable biofuel on a serie of scheduled flights. Herewith, KLM wants to stimulate the developments in the field of sustainable airtraffic. This is done in collaboration with the WWF. KLM believes that only a sustainable alternative to current fossil kerosene actually leads to reduction of CO2 emissions in the medium term. For this purpose, since late 2007 KLM is doing research for sustainably produced biofuels * and hopes that more parties will follow its example in order to decrease the price of biofuel.

The four daily flights are operated on fuel mixed with some biofuel. The biofuel is made from discarded frying oil and developed and delivered by SkyNRG, from which KLM is co-initiator. Already 7 years in a row AIR FRANCE KLM is sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

* A biofuel is considered durable when its cultivation is not at the expense of food production, biodiversity and does not lead to deforestation, overuse of water and pesticides. In addition, there are also various social criteria.

KLM

Hawaiian Earns First-Ever Aviation Carbon Credits For Reducing Emissions with Pratt and Whitney's Eco Engine Wash

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

“We are proud to be the first airline to receive verified carbon credits for reducing emissions,” said Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines. “Importantly, engine washing with EcoPower® is helping us to mitigate rising fuel costs and significantly reduce Hawaiian’s carbon footprint at the same time.”

A carbon credit is a verified means of measuring the reduction of industrial CO2 emissions from the environment, with one credit equal to the removal of one ton of CO2. Hawaiian’s earning of carbon credits has been quantified and certified under the Verified Carbon Standard, the world’s leading independent standard for the measurement and verification of greenhouse gas emissions and the creation of carbon credits.

Hawaiian’s reduction of CO2 emissions using Pratt & Whitney’s patented EcoPower engine washing system has had the equivalent effect of taking 700 cars off the road annually.

In addition, since launching the program in 2005, Hawaiian’s commitment to the engine-washing system has saved the company more than 2.5 million gallons of fuel, along with an estimated 26,000 gallons of water that would have been used with traditional washing methods.

“It is appropriate that our first EcoPower customer, Hawaiian Airlines, is also the first customer to be awarded Verified Carbon Units as a result,” said Rick Deurloo, vice president, Pratt & Whitney Sales, Americas.

The EcoPower system reduces fuel burn and eliminates three pounds of CO2 for every pound of fuel saved, while also reducing engine temperatures and normal wear. It uses pure, atomized water to wash aircraft engines in a closed-loop system that filters contaminants and reuses water, eliminating potential contaminant runoff. The system is more effective and faster than traditional engine washing processes.

Hawaiian’s engine washing program is part of a broader continuous effort to mitigate high fuel costs and their impact on its customers. The company has commitments to acquire a fleet of new, more fuel efficient aircraft valued at more than $8 billion and has installed performance-enhancing winglets, lighter passenger seats and lighter service carts on its existing wide-body fleet.

Hawaiian employs a number of other measures to reduce its carbon footprint, including a variety of other fuel conservation measures, recycling of waste materials and use of renewable and biodegradable resources in onboard meal packaging and utensils.

The company is also part of an airline industry movement to support development of clean-burning alternatives to petroleum-based fuel for powering jet engines.

Hawaiin Airlines

Airbus takes Air Traffic Management to the fourth dimension - Supports partnership for more efficiency in European airspace

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:20:25 GMT

The main benefits of I-4D are a significant reduction of fuel burn and C0₂ emissions, in line with SESAR*’s target to reduce the environmental impact per flight by ten percent, a decrease of delays and therefore shorter and smoother flights for passengers.

This flight test offers a concrete solution towards improving the existing European system which is reaching its capacity limit. It is a world premiere in the ongoing transformation of today’s air traffic management system.

Once proven and industrialized, it will allow aircraft to plan and fly an optimized and efficient profile without any need for the controllers to provide any vectoring instruction. This will bring better predictability of the traffic flows and facilitate Continuous Descent Operations into airports. As a result, aircraft flying in a holding pattern will be notably reduced.

I-4D trajectory management relies on an aircraft function that predicts and transmits data to the ground enabling the aircraft to accurately fly a trajectory after coordination with the ground systems. This is called a 4D-trajectory as it is described in three dimensions (lateral, longitudinal and vertical) and it includes one target time at a specific merging point (time as the fourth dimension).

I-4D is the first step in developing one of the essential pillars of the SESAR programme: conciliating the increasing traffic density with the efficiency of flights. It is the result of several months of collaboration between SESAR partners.

One of Airbus’ key roles has been to test the upgraded flight management (Navigation) and communication systems with each other and to integrate them into the real aircraft architecture.

More flight trials and simulations are planned in 2012 and 2013. The first I-4D operation is planned in Europe from 2018 onwards.

* * *

About Initial-4D

Operational partners: Airbus, EUROCONTROL’s Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) and NORACON ^[1]

Ground Industry: Indra and Thales ATM

Airborne Industry: Honeywell, Thales Avionics and Airbus

*About SESAR

The SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) joint undertaking is a public-private partnership created to provide improved control of the aircraft flying the skies of Europe, prevent crippling congestion and reduce the overall environmental impact of air transport.

I4D is a project in this broad programme to achieve the goals of Sesar.

Airbus is a major contributor to all activities, and is leading the aircraft work package that defines onboard solutions to meet operational improvement targets identified in the SESAR master plan.

http://www.sesarju.eu/programme/highlights/i-4d-flight

easyJet first airline to trial electric green taxiing system by Safran and Honeywell

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Due to the high frequency and short sector lengths of easyJet’s operations, around 4% of total fuel consumed annually is used when the airline’s aircraft are taxiing. easyJet’s aircraft average 20 minutes of taxi time per flight – the equivalent of 3.5 million miles a year.

The first operational trials are expected to start in 2013. Honeywell and Safran are targeting to offer the electric green taxiing system either on new aircraft or as a retrofit solution to in-service aircraft as early as 2016.

The development and trial will help establish whether the estimated savings can be realised and also quantify other benefits. easyJet will also assist in establishing the airline standard operational procedures for aircraft equipped with the system.

Ian Davies, easyJet’s Head of Engineering and Maintenance, said: “easyJet is always seeking innovative ways of reducing our environmental footprint as well as our operating costs so this technology is of great interest to us.

“This collaboration with Honeywell and Safran allows us to bring our huge experience of high frequency and high levels of operational performance to the partnership to ensure that the solution meets our needs.”

Yves Leclère, Safran Executive Vice President, Transformation said: “We are very pleased to partner with easyJet on the electric green taxiing system. It is a clear vote of confidence from a major airline which gives significant credibility to our system and value model.”

John Bolton, President, Honeywell’s Air Transport and Regional business, added: “Our complementary technologies and fully integrated customer approach have earned the confidence of a major player in the airline industry, and we will highly value easyJet’s operational input in developing the EGTS.”

The EGTS allows aircraft to taxi without requiring the use of aircraft engines by using the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) generator to power motors in the main wheels. Each of the aircraft’s powered wheels is equipped with an electromechanical actuator, while unique power electronics and system controllers give pilots total control of the aircraft’s speed, direction and braking during taxi operations. The system would therefore reduce, if not remove altogether, the need for tugs to manoeuvre aircraft in and out of stands.

easyJet

Birmingham Airport Invests in Solar Power

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The Airport has worked in partnership with npower to install the 50kpw solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to provide renewable green energy on-site as it reduces its dependency on mains power electricity.

This is the first renewable energy and zero carbon installation on the Airport site and is part of a wider project to improve its energy management and reduce its carbon footprint.

The solar PV panels capture the sun’s energy using photovoltaic cells, which then convert the sunlight into electricity and even on cloudy days can still produce some electricity, making it incredibly efficient. The system also generates no greenhouse gases, helping the Airport reduce its carbon footprint.

Paul Kehoe, the Airport’s CEO, said: “It’s exciting for the Airport to present such a visible commitment to energy reduction. Managing our greenhouse gas emissions is a high priority for the company and we’re always seeking new opportunities to work with partners to reduce our carbon footprint.”

As a leading provider of solar PV in the UK for commercial properties, npower was selected to carry out the installation in partnership with Photon Energy. From initial meetings in October, npower was able to complete full site surveys, detailed designs, installation and commissioning in just over six weeks, ensuring the Airport could immediately benefit from the green energy. As a result, there has already been a reduction in energy consumption since the panels were installed in December.

Graham Ryott, Development Manager at npower, added: “Birmingham Airport is committed to a sustainable future so installing solar PV as a way of generating energy is fundamental to its ongoing programme in reducing its environmental impact. As one of the busiest Airports in the country, Birmingham is understandably a large energy user but supplementing its energy use with on-site generation is a positive step for the site’s future and npower is delighted to be involved.”

An added incentive of solar PV is the Government’s Feed-in-Tariffs (FITs), which provide payment to the companies for every unit of electricity generated by solar PV panels.*

Birmingham Airport

New arrival management message implemented

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

An AMA message is sent electronically from Amsterdam to the Maastricht ATC system and contains essential information for managing air traffic inbound to Schiphol. The data received enables air traffic controllers to issue speed instructions at an early stage during the descent to destination.

This results in a streamlined amount of traffic, improves flight efficiency, and can result in savings up to 110 kg of fuel per flight affected.

The introduction of AMA-messaging is an essential step in the implementation of a function in the air traffic management system that advises air traffic controllers about aircraft speed and the use of routes for aircraft inbound to Schiphol while they are still flying in the upper airspace.

This function is being developed in the Speed And Route Advisor (SARA) project; one of the projects which are carried out at European level, as part of the strategy of the European Commission, with the aim to modernise the air traffic management system in the period until 2020.

The implementation of this function makes traffic flows more predictable and stable, reduces the workload of air traffic controllers and cockpit crew and brings environmental and economical benefits.

For FABEC, the new data exchange between Amsterdam and Maastricht is an initial step to implement cross-border arrival management (XMAN) for the five major airports Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Munich and – due to its effect on FABEC operations – London.

The objective is to improve flight efficiency by enhancing the scope of continuous decent operations (CDO). Instead of the limited range of existing centre-internal arrival management systems XMAN will allow the planning of arrivals across centre boundaries within a range of approximately 200 nautical miles.

FABEC brings together the six States of Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland, their civil and military air navigation service providers, and EUROCONTROL's Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC). The civil FABEC ANSPs employ a total of 17,700 people. 5,400 are traffic controllers. 55% of all European traffic takes place in the FABEC area.

EUROCONTROL

Accredited airports: "We are the 52%!"

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Olivier Jankovec, Director General ACI EUROPE commented “With Helsinki airport, Dusseldorf airport, Warsaw airport and the 6 airports of Finavia’s Lapland Group now accredited, joining 46 others, our industry continues to make tangible progress in addressing its carbon footprint and becoming more efficient. More than 750 million passengers a year are travelling through European airports that are now Airport Carbon Accredited!”

Siim Kallas, European Commission Vice-President responsible for Transport said “Genuine progress on greening transport and curbing emissions can only occur when the regulator’s work is complemented by citizens and businesses taking action of their own. Airport Carbon Accreditation is a fine example of an industry taking the initiative in this regard. I am delighted to see so many airports are now participating in the programme - it is clearly helping to move European aviation onto a more sustainable footing.”

Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action said “I am of course very happy to see that more than half of European passenger traffic is now passing through carbon accredited airports, congratulations! It is important that all parts of industry and society join in our efforts against climate change, and examples like yours are inspiring."

Initially launched in Europe in June 2009, the institutionally endorsed¹ programme Airport Carbon Accreditation has moved up several gears in the past two and half years. In November 2011, the programme expanded to the Asia-Pacific region, gaining the support of ICAO at that time too. Abu Dhabi Airport was the very first to become Airport Carbon Accredited in the Asia-Pacific region of ACI. The recent ‘first time’ accreditations of a significant number of airports have seen the programme shoot past the 50% mark in Europe in the past weeks. Final results of the CO2 reduction² achieved for Year 3 of the programme, will be announced at the 22nd ACI EUROPE Annual Congress in Madrid, 20-22 June 2012.

Recent renewals within the programme have also seen Gothenborg-Landvetter Airport renew its status as a carbon neutral airport as well as Eindhoven Airport in the Netherlands achieve ‘Reduction’ for the very first time.

ACI

German ANSP DFS Announces Capacity Gains with New ATS System

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Air traffic controllers in Karlsruhe are responsible for most of the upper airspace above Germany. The upper airspace that is still controlled from Munich will soon be transferred to the control centre in Karlsruhe. When this is completed, Karlsruhe UAC will control about 250,000 more flights than they do today.

A significant new feature in the P1/VAFORIT system is the four-dimensional trajectory prediction. An electronic system makes conventional paper flight progress strips obsolete. P1/VAFORIT is thus a paradigm shift in flight data processing and for the air traffic controller's job. Trajectory-based systems provide four-dimensional data about the planned flight paths of all flights relevant to the control centre. These features aid air traffic controllers in anticipating and resolving possible conflicts between aircraft at an early stage. In addition, they increase the accuracy of flight planning which in turn improves punctuality and reduces re-routings.

The new system also allows for the use of Free Route Airspace structures which have been defined as the standard by FABEC (Functional Airspace Block Europe Central). This will make it possible to fly more direct routes and thus allow flights to reach their destinations sooner which also means less environmental impact. Direct routings are being introduced in steps. In June 2011, DFS implemented 35 direct routings. At the moment, a second phase is in place in which DFS is introducing 144 direct routings most of which run through the less complex sectors above eastern Germany where there is less traffic. "Most of the direct routings are available 24 hours a day without any time restrictions," commented Thomas Hoffmann, Head of UAC Karlsruhe. "Flight time, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions have been reduced. The potential annual benefits expected for phase one amount to about 1,450 hours of flying time, 4,400 tonnes of fuel, 14,000 tonnes of CO2 and 60 tonnes of nitrogen oxides. With phase two in place, we expect to save 2,900 hours of flying time and 8,800 tonnes of fuel per year."

The third and fourth phases are already being planned. Additionally, further Free Route Airspace structures will be introduced in cooperation with the Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre and other FABEC partners in conjunction with the Single European Sky ATM Research Programme (SESAR).

Trajectory-based systems like P1/VAFORIT are the core of the Single European Sky. "The introduction of the P1/VAFORIT system is not just a significant step forward, it is a quantum leap. And from a technological point of view, it has paved the way to SESAR," commented Ralph Riedle, Managing Director Operations at DFS. "The system is key for restructuring airspace. This is why we are going to transfer the control of the upper airspace above Bavaria to Karlsruhe next year." Ninety-five air traffic controllers who control four geographical areas over southeast Germany with about 250,000 aircraft movements will transfer from Munich to Karlsruhe. This will ensure that capacity keeps pace with the ever-growing amount of air traffic."

The most important features of P1/VAFORIT:
· 4D trajectory prediction...
...enables air traffic controllers to carry out a what-if probing prior to tasks to be performed
...provides a much longer warning time for potential conflicts
...affords a longer warning time for critical situations (Medium-Term Conflict Detection)
...allows traffic situations to be predicted much more accurately by the system
Flight Conformance Monitoring Aids (MONA)
· Operations without flight progress strips
· Automatic centre to centre data coordination
· Controller/pilot data link communications which are scheduled to be completely operable at the end of March 2012
· Two fully dissimilar radar data processors (RDP): a dual-redundant primary RDP plus a dual-redundant fallback RDP (including redundant display processors)
· Mode S processing
· Synchronised Voice and Video Recording and Playback (VRAP)
· Modular client/server system architecture
· Up to 120 air traffic controller working positions
· Concurrent processing of up to 1,500 tracks and 1,500 flight plans
· Fulfils all relevant EU interoperability regulations

One of the most important features of P1/VAFORIT is the user interface. The interface was designed to automate routine work, to allow for stripless operations and to make use intuitive so that controllers can exploit the functionalities.

The P1/VAFORIT system is the result of years of development and programming work. DFS initiated the project in 1996 together with the Spanish systems developer Indra Sistemas. It is a multinational company which, among other things, is involved in air navigation services technology in Europe and employs 30,000 staff in 40 countries around the world.

The implementation of P1/VAFORIT is part of the multinational interoperability Through European Collaboration (iTEC) between DFS and its counterparts in the UK and Spain, NATS and AENA, along with Indra as their technology partner. The goal of collaborating with each other is to improve interoperability between different countries' ATS systems. P1/VAFORIT is the first in a new generation of 4D trajectory-based systems by DFS and defines the initial functionalities of the iTEC ATS system called iCAS (iTEC Centre Automation System).

CANSO

Airbus ProSky offers integrated airport surface management for air traffic controllers

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

SMAN was designed for environmental efficiency by the German company ATRiCS and is now offered through Airbus ProSky. A unique feature of this airport surface management system is that it automatically switches on the green taxiway lights in front of the aircraft as it moves forward, to illuminate the correct route ahead for the pilot to follow. Overall, the system reduces taxi time and maximises airport capacity and aircraft throughput, while its intelligent predictive guidance also prevents runway incursions and a ‘wrong-turn’. SMAN thus smoothes overall traffic flow and facilitates a continuous taxi speed. This results in less queuing, less ‘stop-and-go’, and of course, lower CO2 emissions.

“Airbus ProSky and ATRiCS share a common goal for improving the efficiency of our airport and aviation systems,” said Wolfgang Hatzack, Chief Executive Officer of ATRiCS. “Our deployments in Incheon, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Frankfurt, Zurich and Düsseldorf demonstrate the safety and cost benefits for the global aviation industry with Airbus ProSky.”

Eric Stefanello, Chief Executive Officer of Airbus ProSky said: "Airbus ProSky is bringing together intelligent ATM components which offer the highest level of performance improvements.” He added: “ATRiCS is a proven leader and innovator in advanced artificial intelligence to assist controllers, and we are delighted to have them as part of our team.”

Airbus ProSky, a subsidiary company of Airbus, is dedicated to improving the performance and efficiency of global ATM. By drawing on the operational know-how throughout Airbus itself, and in particular, bringing together the expertise of Airbus’ subsidiaries – Metron Aviation in the US and Quovadis in France, Airbus ProSky offers more than the sum of these parts to provide the world’s best ATM components to maximize value, efficiency, capacity and environmental sustainability. Part of this team, ATRiCS, based in Freiburg, Germany, is a leader in improving traffic efficiency and controller productivity at airports.

Airbus is the world’s leading aircraft manufacturer offering the most modern, innovative and efficient family of passenger airliners on the market, ranging in capacity from 100 to more than 500 seats. Airbus is an EADS company.

Airbus

Lufthansa achieves record punctuality at Frankfurt Saving Emissions

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

For the first time for many years, Frankfurt is thus on a par with comparable international hubs such as Amsterdam, London Heathrow and Munich with which the airport is in direct competition. However, the strict ban on night flights after 11pm, which was imposed at Frankfurt just as the new runway went into operation, is proving extremely problematic – not only for freighter flights but also as regards the smooth running of passenger services. As a result, 19 flights have had to be transferred to the following day despite the fact that, in many cases, the aircraft would only been airborne for a matter of minutes after 11pm. Many passengers in transit who do not have a visa for Germany have been forced to sleep at the airport on camp beds or on bench seats.

“The additional capacity we have gained as a result of the new Northwest Runway is immensely important for reliable flight operations at our home base, Frankfurt. It is essential if we are to maintain our position among the world’s leading international hubs,” explains Kay Kratky, member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board, Frankfurt & Flight Operations. “But we are also aware that the new runway has led to a redistribution of noise. As a result, some of the residents living within the noise footprint of aircraft using the Northwest Runway are now affected. At the same time, other neighbouring communities have benefited and now experience less noise, thanks to the new approach and departure routes. With our partners – the airport operator Fraport and German Air Traffic Control (DFS) – we are working intensively on measures to reduce aircraft noise for all those affected as soon as possible.”

The new runway has removed the previous bottlenecks at Frankfurt Airport, and flight operations have become more stable following the increase in capacity. For many passengers in transit, reliable quality is a decisive factor in their choice of airport. In the last three months, thanks to more stable operations, the percentage of passengers missing their connecting flight has fallen by 25 per cent compared with the previous months.

Fewer holding patterns above Frankfurt Airport – Environmental benefits of reducing CO₂emissions and fuel consumption
The environment is also benefiting from the increase in capacity at the airport. Before the new runway went into operation, holding stacks over Frankfurt and the surrounding area were a daily occurrence. Many aircraft often had to circle unnecessarily over the Rhine-Main area before they were granted landing permission. That not only caused delays but also raised CO₂emissions and fuel consumption. Thanks to the additional capacity for arrivals and departures, airborne waiting times during the approach to Frankfurt have been reduced by two and a half hours per day at Lufthansa alone. Over the past three months, this has led to savings of about five and a half tonnes of jet fuel and 17.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per day.

Lufthansa

SkyNRG serves first Middle Eastern airline Etihad Airways via Boeing "fuel from the factory" option

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:33:58 GMT

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer commented: “Today's flight marks a significant milestone in our efforts to support and drive the commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel in Abu Dhabi, the region, and globally. However, the use of a presently available biofuel is just one part of a more comprehensive long-term biofuel strategy to ensure that we are able to use biofuels to decarbonise substantially an entire industry sector in the long term.”

“We think the Middle East has great potential to give a critical boost towards making a market for sustainable jet fuel that is affordable. With this flight Etihad Airways has taken a fantastic step, particularly in increasing awareness within the region. There is a lot more to come in this continent and we are determined to be there when that happens.” Says Dirk Kronemeijer, Managing Director SkyNRG.

About SkyNRG

SkyNRG’s mission is to help create a sustainable future for aviation through actively developing a sustainable production chain for alternative aviation fuels. Today the market for these fuels is just emerging; SkyNRG is taking the first steps to make it a reality.

After two years of research and development the company has created a one-stop shop for airlines integrating the complete supply chain for sustainable jet fuels. From feedstock-to-flight, the supply chain covers elements such as strict selection of sustainable feedstock, refining contracts, distribution to any airport in the world, quality assurance, in to plane fuel service, insurance, marketing and project (co) funding with airports and end customers.

SkyNRG does not commit to one single feedstock or technology. The sustainability of alternative aviation fuels depends on many factors and has to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. To make the right decisions now and in the future, SkyNRG is advised by an independent Sustainability Board, consisting of the Dutch wing of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-NL), Solidaridad, and the Copernicus Institute of Utrecht University. Next to that, SkyNRG strives for harmonisation on certification of sustainable jet fuel and therefore actively supports the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels.

SkyNRG

Etihad Airways operates first Biofuel powered delivery flight

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The 14 hour delivery flight of the airline’s newest and most efficient long haul aircraft was operated using a combination of traditional jet fuel and plant-based jet fuel, which is fully certified for use as commercial jet fuel.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “This flight marks a significant milestone in our efforts to support and drive the commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel in Abu Dhabi, the region, and globally.

“However, the use of a presently available biofuel is just one part of a more comprehensive long-term biofuel strategy to ensure that we are able to use biofuels to decarbonise substantially an entire industry sector in the long term.”

SkyNRG, an Amsterdam-based sustainable jet fuel provider, supplied the fuel, which is based on recycled vegetable cooking oil. As a plant-based source that has been used already for cooking purposes, it qualifies as a bio-based waste stream with a high sustainability value.

Dirk Kronemeijer, SkyNRG’s Managing Director, said: “We think the Middle East has great potential to give a critical boost towards making a market for sustainable jet fuel that is affordable. With this flight Etihad Airways has taken a fantastic step, particularly in increasing awareness within the region. There is a lot more to come in this continent and we are determined to be there when that happens.”

Boeing also supported this initiative by supplying their ‘fly-away’ fuel, provided for every new delivery, as a biofuel blend.

Sustainability is a key aspect of the biofuel production process. Etihad Airways, as a member of the global Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group, has committed to a stringent set of sustainability principles when looking at opportunities for biofuel development and use. This includes ensuring that feedstock is non-competitive with food sources and does not jeopardise drinking water supplies.

As part of this commitment and in helping to drive the development of potential feedstock inAbu Dhabi, Etihad Airways is also one of the founding members of the Masdar Institute’s Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC) inAbu Dhabi. This innovative five-year program, backed by over USD 2 million of financial and other support from the airline, supports research into the use of salt water tolerant plants as the basis for alternative aviation fuels.

With new regulations now being imposed on aviation carbon emissions, the commercial viability of biofuel is gaining even more importance. Starting this year, the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) will require all airlines to pay for emissions and this is likely to lead to other such schemes around the world. Biofuel is considered ‘carbon neutral' as the plant biomass takes in carbon as it grows and releases it again during the combustion process, and this means that the use of biofuel as part of the EU ETS would be considered exempt.

Etihad Airways

Southwest Airlines Introduces New Era Of Customer Comfort And Sustainability With Evolution Of Cabin Interior Design

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Inspired by Southwest’s past with a nod to the airline’s future, the cabin refresh features recyclable carpet, a brighter color-scheme, and a more durable, eco-friendly, and comfortable low-profile seat that weighs less than the current seat. The new interior design also provides the unique opportunity of greater revenue potential by increasing the number of seats onboard from 137 to 143, without sacrificing Customer comfort and personal space but, at the same time, increasing under-seat room for carryon luggage.

"We are preparing now for our next 40 years with a fleet modernization plan that includes the new interior, the Boeing 737-800 which is scheduled to come online beginning in March this year, and the 737 MAX, which is expected to join the Southwest fleet in 2017," said Bob Jordan, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. "The evolutionary changes we’re making with the new interior uphold our low-cost roots and historic focus on Customer Service. The cabin upgrade also allows us to create significant revenue opportunities without adding unwanted fees."

Beginning with a partnership between Southwest’s Maintenance and Engineering and Marketing Teams, Southwest set out to improve the inflight Customer Experience while increasing the durability of onboard materials, but without adding costs. In 2009, Southwest launched the "Green Plane" to test the market’s latest sustainable products onboard an aircraft in an effort to forge a new path in onboard eco-friendly products. Based on the inflight test results and feedback from Customers onboard the Green Plane, Southwest’s new Evolve interior features the E-Leather seat cover and many of the other products tested on the Green Plane including the carpet, life vest pouch, foam fill, and passenger seat rub strips. To view a time lapse video of a Boeing 737-700 transforming into the Evolve: The New Southwest Interior, click here. To read a blog post from Bob Jordan, visit our NUTS About Southwest blog. Check out photos of the new cabin interior and view the buck slip and seat diagram on swamedia.com.

Southwest will begin retrofitting its current fleet of 372 Boeing -700s with the Evolve interiorin March 2012, anticipating completion in 2013, for a total estimated cost of approximately $60 million. As integration of AirTran Airways, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southwest, moves forward, Southwest anticipates that AirTran’s Boeing -700s and 717s will also be retrofitted with the new cabin interior as those aircraft are converted into the Southwest brand over the next several years. Other Southwest fleet types are still being evaluated for a possible retrofit.

The Evolution of the New Cabin Interior Improves Customer Experience and Preserves Personal Space

With a continued focus on Customer comfort, Evolve: The New Southwest Interior retrofit enhances the Customer Experience:

Modern Cabin Design: The new design incorporates natural, earthy tones combined with Southwest’s iconic Canyon blue and clean, aluminum accents for a more modern, fresh appeal. The redesign is inspired by Southwest’s past with a nod to the future.
Lighter and More Comfortable Seat: The redesigned low-profile seat is more durable, made of eco-friendly products, is lighter, and more comfortable.
Increased Under-Seat Space: The new design allows for more under-seat room for carryon luggage and approved pet carriers.
Customer Living Space: Reducing the recline from three inches to two inches preserves onboard personal living space while still allowing for ample seat adjustment for Customer comfort.
Seatback pockets: The new netted seatback pockets are streamlined to provide more knee room.
Headrest: The fixed-wing headrest provides better neck and head alignment with side-to-side support for sleeping.
Improved Ergonomics: The combination of the low-profile cushion and fixed wing headrestimproves ergonomics by positioning Customers "down and back" into the seat, allowing for better lumbar support, armrest alignment, and increased personal living space.

Southwest Introduces New Era of Cabin Sustainability

Over the decades, Southwest has been at the forefront of such efficiencies as paperless tickets, quick aircraft turnarounds, and the installation of winglets onboard its aircraft. For more than 40 years, Southwest has been a Maverick in the airline industry, and the refreshed design is charting a new course for sustainable cabin interiors. The new cabin interior features these sustainable products:

Seats: The new seats are constructed using eco-friendly products that offer more durability of the current seat, as well as a weight savings of nearly six pounds per seat. A lighter weight fill from Franklin Products in the back of the seat provides increased Customer comfort. The improved durability of the redesigned seat coupled with fuel savings from 635 pounds less weight per aircraft is expected to result in more than $10 million in ongoing annual cost savings.
Seat Cover: The new seats are made using E-Leather, an eco-friendly, lightweight, and scuff resistant alternative to traditional leather. E-Leather is made from natural leather fiber that is upgraded and combined with a high performance core utilizing eco-friendly technology. The seat cover is manufactured by Irvin Automotive of Pontiac, MI, and they produce high quality covers quickly and at a much lower cost than our current manufacturer.
Seat Frame: In our mission to improve the Customer Experience yet increase sustainability and contain costs, we will preserve the interior foundation as part of the redesign by using the existing B/E Aerospace Innovator II seat frame on 372 of our existing -700 fleet (excluding AirTran’s -700s). By using the existing seat frames, we avoid spending an additional $50 million to refresh the cabin.
Carpet: The new interior carpet is produced by InterfaceFLOR and will be applied in carpet squares, thus eliminating the need for total replacement of individual areas and reducing labor and material costs. The carpet is manufactured in a closed loop recycled process dedicated to being completely carbon neutral.
Life Vest Pouch: The new pouch containing the life vest is more environmentally friendly, offering a weight savings of one pound per seat. The smaller pouch also creates more room under the seat for carryon items.
Wind Screen: The new bulkhead product has a longer lifespan, thus reducing the labor costs and waste that result from more frequent replacements or repairs.
Durable Recyclable Aluminum: By switching from plastic to a recyclable aluminum, we are increasing durability and reducing waste on the rub strips, tray table latches, and seat arm trim pieces.

Evolve: The New Southwest Interior is a win for each aspect of the triple bottomline: Performance, for increased durability, improved fuel burn, and additional revenue opportunity; People, with a new interior that emphasizes comfort and personal space; and Planet, for featuring sustainable, recyclable materials.

Southwest Airlines

3 Billion Gallons of Jet Fuel Saved

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

API’s Blended Winglets are an addition to the airplane wing tip that efficiently adds effective wingspan. The Winglets reduce the drag caused by wingtip vortices, the twin tornados formed by the difference between the pressure on the upper surface of an airplane's wing and that on the lower surface. By reducing drag, Blended Winglets, increase fuel efficiency and boost range. The Blended Winglets, which feature a large radius and smooth chord variation in the wing-to-winglet transition area, have demonstrated more than 60% greater effectiveness over conventional winglets with an angular transition.

One of the unique features of API’s technology is that it can be installed during production or retrofitted to existing (i.e. in-service) aircraft. API has Blended Winglets certified and in service on the Gulfstream II, Hawker 800 series, Falcon 2000 series and Falcon 900 series aircraft. API’s joint venture with The Boeing Company, Aviation Partners Boeing (APB), has Blended Winglets certified and in-service on the Boeing 737-300, -500, -700, -800 & -900, 757-200 & - 300 and 767-300ER/F series aircraft. Both companies have additional airframe development programs in-work for Blended Winglets, and API is looking at radical new Winglet technologies for the future.

API expects the amount of fuel saved to grow exponentially to more than seven billion gallons in the next 4-5 years. Joe Clark, CEO of API and Chairman of APB, said, “We are proud to be the world leader in the field of fuel savings for the airlines and private aviation,” adding that, “We look forward to adapting our new technology to both existing airplanes and new production
designs in the near future”.

API is doing its part in a changing world, for more information and to see the fuel savings counter in real time, fly to www.aviationpartners.com.

Practical trial of biosynthetic fuel at Lufthansa successful

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:07:31 GMT

“Our burnFAIR project went off smoothly and to our fullest satisfaction. As expected, biofuel proved its worth in daily flight operations,” confirmed Joachim Buse, Vice President Aviation Biofuel at Lufthansa.

The highlight of the biofuel trial at Lufthansa will be the first scheduled transatlantic flight to the United States, which is now planned for 12 January 2012. A Boeing 747-400, carrying about 40 tonnes of a biosynthetic fuel mix, will fly from Frankfurt to Washington. With this flight alone, Lufthansa expects to reduce CO₂ emissions by 38 tonnes, equivalent to the CO₂ emissions of six scheduled flights between Frankfurt and Berlin.

The aviation industry has undertaken a great deal in terms of climate protection and has set itself ambitious targets. In line with IATA’s industry-wide goal, airlines must reduce their net CO₂ emissions by 50 per cent by the year 2050 compared to 2005. “If we want to protect our climate and thus our future in a sustainable manner, we need innovative ideas and technologies and an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels – particularly in view of the growing demand for mobility worldwide,” said Christoph Franz, Chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

Biosynthetic kerosene is just as reliable as conventional jet fuel but the environmental effects are more positive. Thanks to the higher energy density of biofuel, it has been possible to reduce the fuel consumption by more than one per cent. Furthermore, biosynthetic kerosene is free of sulphur and aromatic compounds.

The principle behind biofuel is simple and is based on the carbon cycle. Plants withdraw CO₂ from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. When aircraft engines burn biofuel, this CO₂ is released back into the atmosphere. Biofuel emits about 50 per cent less CO₂ than conventional fossil fuels.

“As a next step, we will focus on the suitability, availability, sustainability and certification of raw materials. But first we must tap into this market. However, Lufthansa will only continue the practical trial if we are able to secure the volume of sustainable, certified raw materials required in order to maintain routine operations,” project manager Joachim Buse stressed.

From 15 July to 27 December 2011 a Lufthansa Airbus A321 was used to operate scheduled flights on the Hamburg-Frankfurt route. One of the aircraft’s engines was powered by a 50-50 blend of regular fuel and biosynthetic kerosene. The aim of this long-term trial was to gain experience in the use of biofuel and collect long-term data. At the same time, the test flight enables the effects of biofuels on the environment and on the maintenance and life time of the engines to be examined.

More information about the project is available at: www.puresky.de

Schiphol expands snow clearance fleet with purchase of new spray machine

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:04:09 GMT

Schiphol Group Executive Vice President and COO, Ad Rutten: 'This state of the art sprayer is an important new addition to our snow clearance fleet.' Our snow clearance fleet, which is deployed during wintry weather, is extremely important to us. We are continually investing in efficient, modern vehicles and equipment capable of optimal performance. We are also working to make our snow clearance fleet more sustainable. For example, we have been using potassium formate (a product that is more environmentally friendly than potassium nitrate) to de-ice runways for the past year.

Efficient and innovative
The innovative technology makes it even easier to see which area has already been covered by the sprayer, minimising the environmental impact. The sprayer will automatically shut down in the event of overlap. In addition, the sprayer can be used until the tank is completely empty. As a result, the vehicle is economical in terms of fuel and spray fluid usage. The spray arms are fitted with led lighting.

Various innovations also make the machine easier to use. The driver has a clear view of the spray arms and the route to be covered thanks to a camera in the mirrors and a control panel on the dashboard.

Snow clearance fleet
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has over one hundred special de-icing vehicles. For example, the fleet includes large snow ploughs used to clear the runways and roads, trucks with the capacity to haul large quantities of snow, cranes used to load snow, large gritting vehicles, airport sprayers, small sprayers and front sweepers. Other vehicles used during this period include: snow shovels, snow blowers, jet blowers and bicycle track gritters. The snow squads help ensure clean, safe roads.

Snow squads and polar bears
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol employs professional snow squads that minimise the effects of snow and ice. Designated Schiphol staff members, also known as 'polar bears', have received special training and can be called upon to lay down their normal work and join in with the snow squads on a voluntary basis. During winter, there are a hundred of these 'polar bears' on each shift around the clock, helping to keep the airport free of snow and ice.

Schiphol Airport

Lufthansa Technik Joint demonstration of new electric taxi system

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

L-3 Communications, Fraport, as well as Lufthansa German Airlines and Lufthansa Technik, with Airbus support, teamed up to jointly test the technology demonstrator which might lead to a new way for aircraft to taxi.

The system integrates electric wheel drives into the main landing gear to propel the aircraft during ground operations. The wheel-drive technology leverages its industry-leading electric motors´ continuous torque and power density to propel the aircraft.

In the first three days of the test period high-performance electric motors built by L-3 were installed into the main landing gear of an Airbus A320 aircraft. The necessary modifications included the installation of an interface in the cockpit as well as further modifications such as the power supply through the APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) or the integration of a cooling system.
During five days the e-taxi demonstrator was then tested under real conditions: typical duty cycles which include the pushback of an aircraft as well as taxiing in and out were carried out several times. This test period allowed the partners to collect a massive amount of data. In the aftermath the partners will evaluate collaboratively the data to gain further insights in the feasibility of the e-taxi demonstrator. On this basis the appropriate conclusions can be drawn whether the development of a prototype is reasonable.

"As a leading provider of services for the aviation industry we know all obstacles of reliable line maintenance. We constantly work on improving our processes and are always looking for innovative enhancements, to reduce, for example, turnaround times or fuel burn. This is why we gladly accepted L3´s offer to team up for testing the e-taxi demonstrator. Together with Fraport and the support of Airbus we build a strong team of experts allowing for a 360-degree-angle to thoroughly scrutinize the new way of taxiing," said Robert Nyenhuis, Vice President Aircraft Engineering at Lufthansa Technik. "Our common goal is to further develop the e-taxi demonstrator. Thanks to the testing we now have the data set to make sound decisions."

"This revolutionary e-taxi system utilizes green technology to improve aircraft autonomy and provide more environmentally friendly ground operations," said Joe Hoffman, Vice President and Executive Program Manager of L-3´s team. "Studies demonstrate single aisle airplanes can burn greater than three percent of total mission fuel during ground operations. We are convinced that L-3´s GreenTaxi system will provide materially significant economic and environmental benefits to the airplane operators and airport service providers."

Lufthansa Technik

Honeywell's UOP Receives Contract to Demonstrate Technology for Conversion of Alcohol to Aviation Biofuels

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The contract supports U.S. government efforts to identify and accelerate the commercial availability of next-generation, non-fossil jet fuel. Isobutanol-derived biofuels will offer new renewable sources for jet fuel production beyond the natural oils and biomass materials that have been introduced for commercial and military flight in the last several years.

“The development of new second-generation biofeedstock conversion technology is critical to support growing energy needs and speed commercial availability,” said Jim Rekoske, vice president and general manager for Renewable Energy & Chemicals at Honeywell’s UOP. “Since our entry into the biofuels arena, Honeywell’s UOP has become a recognized leader in the development of new innovative, sustainable and safe approaches for green fuels production. We are committed to partnerships with the FAA and other government entities and private companies to realize the potential of biofuels.”

UOP will deliver 100 gallons of renewable jet fuel derived from isobutanol to the government in 2012. This fuel will be evaluated to ensure it is compatible with aircraft engines and that it meets specification for flight.

“We are pleased to work with UOP to enable the development of alcohol to jet fuel technology for the refining industry,” said Christopher Ryan, PhD, president and COO of Gevo. “We believe that projects like this one will help accelerate the adoption of this new technology by refiners, the military and airlines to the nation’s benefit and open a new market for isobutanol.”

Honeywell’s UOP is a recognized leader in refining process technologies to convert natural oils, animal fats and biomass to sustainable green fuels. It currently offers process technology to produce Honeywell Green Jet Fuel™ from natural oils and wastes that meets all specifications for flight and, when used up to a 50 percent blend with petroleum-derived jet fuel, is a drop-in replacement that requires no changes to the aircraft or engine.

To date, Honeywell Green Jet Fuel has been used in more than 20 test and commercial flights on military and commercial platforms. In each flight, the biofuel performed as well, if not better, than traditional petroleum-based fuels. The fuel received ASTM approval for commercial flight in July 2011.

Honeywell’s UOP has also commercialized the UOP/Eni Ecofining™ process to produce Honeywell Green Diesel™ fuel from natural oils and wastes. In 2008, Honeywell’s UOP formed the joint venture Envergent Technologies LLC with Ensyn Corp. to offer technology that converts solid waste biomass, such as forest and agricultural residues, to renewable heat, power and transportation fuels.

UOP Honeywell

D�sseldorf International Airport Goes Solar

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Production of the plant – which is the largest ground-mounted system within the security zone of a German airport – started in October and was completed after only eight weeks, due to unseasonably warm weather in the area. The plant is a joint project of Düsseldorf International and a subsidiary of the city’s public services, Grünwerke GmbH, in an effort to rapidly increase the use of sources for local and renewable energy.

The unusual location for a PV plant represents a shift in the way public and private enterprises set priorities in energy management, and Düsseldorf’s major, Dirk Elbers, agrees: “A PV plant of this magnitude within the safety parameters of one of the country’s largest passenger airports reflects a new way of thinking about renewable energies, and we welcome it as another contribution of our city in the service of environment.”.

Christoph Blume, CEO of DUS, confirms: “Generating energy in a way that is environmentally sound is a priority for Düsseldorf International. That is why we are very excited about working on this future-oriented project with our city’s public services. Already, solar energy is not the only source of renewable energy at DUS. We also employ combined heat and power technology in a block heating station, and keep carbon dioxide emissions even lower this way.”

In League with New York, London, Paris and More

Adding to Düsseldorf’s appeal, several US & Canadian cities (Atlanta, Chicago, Ft. Myers, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver) offer non-stop flights. Passengers who continue their journeys can choose from numerous convenient connections to Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg and many other German and European cities. All together, 70 airlines serve 180 destinations worldwide – among them 125 European destinations. Another major advantage of the airport is its layout. With all gates in one terminal building, Düsseldorf International is the “airport of short distances” – guaranteeing minimum connection times of 35 minutes.

The airport is at the center of the Rhine Ruhr area, a bustling network of 53 connected cities and 18 million residents within 40 miles. It is the EU’s third largest market in volume and spending and equal to major metropolitan regions like New York, London and Paris. 500,000 companies are located in the area, including 5,000 offices of foreign corporations, the majority from the Netherlands, Japan and the USA. Many major international industry players including Fujifilm Europe, Nokia Siemens, Novell, Ericsson, Deloitte & Touche, McKinsey, and Toshiba are headquartered in Düsseldorf, which is a first-rate location for high-tech concerns. International presence and fast accessibility – guaranteed by DUS being one of Germany’s major hubs – make the location highly attractive.

Düsseldorf and North Rhine-Westphalia, ranked 17 in GDP among the world’s major industrial centers, also are home to some of the most significant exhibitions and trade shows in the world. Of the 50 annual events at Düsseldorf’s Exhibition Center, 23 are leading their industry worldwide, for example, printing technology (“drupa”), plastics and rubber (“K”), medicine (“MEDICA” and “REHACARE INTERNATIONAL”), leisure time (“boot”) or packaging (“interpack”).

For more information on Düsseldorf International Airport, visit www.fly2dus.com.

SkyNRG serves first Asia Pacific passenger flight on sustainable jet fuel: Thai Airways

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:07:04 GMT

SkyNRG has already contracted more than 10 airline customers covering all continents in the world. THAI is SkyNRG’s first Asia Pacific customer and sixth publicly announced airline customer after KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Finnair, Thomson Airways, Air-France and Alaska Airlines.

THAI and SkyNRG also signed a statement together indicating their long term commitment to actively participate in creating a market for sustainable jet fuel that is affordable.

Mr. Piyasvasti Amranand, President of THAI states: “THAI believes sustainable jet fuel will play an important role in the transition to a sustainable future for aviation and is willing do its part. We intend to make sustainable jet fuel an integral part of our strategy. We support the SkyNRG “market making” business model of demand aggregation. Structural demand for sustainable jet fuel will translate into stakeholder engagement and lower prices in the (near) future”

“We think the Asia Pacific continent has great potential to give a critical boost towards making the market for sustainable jet fuel that is affordable. In this roadmap THAI has made a fantastic step today. But there is a lot more to come in this continent and we are determined to be there when that happens” says Dirk Kronemeijer, Managing Director SkyNRG.