Cutting carbon emissions is one side of the environmental focus for airlines and all those who contribute to the manufacturing of an aircraft, but there is another environmental factor less known but equally important – noise reduction. From the technology side of noise reduction, manufacturers have developed engines and improved aerodynamics which have managed to [...]

High up in the clouds, out of sight for the majority of those on the ground, there is a complex world of air traffic which few people, other than pilots, scientists and air traffic controllers, understand. Fortunately for the masses, SESAR, the body responsible for the Single European Sky and general air traffic management research [...]

How could you travel 1,500 miles away without using fossil fuel? It would be an incredibly long trip on foot, or by bicycle, and that’s without thinking about crossing water. The answer to this question is in fact, by airplane. Betrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, the Swiss pilots and pioneers of the Solar Impulse are [...]

In light of the announcements in aircraft design, biofuel production, and air traffic management implementation made recently, with three major developments at the 6th Aviation and Environment Summit alone, advances in futuristic ideas for aviation are appearing in abundance. There seems to be an exponential curve characterising technology, and the following are spectacular examples. The [...]

Over the past two days, the key leaders across the aviation industry have descended upon Geneva for the 6th Aviation and Environment Summit. The event featured lively debates on topics ranging from sustainability, biofuels and global frameworks to industry announcements.  And yes, there was plenty of discussion around the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU [...]

And so the 6th Aviation and Environment Summit ends on a high, culminating with the industry signing a commitment to sustainable development, a reflection of the true spirit of the Summit. Introducing the declaration, IATA Director General Tony Tyler summarised his thoughts on the future of aviation into three key points. Firstly, he voiced the [...]

The sixth and final session of the 6th Aviation and Environment Summit on ‘Securing Aviation’s Role in Global Sustainable Development’ included a panel of all stars from the aviation world who discussed the rapport between government and industry with moderator Max Foster from CNN International. The star studded panel included Jim Albaugh, President and CEO [...]

The Summit’s fifth session had an interesting constellation of speakers  – Steve Csonka of GE Aviation and Pratt & Whitney Canada President John Saabas, two fiercely competing engine manufacturers and similarly Filippo Bagnato, ATR CEO and Embraer Preseident, Commercial Aviation, Paolo Cesar de Souza e Silva – two airframe manufacturers. Focus was the efficiency improvements [...]

The fourth panel on a very interesting day presented a challenge for scene-setter and moderator Kevin Dobby: ensuring that a discussion on what needs to be done to secure a global framework is not overshadowed by ‘the elephant in the room’, as he put it (the EU ETS), and the international conflict it has spurred. [...]

Having just resumed after lunch, the term food for thought become apparent as a the panel on biofuels, guided and moderated by Andréa Debbané, Vice President for Environment Affairs, Airbus, and Bill Glover, Vice President Environment and Aviation Policy, Boeing, began to look for solutions to the hurdles facing biofuels. Techniques for fabricating alternative fuels [...]