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 [...]

So is the way with modern technology that changes are not always shockingly obvious, in fact they can be quite immeasurable to the untrained eye, but skies above do they make a difference. Noise has been made (or not made as the case is), seats have been booked, and a round the world tour have [...]

Sustainability is one of the most important goals of aviation which will be made apparent in Geneva next week when over 300 stakeholders will aim to fortify concepts, thoughts, and prospects to create a sustainable future for aviation at the 6th Aviation and Environment Summit. While conference talking points will focus on aviation’s socio-economic value [...]

Airshows come and go, and are generally an opportunity for manufacturers and airlines to shake a hands on some new business as aviation continues to fortify its position as an industry the modern, globalised, and interdependent world cannot live without. One such event was the Singapore Airshow, which took place last week. It included the [...]

Having already spoken on NASA’s activities with Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman recently, NASA have released further information on their N+3 and N+4 prototypes and technologies (the term ‘N+3’, denoting three generations beyond the current commercial transport fleet). Phase one of the N+3 concepts were completed in 2010, and have been used as a bed [...]

Consider the changes undergone in aviation since the commercial use of jet aircraft began at the end of the 1950’s, and it is easy to see the progression in aircraft shape and design, let alone fuel efficiency. Today jet aircraft are over 70% more fuel efficient per seat kilometre than those of the 1960’s, and [...]

Government action to deal with the impact of climate change and, specifically, proposed policy measures to address the impact of aviation on the environment have featured heavily in newspaper headlines throughout 2011. Within these, often emotional, intergovernmental debates, it is perhaps easy to overlook the many efforts that industry itself has driven forward in the [...]

Electricity has become a formidable opponent to fossil fuels in recent times as it reaches into copious areas of development in technology. Its employment is welcomed with open arms by the environmentally conscientious for its reduced carbon footprint and silent work. Taking these characteristics into account leaves little else to be explained with regards as [...]

In an effort to reduce aircraft emissions on the ground, air traffic control recently turned to another industry, where every second and every turn counts: Formula One. NATS teamed up with the McLaren Group and is expecting high environmental benefits from the adaption of race traffic technology to air traffic control. Benefits include unlocking congestion [...]

Although most of the media attention is on the orders for new generation planes, there have also been some important smaller stories coming out of this year’s Paris Air Show. Boeing and American Airlines have teamed up for the first Eco Demonstrator programme, whereby two of American Airline’s in-service aircraft will be used as testing [...]