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  • #3 - Aviation sector agrees a new (ambitious?) goal on emissions, a giant AI robot to technically inspect aircraft, and air-to-air refuelling via drone

#3 - Aviation sector agrees a new (ambitious?) goal on emissions, a giant AI robot to technically inspect aircraft, and air-to-air refuelling via drone

Author

Michael Scharff
November 30, 2023

Welcome back to In/Flight! Each week, we explore how disruptive technologies are shaping the future of aviation. This has been the week of all-things sustainability, with new industry clean energy targets, AI guided robots to cut emissions, and Gulfstream and Virgin Atlantic flew SAF-powered flights.

Got an interesting story you’d like to share here? Suggestions for how to make this newsletter more useful to you? Drop me a line - happy reading, and flying!

Michael 

Every week we break down the latest tech shaping the future of air travel. Click or share the link to subscribe.

Long haul reads

Too little, not soon enough? The aviation sector has adopted a collective goal that aviation fuel in 2030 should be 5% less carbon intensive than the fossil fuels which make up nearly all of today’s aviation energy. This will be achieved through a transition to SAF and, as an interim tool, the use of lower carbon aviation fuels (LCAF). But that means under the net zero scenarios identified by the ICAO and industry analysis, this would need to increase to an almost complete replacement by 2050. That’s a big jump; but there are reasons to be optimistic.

The U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) has approved a $169 million loan to Beta Technologies to support the development of its Alia eVTOL and CX300 eCTOL aircraft, as well as charging infrastructure. The transaction is the second deal approved under EXIM’s "Make More in America" initiative and is expected to support around 400 clean energy jobs at Beta’s facility in Vermont.

🌍 Tuesdsay was Virgin Atlantic. Last week was Gulfstream, making its first transatlantic SAF flight