In this episode, we talk to Karine Guenan , Vice President of ZEROe ecosystem at Airbus , who shares insights into Airbus’s ambitious plans to bring hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft to market by 2035 and the unprecedented ecosystem development required to make this vision a reality. Guenan discusses: The technical challenges of developing hydrogen-powered aircraft, including the need for cryogenic storage at -253° C and specially designed insulated tanks, contrasting with traditional jet fue...
Nov 07, 2024•55 min•Ep. 108
In this episode, we talk to Yann Cabaret, CEO of SITA FOR AIRCRAFT , the aircraft business arm of SITA Group. Cabaret shares how SITA’s technology can help airlines meet their sustainability goals through better operational efficiency and compliance management. He also shares insights into SITA’s digital platforms and solutions aimed at reducing aviation’s environmental impact. Cabaret discusses: SITA EcoMission , a new platform that helps airlines manage environmental compliance while optimisin...
Oct 31, 2024•42 min•Ep. 107
In this episode, we talk to Sian Andrews , SESAR Environmental Lead at NATS , UK’s leading provider of air traffic control services. She shares insights into how air traffic management can significantly reduce aviation’s environmental impact through innovative solutions and research projects. Andrews discusses: NATS’ role in making aviation sustainable through improved air traffic management, including their targets to reach net zero emissions by 2035. The significant but often overlooked impact...
Oct 24, 2024•47 min•Ep. 106
In this episode, we talk to Bertrand Piccard , renowned Swiss explorer, psychiatrist and clean technology pioneer. He shares insights into his ambitious Climate Impulse project that aims to set a historic precedent by flying a hydrogen aircraft around the world non-stop in 9 days. Piccard achieved global recognition for completing the first non-stop balloon flight around the world and for co-piloting Solar Impulse , the first solar-powered aircraft to circumnavigate the globe. As the founder and...
Oct 17, 2024•58 min•Ep. 105
In this episode, we talk to Lee Beck , Senior Director for Europe and the Middle East, and Thomas Walker , Transportation Technology Manager at Clean Air Task Force (CATF), who share insights into innovative solutions for decarbonising the aviation industry. Beck and Walker discuss CATF's role as a global climate organisation focused on overlooked solutions for decarbonisation and provide a forward-looking perspective on the future of sustainable aviation. They highlight several key issues: The ...
Oct 10, 2024•57 min•Ep. 104
In this episode, we talk to Anko van der Werff , President & CEO of Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), who shares insights into the airline’s ambitious sustainability initiatives and how they’re shaped by the unique environmental consciousness of Scandinavia. SAS, a longstanding Scandinavian carrier, faces distinct challenges and opportunities in its sustainability journey due to the region’s deep-rooted environmental awareness and geographical characteristics. Van der Werff discusses: The profoun...
Oct 03, 2024•48 min•Ep. 103
In this episode, we talk to Sarah Ellerby , CEO of Nova Pangaea Technologies (NPT), a UK-based cleantech company that has created a patented technology called the REFNOVA® , to enable SAF production from agricultural and forestry waste. Ellerby discusses: NPT’s REFNOVA® technology, which processes non-food derived feedstocks such as sugarcane bagasse and wheat straw into SAF precursors. The dual-product output of the REFNOVA® process: sustainable sugars for SAF production and biochar for soil en...
Sep 26, 2024•40 min•Ep. 102
In this episode, we talk to Freshta Farzam , founder and CEO of LYTE Aviation , who shares the company’s innovative approach to developing a 40-seater eVTOL aircraft for regional travel and cargo transport. Farzam discusses: The inspiration behind LYTE Aviation’s focus on larger capacity eVTOLs, challenging the industry trend of smaller air taxis. The company’s diverse eVTOL portfolio, which includes the 40-seat SkyBus, the SkyTruck for cargo, and a 19-seat version for business aviation. LYTE Av...
Sep 19, 2024•49 min•Ep. 101
In this episode, we talk to Maxime Meijers and Nicolas Meijers , co-founders of Estuaire , who share insights into their innovative data platform that provides comprehensive climate impact assessments for the aviation industry. Maxime and Nicolas share: The development of Estuaire’s data platform, which fuses various data sources to provide granular and exhaustive climate impact modelling for individual flights. The significant impact of non-CO2 emissions, particularly contrails, which can repre...
Sep 12, 2024•51 min•Ep. 100
In this episode, we talk to Delphine Millot , Senior Vice President for Advocacy & Sustainability at Global Business Travel Association ( GBTA ), who shares insights into GBTA’s initiatives to promote sustainability in business travel and the challenges faced by the industry. Millot also serves as the Managing Director of the GBTA Foundation, which serves as the charitable arm of GBTA, focusing on workforce development, women empowerment, and addressing climate challenges in the business tra...
Sep 05, 2024•47 min•Ep. 99
In this episode, we talk to Tim Boeltken , Founder and Managing Director at INERATEC , who shares insights into the innovative world of e-fuels and their potential to transform the aviation industry and beyond. INERATEC is at the forefront of e-fuel production, developing modular technology that converts green hydrogen and carbon dioxide into carbon-neutral liquid fuels, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Boeltken discusses: The basics of e-fuel production, describing it as “liquefied el...
Aug 29, 2024•42 min•Ep. 98
In this episode, we talk to Billie Moore , Chief Executive at NZ Airports Association , who shares insights into New Zealand’s distinctive approach to sustainable aviation and the challenges of operating in an isolated island nation. In essence, the NZ Airports Association serves as a central hub for coordination, advocacy, and knowledge sharing among New Zealand’s airports, with a particular focus on navigating the challenges of sustainability and decarbonisation in the aviation sector. Moore d...
Aug 22, 2024•52 min•Ep. 97
In this episode, we talk to Matt Finch , UK Policy Manager at Transport & Environment (T&E), who shares insights into the challenges and opportunities in sustainable aviation. Finch discusses T&E's role as Europe's leading advocate for clean transport and provides a critical perspective on current efforts to decarbonise the aviation industry. He highlights several key issues: The lack of fuel duty on aviation fuel, which Finch argues artificially suppresses the cost of air travel and...
Aug 15, 2024•51 min•Ep. 96
In this episode, we talk to Alanna James , Managing Director Sustainability Initiatives at Hawaiian Airlines, who shares insights into the airline's distinctive approach to sustainability and the challenges of operating in an island environment. Hawaiian Airlines, a 94-year-old company headquartered in Honolulu, faces unique sustainability challenges due to Hawaii's geographic isolation and vulnerability to climate change. James discusses: The airline's deep connection to Hawaii and how it infor...
Aug 08, 2024•48 min•Ep. 95
In this episode, we talk to Ricky Sandhu , Founder and Executive Chairman of Urban-Air Port , who shares insights into the company's groundbreaking vertiport technology and vision for the future of urban air mobility (AAM). Urban-Air Port is at the forefront of AAM infrastructure, with their main product Air-One being the world's first fully-operational and off-grid hub for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Sandhu discusses Urban-Air Port's mission to enable a new era of a...
Aug 01, 2024•56 min•Ep. 94
In this episode, we talk to Ed Mason, Founder & CEO of Jet Zero Australia , who shares insights into the company’s ambitious projects to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at a commercial scale. Jet Zero Australia is an Australian bioenergy company that aims to develop the country’s first Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) facility for SAF production, using surplus ethanol from agricultural and sugarcane byproducts. Mason discusses Jet Zero Australia’s two upcoming projects: Project Ulysses and Proje...
Jul 25, 2024•48 min•Ep. 93
In this episode, we talk to Alejandra Martín Frías, Head of Sustainability Research at FLIGHTKEYS , who shares insights into the company’s research on contrail avoidance and its potential impact on aviation sustainability. Condensation trails, also known as contrails, are long, thin clouds that often form behind an aircraft in cold and humid conditions when water vapour freezes around small dust and soot particles from the engine. Although they look harmless, contrails are made up of small ice c...
Jul 18, 2024•58 min•Ep. 92
In this episode, we talk to Brian Moran, Chief Sustainability Officer at Boeing , who shares the company’s multifaceted approach to decarbonising the aviation industry, focusing on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), innovative technologies, and the importance of regaining trust in the wake of its recent crisis . Moran discusses Boeing’s Cascade model, an open-source dynamic data modelling tool developed in partnership with MIT, Cambridge, IATA, and NASA, which helps stakeholders make informed deci...
Jul 11, 2024•57 min•Ep. 91
In this episode, we talk to Ali Warrington, Senior Campaigner at Possible , a UK-based climate charity that enables people to take practical action on climate change. Possible has been at the forefront of climate action and has been instrumental in lodging formal complaints against airlines like Virgin Atlantic and British Airways for their greenwashing claims. The charity, along with other climate groups has also taken the UK government to court over its Jet Zero strategy. Warrington believes t...
Jul 04, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 90
In this episode, we talk to Akshat Rathi , award-winning senior climate reporter for Bloomberg News. Rathi is the host of Bloomberg’s podcast Zero that explores the policies, tactics and clean technologies pushing for a zero emissions future. He is also the author of the book Climate Capitalism , which tracks the unlikely heroes driving the fight against climate change. Rathi argues that for years the aviation industry has sheltered behind the label of being “hard to decarbonise”, which is not o...
Jun 27, 2024•51 min•Ep. 89
In this episode, we talk to Grace Vihenda, Senior Manager, Innovation and Sustainability at Kenya Airways , who shares the airline’s efforts to promote sustainable aviation in Africa, a continent with abundant resources for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production but limited infrastructure and investment. In 2023, Kenya Airways became the first African airline to use SAF for an intercontinental long-haul flight. The flight was conducted as a part of SkyTeam’s Sustainable Flight Challenge, des...
Jun 20, 2024•49 min•Ep. 88
In this episode, we talk to Jimmy Samartzis, CEO of LanzaJet, who shares the company’s journey in developing the world’s first proven alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology that converts ethanol into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel. Samartzis discusses LanzaJet’s ambitious target of producing 1 billion gallons of SAF by 2030. Elaborating on LanzaJet’s highly efficient and capital-light ATJ technology, he explains how it can produce up to 90% of fuels as SAF and the remaining 10% as...
Jun 13, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 87
In our first-ever bilingual episode, we talk to Preeti Jain, Head of Net Zero Transition Program at the International Air Transport Association ( IATA ). Jain provides an in-depth look at the challenges and opportunities in scaling up sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to help aviation achieve its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. The interview is presented in two parts: English followed by Hindi. Jain discusses the current SAF landscape, highlighting the stark mismatch between demand and supply....
Jun 06, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 86
In this episode, we welcome back Dan Rutherford , Senior Director of Research at the International Council on Clean Transportation ( ICCT ), for his second appearance on the show. Rutherford shares his insights on the latest developments, partnerships, and challenges in reducing aviation emissions and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Rutherford discusses ICCT's expanded collaborations with industry partners, governments, and non-governmental organisations to apply their research directly to...
May 30, 2024•56 min•Ep. 85
In this episode, we talk to Diana Birkett Rakow, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs & Sustainability at Alaska Airlines , who shares the airline’s ambitious goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2040. To reach the 2040 goal, Alaska Airlines has developed a comprehensive five-part path. The plan includes focusing on operational efficiency, fleet modernisation, sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), new propulsion technologies, and the use of carbon credits as a last resort. Rakow discusses ...
May 23, 2024•56 min•Ep. 84
In this episode, we talk to Daniel Rosen Jacobson, co-founder, co-CEO and Chief Business Officer of Elysian Aircraft , a startup that is developing a clean-sheet 90-seater battery electric aircraft. Jacobson discusses Elysian’s unique approach to electric aviation, which focuses on a larger aircraft capable of carrying passengers over distances of about 800 km – longer than most current electric aircraft concepts. By targeting the busy short-haul market with a plane that can operate at costs com...
May 16, 2024•48 min•Ep. 83
In this episode, we talk to three key members of Harbour Air , North America’s largest seaplane airline. Harbour Air’s CEO Bert Van Der Stege, Engineering and Quality Manager Erika Holtz, and Head of Digital and Customer Experience Suzanne Bremski discuss the airline’s vision for the future of electric aviation. Harbour Air has a strong track record of prioritising sustainability, being the first airline to introduce carbon offsetting in 2007. The airline was also the first to operate an electri...
May 09, 2024•47 min•Ep. 82
In this episode, we talk to Finlay Asher, co-founder of Safe Landing , a global community of aviation workers who are working within the sector to reduce the climate impact of aviation. Asher emphasises the need for a holistic approach to sustainable aviation, which goes beyond efficiency improvements and includes demand reduction measures. He touches upon the challenges of balancing growth and sustainability in the aviation industry, highlighting the need for government intervention and the enf...
May 02, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 81
In this episode, we speak with SimpliFlying’s CEO Shashank Nigam, COO Shubhodeep Pal and Head of Sustainability, Dirk Singer about the launch of SimpliFlying’s first annual Sustainable Aviation Outlook Report . As the world reels from the catastrophic consequences of climate change, the question of what the aviation industry can do about sustainability is rife with divided opinions. Is net zero by 2050 realistic? Is it equitable for all? Do we have the money to make it happen? Will customers sup...
Apr 25, 2024•59 min•Ep. 80
In this episode, we talk to Eloa Guillotin, the Co-Founder & CEO at Beyond Aero . Founded with the vision of providing a sustainable alternative to traditional private jets, Beyond Aero aims to revolutionise the industry by focusing on the CS-23 certification category for a six-passenger aircraft. Guillotin discusses Beyond Aero’s innovative approach to aircraft design, which involves a 100% electric powertrain powered by hydrogen fuel cells. This design choice allows for an extended range o...
Apr 18, 2024•58 min•Ep. 79
