ELITE WINGS - 2024 SUSTAINABILITY GUIDE

ELITE WINGS MAGAZINE ISSN 2816-4040

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Abdelmajid Jlioui abdelmajid.jlioui@elite-wings.com

MANAGING PARTNER

Frédéric Morais frederic.morais@elite-wings.com

DIRECTOR CONTENT STRATEGY

Viswanath Tata viswanath.tata@elite-wings.com

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Jane Stanbury jane.stanbury@elite-wings.com

SENIOR EDITOR

Mark Lowe mark.lowe@elite-wings.com

EDITOR AT LARGE Rolland Vincent rvincent@rollandvincent.com

CONTACTS

Editorial | editorial@elite-wings.com

General Inquiries | info@elite-wings.com

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Elite Wings publishes timely, structured, validated, unbiased, and relevant business aviation intelligence. ELITE WINGS MAGAZINE (ISSN 2816-4040) IS PUBLISHED BY ELITE WINGS MEDIA Inc, MONTREAL, CANADA.

Any information of a technical nature contained in this document may contain inaccuracies and is subject to change and should never be relied upon for operational use

Copyright © 2024 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of ELITE WINGS MEDIA is strictly prohibited.

the 2024 Sustainability Guide from Elite Wings Welcome to

Sustainability as a term represents a variety of ideas within aviation. From sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to next-generation workforce creation, sustainability has become an integral pillar of business aviation longevity. Our industry is at an aerial crossroads with all paths going forward leading toward sustainability principles. As our motivation is to enable readers to make informed decisions when selecting, acquiring, and managing sustainability strategies and decisions we’ve created this guide to lead you on a journey from where we are now into the future.

The timely, unbiased and valid intelligence sourced from industry leaders representing all forms of sustainability in one trusted resource is aimed to inspire, educate and inform future decision-making.

The sustainable imperative is all-encompassing for our sector which is why we are proud to have sourced a diverse set of articles that demonstrate we are achieving positive outcomes in reaching our ambitious net-zero carbon targets, highlight we still have much to do and most importantly call for cohesive action to protect our planet for future populations. In this guide, we have aggregated knowledge from academics, industry professionals and future flight researchers about current challenges, existing solutions, and future opportunities that are framing our route forward. If you have questions about the articles, believe we are missing essential information or would like to read more about the subject, please do let us know. These guides are for you, our industry colleagues, and your feedback is most welcome. Feel free to contact us.

Majid Fred Vis Jane

SUSTAINABILITY GUIDE 2024

Sustainability: The Three Pillars that Support our Collective Success

What is aviation sustainability?

Is it cleaner jet fuel to reduce the carbon emissions from flights? Is it about making sure operators adopt a “carbon neutral” framework? Is it frequent fliers paying a little bit extra to offset their carbon footprint?

The reality is that aviation sustainability is all those things, but it also so much more.

Sustainable development requires a balance among three pillars: social, economic, and environmental. Social sustainability emphasizes the wellbeing of workers and communities; economic sustainability aims for financial resilience in our organizations and social frameworks; and environmental sustainability focuses on preserving our natural world.

In this issue of Elite Wings, the editors have used the three pillars as a framework to source stories from across the business aviation sector. From advances in sustainable fuels to experiments with supersonic aircraft, the articles cover a range of technologies that aim to support the long-term viability of the industry. The Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics –which I lead at the University of Waterloo – has also shared new research in pilot training, which promises to advance the social sustainability of business aviation and the industry as a whole.

The education sector is committed to supporting the aviation industry by fostering a new generation of professionals equipped with the knowledge and skills to navigate the sustainability landscape. That includes professional development courses to support upskilling challenges and peer-reviewed research that can shed new light on optimized air traffic management.

Organizations that prioritize sustainable practices today will be in the best position to lead the sector tomorrow. By working together, we can ensure our collective path leads to a destination where economic viability, environmental integrity, and social well-being are harmonized, securing a more resilient and prosperous future.

Dr. Suzanne Kearns, Founding Director of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA). University of Waterloo Content Advisor for the Elite Wings 2024 Sustainability Guide

Sustainability in Business Aviation More Than a Buzzword, The Future

By Rolland Vincent, President Rolland Vincent Associates, LLC and Creator / Director, JETNET iQ

An annual report of a publicly trading company makes for fascinating reading. Carefully articulated and tightly scrutinized, these reports tell stories of an organization’s priorities, performance, products, and people. Many reveal glimpses into the humanity, values, and character of a company in a way that is sincere, authentic, and engaging. Today, whether public or private, many thought-leading organizations worldwide have decided that, going forward, their stories will be built on the bedrock of sustainability. Conceptually simple and intellectually elegant, sustainable business practices have an enduring appeal that can transform a workplace culture to focus beyond the quarterly results to priorities that minimize waste, conserve energy, respect the environment, and create better shared futures.

How can a successful organization that seeks to be sustainable possibly justify using a business or private aircraft? Aren’t these incompatible?

Ironically, we would ask the question differently: How can a sustainable business that wants to operate at scale possibly be successful without having the best people and the best tools available? Flying privately is efficient, secure, safe, and productive. Today, organizations and individuals can access sustainability solutions that minimize and even offset the environmental impacts of an aircraft’s engine emissions. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is available today at a growing network of airports, with many more locations coming online in the future as production and distribution expands exponentially with surging demand and growing awareness of SAF’s many benefits.

Organizations that have invested in business aviation aircraft and that embrace sustainability know that temporary price premiums are simply a cost of doing business when they travel so efficiently. Saving time and increasing productivity while managing point-ofdemand / point-of-supply disconnects is their way of taking care of business for the long term.

Other strategies to achieve net-zero carbon emissions with business or private aircraft include verified bookand-claim systems, carbon offset programs, more direct flight navigation, more efficient ground and flight operations procedures, and investment policies to regularly upgrade aircraft to the most modern and efficient standards are all within reach of organizations and individuals who are leading us into a greener future with bluer skies.

More than a buzzword, sustainability is a mindset and cultural shift that leading organizations of the world are embracing. Those who fly privately are in a commanding

Sustainability in Business Aviation More Than a Buzzword, The Future

position to build future-oriented businesses that rely on personal mobility and connectivity to do what they do best – as always, ahead of their competitors.

While angry protesters wielding their environmentally harmful paint sprays try to discredit others who they perceive to live wasteful lifestyles, legions of environmentally-minded problem solvers are hard at work creating business aviation’s more sustainable future.

Business aviation industry experts agree that SAF is one of the vital contributors to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2050 - or before. Getting to this more sustainable future, one that seems to be many years away, can seem daunting for an industry that operates at relatively small scale across every corner of the globe, let alone for an organization or even an individual aircraft owner / operator. Capturing and amplifying the voices of customers who own and fly business and personal aircraft has been at the center of our aviation consulting practice for many years.

I/we will seriously consider flying with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in the next 24 months “

Q3 2019 Survey

Q3 2023 Survey

Since late 2010, our JETNET iQ quarterly surveys of business aircraft owners and operators have been providing a sounding board to capture the voices of customers on a variety of topics, including environmental sustainability. Knowing the potential of SAF to propel the business aviation industry towards a net-zero future and acknowledging the challenges of temporarily higher fuel costs and limited supply, we have been regularly monitoring customer interest in sustainable aviation fuels for several years.

Asking the same questions over time to a representative sample of business aircraft owners / operators provides a fact base to support policy and decision-making on both the supply and the demand sides of the table. In Q3 2019, we asked customers whether they would seriously consider flying with SAF in the next 24-month period. Exactly four years – and a worldwide pandemic – later, we asked the same question of the same community. While there were some respondents who were uncertain or did not know how to respond, the vast majority of owners / operators we polled had an opinion that they shared. On a worldwide basis, the proportion who strongly agreed that they would consider SAF almost tripled from Q3 2019 to Q3 2023, while those strongly or somewhat in agreement grew by an impressive 80%.

We believe that this is a clear indication of a shift in direction underway amongst those who already experience the unique benefits of business and private aviation. More detailed analyses and stratifications of the data reveal significant differences in SAF consideration by geographic region and age of respondent, with those based in Europe and those aged 40 years or less much more likely to fly with sustainable fuels in the near future.

These and other insights from our business aviation research provide glimpses into a customer mindset that is already revealing itself to be primed for a greener future, one built on a foundation of environmental sustainability. With public and private capital and bright-eyed talent pouring into the industry, and a wide array of next-generation flying vehicles poised for takeoff and testing, the future for business aviation is bright indeed - far brighter than a long-forgotten neon spray can, now nothing more than FOD littering a busy airfield.

and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)

Why do you believe there is a need for our industry to better communicate about its sustainability achievements and roadmap?

Our industry's focus on environmental sustainability is not a new development. We have slashed emissions by 40% over the past four decades, and today, each new generation of business aircraft offers greater efficiency than preceding models.

In fact, our global community first codified its commitment to drastically reduce carbon emissions 15 years ago, with the Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change. Back then, we pledged to pursue an aggressive strategy to halve our industry's CO2 emissions by 2050 relative to 2005. In 2021, we doubled down and committed to net-zero by 2050.

Despite these advances, business aviation is often on the defensive as others drive inaccurate narratives about our industry's importance and our sustainability record. CLIMBING. FAST. is an industry wide initiative to showcase not only our sustainability innovations to policymakers and opinion leaders, but also make them aware of business aviation’s many societal benefits.

Business aviation is committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 – can you walk us through the four key pillars identified for achieving this objective?

This effort begins with Technology, which means more efficient engines and airframes and adoption of other technologies such as electric, hybrid and hydrogen propulsion. Development and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF, helps deliver reductions in netlifecycle greenhouse gases versus petroleum-derived jet fuel.

At the same time, we are adopting more efficient Operations & Infrastructure. This includes continued progress on more efficient air-traffic management, along with measures including streamlined flight planning, single-engine taxiing and others. Lastly, adoption of Market-based Measures such as carbon offsets and emissions trading can yield significant near-term carbon emissions reductions.

A conversation with Ed Bolen, President

Business aviation's role as an incubator for gamechanging technologies has benefited the whole aviation industry for decades in advancing its efficiency. Can you provide a few examples of these technologies and how they contributed to building a more sustainable aviation industry?

I mentioned earlier that each generation of business aircraft has been more efficient than the one before. Our industry has truly led the way in developing or adopting groundbreaking innovations such as winglets that help aircraft move through the air more efficiently; lightweight composite airframes offering greater structural strength at lower weight; and GPS, enabling more direct routings that reduce fuel burn.

Additionally, business aviation has been at the forefront of pushing for greater production and adoption of SAF, which can offer as much as an 80% reduction to lifecycle carbon emissions over conventional jet fuel.

More than ever, it's critical that business aviation continues to lead technology development and deployment to enhance the efficiency, safety and security of flight and reduce the sector’s carbon footprint. At the same time, we must also look beyond the innovations themselves to fully understand their wider, external impacts.

In 2022, NBAA launched a sustainable flight department accreditation program, providing an industry standard for validating leadership in sustainable flight operations. Can you provide us with more details about this program and some of its achievements?

NBAA’s Sustainable Flight Department Accreditation Program identifies business aviation entities that meet or exceed specified criteria for sustainability in the areas of Flight; Operations; Ground Support; and Infrastructure. The goal of this accreditation program is to further advance a sustainability culture in the business aviation community.

This accreditation, which is not limited to flight departments, provides an industry standard for validating leadership in sustainable flight operations. The goal is to promote a culture of sustainability by encouraging companies to think and act critically, and to implement as many sustainability strategies as possible. To date, the program has recognized 44 accreditations to 25 businesses, with an identified net reduction of 125,266 metric tons of CO2 emissions. And we’re only just beginning.

NBAA studies show that only about 3% of business aircraft registered in the U.S. are flown by Fortune 500 companies, while the remaining 97% are operated by a broad cross-section of organizations ranging from universities, and charitable organizations to small and medium size businesses. Can you give us a quick overview of the critical role of business aviation in connecting communities across the US?

Approximately 500 airports across the United States are served by commercial airlines, but there are more than 5,000 public-use airports accessible to business aviation. That enables companies of all sizes to maintain facilities closer to home, closer to their customers or in areas that are closer to necessary resources – all while connecting them to other destinations across the U.S. and around the world, securely and on their schedule. In addition to helping companies succeed, business aviation contributes to the creation of 1.2 million jobs and the generation of $247 billion in economic activity annually. Our industry also provides critical lift to people in many communities without airline service, and supports local law enforcement, emergency medical transport and humanitarian missions in times of need. These facts aren't often heard in conversations about our industry, which makes the messages of CLIMBING. FAST. even more imperative. This is a vital industry, both in the U.S. and internationally, and we have a great story to share.

CAE

ASustainabilityLeaderin theAerospaceIndustry

A conversation with Helene V. Gagnon, CAE's Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President, Stakeholder Engagement

In this interview, Helene shares her insights on the role of sustainability in aerospace, including in business aviation, on the challenges and opportunities for the industry, and shares some of CAE’s initiatives as a sustainability leader and partner of choice for its customers.

VISWANATH TATA

Business aviation is a dynamic and innovative industry that provides essential mobility, flexibility, and connectivity to businesses and individuals around the world. However, the industry also faces significant challenges and opportunities in achieving its sustainability goals and ensuring its long-term viability and social acceptance.

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing the world today, and the aviation industry has a significant role to play in addressing its environmental impact. How has the aviation industry developed its sustainability agenda over time and what are the main milestones for achieving net zero emissions by 2050?

Although aviation only represents about 2-3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and business aviation a small portion of that, sustainability in aviation is under more scrutiny than other industries. In the last few years, it even came under attack: we all remember climate activists blocking private jets at EBACE or spray-painting them at a German airport.

The aviation industry has been proactive since 2008 when global aviation leaders signed the Commitment to Action on Climate Change at ATAG’s Aviation & Environment Summit. Business aviation was part of this effort from the start, with the 2009’s Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change (BACCC), just before the COP in Copenhagen. At the time, I was personally involved in making that happen. With these commitments, aviation became the first global industry with a long-term plan to tackle climate change. Aviation’s decarbonization plan became increasingly more ambitious over time, culminating in its 2021

commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 in line with the objectives of the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement signed by close to 200 countries, which seeks to limit global temperature rise to 20 C above preindustrial levels. Business aviation is fully aligned with this commitment and is working together with the rest of the industry to make it a reality.

To achieve this objective, the industry came together and created a decarbonization plan based on four pillars:

▪ New technologies: more efficient and clean propulsion systems, such as electric, hybrid, and hydrogen aircraft, and lighter, more aerodynamic structures.

▪ Sustainable Aviation fuel (SAF): which can cut the lifecycle emissions of flying by up to 80%.

▪ Operational improvements: enhancing aviation’s operational efficiency and reducing its fuel consumption and emissions through better pilot training, flight planning, navigation, and air traffic management.

▪ Carbon offsets: to compensate residual emissions, while ensuring their quality and transparency.

To reach our objectives, our industry will need to work with purpose – mobilizing the whole ecosystem on a global scale.

What are the most significant challenges in your opinion for business aviation to achieve its sustainability goals and how can we overcome them to ensure its long-term viability and social acceptance?

Due to its complexity, aviation in general is a difficult sector to decarbonize. Some of the challenges the industry is facing are the extensive development and certification times for new technologies, the high costs of implementing new solutions, and the variability and quality of carbon offsets.

But the main challenge is the affordability and availability of SAF on a global scale. All the pillars of the plan are important, but the majority of CO2 reductions will be achieved through SAF. SAF is really the key for aviation to reach its sustainability objectives.

Although we see a good momentum for SAF – more airlines are committing to a certain percentage of SAF usage by 2030 to signal demand – the cost of SAF is still too high and the quantities available too limited. All players of the aviation industry will have to work together to ensure scalability and affordability of SAF. It means that governments should support and encourage SAF production. In the most recent federal government budget in Canada in April 2024, the government announced measures to support SAF for the first time. For aircraft and engine manufacturers, it means investments in more eco-efficient technologies. For airlines, and business jet operators, it means being mindful and intentional about optimizing flight routes or

in-flight catering to reduce weight, but also demonstrating their commitments in using SAF. For business aviation in particular, I feel that the most important challenge is to mobilize every stakeholder in the industry. To make sure everyone realizes that we all have a role to play. Voltaire once said "No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible". But each snowflake matters. I like the analogy here. It would be easy for smaller business jet operators to think that sustainability is not their priority and that others will take care of it, that they are only ‘a snowflake’. On the contrary, it’s by being all involved that we can address sustainability and keep our social license to operate and grow. We cannot underestimate the visibility and magnitude of scrutiny of the business aviation carbon footprint.

What does a sustainability journey for an aviation training provider like CAE look like, and why is it a strategic priority for your company?

CAE is a global leader in training for the civil aviation and defence and security markets. We have over 13,000 employees, 250 sites and training locations in over 40 countries, and we train more than 220,000 civil and defence crewmembers every year. Our mission is to make the world a safer place through innovative training solutions.

In essence, what we do makes us part of the solution. Last year, over 5M tons of CO2 were saved by training via simulation versus in the real aircraft for our civil aviation business.

In 2020, we were the first Canadian aerospace company to become carbon neutral. We did this because we wanted to take action on climate change immediately and create a momentum. We wanted to inspire other companies in aerospace and defence to take climate action, but also inspire our employees, customers, and the next generation of talent. It had the additional effect of raising awareness inside our company on the cost of carbon – and to shift mindsets to really consider sustainability aspects from the get-go – and not as an afterthought.

Throughout our journey, several initiatives helped us reduce our carbon footprint:

We created new CAE building standards to lower our emissions by up to 18%.

We continuously embed sustainability as a designcriteria within each generation of our products (such as flight simulators) through eco-design.

CAE has a fleet of small Piper aircraft for our flight academies, we are currently working on converting a portion of them to electric propulsion. We embed sustainability criteria in procurement decisions without compromising quality or costs. Our digital solutions leverage data analytics and artificial intelligence to optimize flight planning, routing, fuel

management, and catering, resulting in lower fuel consumption and emissions for our customers – airlines and business jet operators.

And to play our part on mobilizing the industry, as CAE’s Chief Sustainability Officer, I participated in more than 40 panels or conferences in the last year alone to demonstrate CAE’s sustainability leadership and inspire actions from others.

Furthermore, considering we interact with thousands of pilots every year, we believe that we have a role to play to raise the awareness of our customers about sustainability. For example, we collaborate with partners and associations to inform our customers and stakeholders about the importance of SAF in our industry’s decarbonization roadmap. This year, CAE has created a one-pager about SAF and why pilots should care about them. This document is available to all pilots who are training in our business aviation training centres through our CAE Crew Training App.

Just a couple of weeks ago, we reached another milestone in our sustainability journey by submitting our decarbonization targets for validation by the ScienceBased Target initiative (SBTi), strengthening our commitment towards climate action and decarbonization.

From left to right: Ron Gunnarson, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Customer Support at Piper Aircraft, Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy and Innovation of Quebec, Marc Parent, President and CEO of CAE, Hon. Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada, Helene V. Gagnon, Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President, Stakeholder Engagement at CAE, and Gregory Blatt, H55 Co-Founder, Chief of Sales, Marketing and Business Development

At the Farnborough International Air Show 2022 CAE announced the launch of an Electric Aircraft Modification Program with Piper Aircraft

Even if it’s the right thing to do, people often talk about sustainability as a hurdle, but you seem to say that it can also create growth and opportunities?

Absolutely! Since science-based targets are now expected in aerospace, we must support our customers in their own decarbonization journey. And when we do that, we become more than their training partner, it deepens our relationship because we bring additional value. That in itself creates new opportunities. When you think of carbon impact, everyone is interconnected through the value chain. Carbon footprint for a company covers its direct carbon emissions (scope 1), the electricity it uses (scope 2) and the indirect carbon coming upstream and downstream in its value chain (scope 3). Scope 3 is very wide and requires a lot of collaboration with suppliers. It includes things like the raw material you use, the transportation of your products, the commuting of your employees and business travel.

In the last year, we have seen a significant increase in sustainability requirements in various Request For Proposals (RFPs). We can anticipate that these will accelerate, and we need to be at the forefront to win new business.

Sustainability is also an opportunity to gain new investors and new types of financing, which enhances business value.

It is also a fantastic lever to attract the next generation of talent. According to CAE’s aviation talent forecast, 1.3M new aviation personnel will be required to support the industry in the next 10 years. About 60% of young people are worried about climate change, and studies show that many job seekers want to work for a company that cares about the environment and that takes concrete action for a sustainable future. It gives companies a competitive edge, especially when skilled and qualified professionals are scarce. Having a real, intentional sustainability strategy and performance boosts employee engagement, satisfaction, retention, and attraction. Finally, in business aviation, sustainability is the industry’s license to do business now and into the future.

It will continue to be key for talent attraction as I’ve just mentioned, but also for social acceptance. For the public to understand the positive impact of that industry – job creation, flexibility, connecting people and places, providing urgent healthcare versus the perception of its carbon footprint per passenger, we need to be serious and transparent about our sustainability actions.

Recent efforts from industry associations such as NBAA’s Climbing. Fast. initiative are demonstrating sustainability progress and showcasing business aviation’s continued leadership on sustainability issues. From the perspective of a company whose business it is to train the next generations of flight professionals, do you echo this perspective?

CAE shares the vision of industry associations like NBAA’s Climbing. Fast. initiative, which shows the progress and leadership of business aviation on sustainability. I was pleased to participate in a sustainability panel at the occasion of the official launch of the Climbing. Fast. campaign in the fall of 2023.

As I’ve said, tackling climate change and engaging with the industry are essential to attract and retain talent and to secure the future of aviation. We also know that decarbonizing the Aerospace & Defense (A&D) industry is a challenge that needs collaboration and transparency. But I also believe that great talent loves great challenges, so there is potential to create a better future. That is why we train the next aviation professionals, deliver sustainable solutions, and inspire young people to join our industry.

We also value diversity and inclusion as drivers of innovation and collaboration. We support initiatives that encourage more women and people of color to join our industry. To ensure our growth, we need to tap into the full talent pool!

We want to show that aviation is not only essential, but also a force for change. We have a plan and tools to decarbonize business aviation by 2050, but we need to communicate and engage with our stakeholders and communities on sustainability issues.

“We view sustainability as a pillar of business growth. It helps our customers, mainly airlines and business jet operators, to lower their emissions and align with global climate goals. Caring about sustainability is not only good for the planet, but also good for our business and that of our customers. And looking back at our journey, I can say that decarbonization is now officially built-in, in our overall business strategy, not bolted-on

”

Helene V. Gagnon

Thank you, Hélène, for the insights into the critical role sustainability plays in business aviation, the challenges the industry faces but more importantly the opportunities it can seize by embracing sustainability as a business value driver. In closing, how can members of the business aviation community support the achievement of their collective goal of net zero emissions by 2050?

First of all, let’s remember and believe that we can do it. We have a plan and the tools to decarbonize business aviation with four pillars: new technologies, sustainable aviation fuels, efficient operations, and carbon offsets. But we need everyone on board through a change coalition to bring our plan to life with policies, partnerships, innovation, modernization and a full cooperation from all stakeholders in our industry. Everyone across business aviation has to be part of the change.

We also need to remember than even if accelerating our decarbonization journey is the right thing to do, beyond the challenges or the headwinds sustainability can allow business aviation to seize new business opportunities that will create real value, drive the industry to innovate, and help us attract the talent we need to keep the industry soaring. That sounds more like tailwinds to me!

We all have the power to make a difference, no matter the size of our organization. Start with the easy wins, but don't stop there. As an industry, we have an opportunity to help create a better world… and I think we will. As we all know, nothing is impossible for people in aviation, the sky is never the limit!

The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) and its 15 member associations from around the world agreed to the ambitious goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Can you walk us through some of the initiatives across business aviation that will help achieve the industry decarbonization goal in your region?

In response to IBAC’s goal, industry players across the region are actively researching, developing and implementing new strategies and initiatives to help reduce carbon emissions across our sector – and it’s important that we leave no stone unturned when exploring sustainable solutions.

One of the most significant of these is the development and deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), with governments and businesses actively exploring new avenues in this field. The UAE has a General Policy for Sustainable Aviation Fuel where it intends to develop its local capacity for SAF and enable the production of 700 million litres of SAF annually, meanwhile many companies partnered to bring SAF to the flagship private terminal at Al Maktoum International (DWC) in Dubai. Additionally, we are seeing the modernization of fleets with newer, more efficient aircraft models that feature advanced technologies, such as aerodynamically optimized wings and lighter materials, to significantly reduce fuel consumption. Meanwhile regional business aviation entities, such as SAUDIA, are investing in carbon offset programmes, representing the commitment to a sustainable aviation future.

The private aviation industry is sometimes looked at as being extravagant. How do you think the industry can address these challenges for supporting economic growth worldwide?

This perception of private aviation overlooks its essential role in driving economic efficiency and connectivity. While it was previously associated with high-net-worth individuals (HNWI), we now see more than 80% utilization of business aviation for business purposes, taking advantage of the rapid, flexible and direct travel options.

Many businesses are also now utilizing private travel in a way that benefits their business, with it able to support revenue growth, innovation and employee retention. Private aircraft can reach more airports than commercial airlines, helping to fly closer to final destinations and save time on ground transport. They can also reach numerous destinations in one day, without relying on multiple flight schedules, and executives can utilize them for meetings and private deals with better connectivity.

Businesses across the Middle East and North Africa are also taking greater advantage of these benefits. As more businesses continue to migrate to the region, and we welcome more headquarters and senior executives – and therefore more business jets – our industry is booming, particularly in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Egypt.

While the Middle East is known for its abundant reserves of fossil fuels, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) contain a significant opportunity for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). How do you believe these regions can contribute to the development and availability of SAF which is a critical element for achieving the industry decarbonization targets?

The strategic location and economic positioning of MENA means that we have the capabilities to become a global powerhouse in SAF production, and many governments and industry players are investing in new technologies and initiatives to accelerate this. At the end of last year, the UAE announced its General Policy for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, a first of its kind in the Middle East, aiming to drive technology and innovation in SAF development and set a voluntary target of providing 1% of fuel supplied to national airlines at UAE airports using locally produced SAF by 2031. Meanwhile, SATORP, a

In June 2022, Victor and Neste announce industry-leading partnership, reducing private jet charter emissions by up to 80% by replacing fossil fuel with Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel

joint venture between Saudi Aramco and France’s TotalEnergies, announced the successful converting of used cooking oil into certified sustainable aviation fuel, supporting TotalEnergies goal to produce 1.5 million tonnes of SAF a year by 2030.

Another example is the pioneering “Pay Here, Use There” SAF solution, a partnership between Victor, a leading global on-demand jet charter platform who recently relocated its headquarters to Abu Dhabi, and Neste, the world’s leading producer of SAF. This initiative enables its clients to purchase SAF for all bookings worldwide and reduce their CO2 emissions from flying private by up to 80%.

As an industry – and a region – we are constantly looking at new sustainable options. SAF will be instrumental in reducing the carbon footprint not just of business aviation, but the aviation industry as a whole, and we must work together to help accelerate this.

Technology is shaping sustainability and enabling advanced levels of productivity and efficiency in our industry. How important are business aviation events like the MEBAA Show in showcasing and promoting the adoption and use of the latest technologies?

Business aviation events such as the MEBAA Show play a pivotal role in advancing our industry, serving as a global platform for unveiling cutting-edge technologies, demonstrating innovation and gathering leading minds to uncover new pathways. They are an opportunity to gain market insights, uncover future trends and collectively address some of the most pressing challenges facing our industry, while also encouraging the adoption of new solutions that will drive the industry towards a more prosperous and sustainable future.

For the 2024 edition, we are delighted to be bringing local, regional and international stakeholders from across the business and private aviation landscape back to Dubai, ready to chart the way forward and collectively shape the future of our industry. As the only event of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa that combines a trade show and aircraft display on the same site, we’re able to offer attendees a unique experience where they can meet and hear from industry leaders, while also witnessing a spectacular line-up of private jets and luxury showcases from world-class exhibitors.

The successful BizAv Talks will also return for a second year, featuring an extended programme to enable even more conversations on the pressing topics defining our

industry. Across the three days, an exciting agenda led by more than 45 speakers will reassess the dynamics of the sector and discuss the current themes, emerging trends, challenges and innovations within it.

What are your key predictions for the business aviation market in the region in terms of growth, challenges and opportunities?

Business aviation in the Middle East and North Africa continues to grow rapidly, with regional business aviation traffic surging at an impressive 10% year-onyear, and deliveries projected to soar to $9.1 billion between 2024 and 2032. The prominence of high-networth individuals (HNWI) – particularly in large economies such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia –expansion of non-oil industries and rise of new economic centres is creating a larger demand for private travel, and this is offering significant growth potential. While challenges will include navigating regulatory environments and ensuring sustainable practices are adopted industry-wide, the opportunities are abundant. Aviation technology is growing and evolving at pace, particularly with artificial intelligence and machine learning able to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience and safety. Meanwhile the expansion of airports and infrastructure across the region, such as the recently announced phase two of Al Maktoum International (DWC), all align with the projected increases in private flight activities and underscore the vibrant future of business aviation.

LONDON OXFORD AIRPORT

Transitioning to Greener Operations

London Oxford Airport is the UK’s fifth largest in terms of business aviation movements (it saw a total of 58,549 in 2023) and is a popular destination for flights arriving in the UK from the North Americas. Situated west of London, it provides easy access to the UK capital and offers direct connections with the London Heliport.

London Oxford Airport is the UK’s fifth largest in terms of

Jane Stanbury, our editorial director spoke with James Dillon Godfray Head of Business Development at Oxford Airport to find out more about how the airport is transitioning to greener operations.

What is the latest news from Oxford Airport in terms of its efforts to support greener aviation?

We have now introduced SAF, a little late to the game but we wanted to tie that in with our new fuel supply contract which came up for renewal this year. At Oxford now, and in the training sector in particular, there has been a notable migration to the use of diesel powerplants which tend to consume nearly half the fuel of their Avgasfuelled counterparts. Oxford now hosts one of the largest Diamond aircraft service operations in Europe –Triple J Aircraft Engineering. One of our tenants is Volare Aviation which through its eVolare business is centred on introducing up to ten Lilium into its fleet and will have them based at our airport.

I understand there are plans to construct a research park at the airport, can you tell me more?

We are now home to companies involved in future tech, for instance, one is developing synthetic fuels and another developing hydrogen fuel-cell powered powerplants. These tend to be spin-outs from the University sector, and being adjacent to Oxford, there are a multitude of leading-edge tech companies on our doorstep. New tenant OXCCU, evolved from Oxford University and is readying its synthetic aviation fuel facility to open in August, anticipating 50% lower capital cost versus other e-fuel production methods. Its OXEFUEL takes atmospheric carbon dioxide and combines it with hydrogen. Using its bespoke and unique catalysts and reactors, OXCCU plans to turn H2 and CO2 into long-chain hydrocarbons, in one simple step. Another company is working on developing hydrogen fuel-cell powered powerplants. Qdot

Technology, another spin-out from Oxford University specializes in hybrid powerplants for future eVTOL and UAV aircraft, drawing on its expertise in heat transfer technology with hydrogen fuel cells. To that end, we are developing an R&D Science park at the entrance to the airport which commences construction this June. The £48 million green campus environment offers 17 business units with over 200,000 sq. ft. First occupants should be in by the second quarter of 2025.

How is the airport encouraging the uplift of SAF for operators and owners? Is it challenging to encourage them to pay for SAF?

We introduced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) through fuel provider World Fuel Services in May. The airport is offering customers flexibility with its SAF purchasing with options for 30% or (less costly) 10% blends. Sourced from Neste in Ghent, Belgium, the arriving SAF is simply added to existing Jet A1 static tanks on our fuel farm, reducing the cost and complexity. Each 34,000-litre delivery is a blend of biofuel with conventional jet fuel, but the precise percentage will differ each time, depending on what feedstock was used; chemicals added and in what proportions. Several Formula One motorsport teams that use the airport have wanted SAF for some time. We have of course broadcast its availability to our primary users, but at nearly double the cost of straight JET-A1 for a 30%+ blend, it will take time for substantial volumes to be acquired which will hopefully reduce the costs over time. That is why uniquely we are selling a 10% ratio so the costs of uplifting SAF are a little less painful.

I understand that there is a new EU mandate coming down the line that will require EU operators to uplift a percentage of SAF every time they fly – how much will this affect SAF availability? Does it even affect Oxford as it’s an EU mandate?

I’m not familiar with this mandate, but availability will be a problem with so few plants producing it and for now so few airports selling it. With the bigger picture, one has to wonder about the volume of feedstocks required where European agriculture is balancing the need to grow crops to feed the population vs. crops to produce fuel.

How does an airport transition from the traditional offering to the next-gen requirements of SAF, electric, and hydrogen aviation? What are the main considerations?

We are not rushing into looking at any other avenues for now, be that hydrogen, electric or otherwise – we’ll watch the market evolve as products get developed and certified and when operators knock on the door wanting the requisite infrastructure, we’ll facilitate that as required. We have no problem doing so where there is a rational business case to do so, but not before standards and regulations are well-defined, and certified, viable aircraft are on the horizon.

Does Oxford Airport think it’s worth the investment?

It’s not worth the investment until the market gets established, it’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg scenario. Having worked with and for OEMs before, I’m perennially cynical about the time and costs involved in introducing any new technology into aerospace, it always costs massively more than anyone ever planned, it takes twice as long and certification is an enormous hill to climb so there’s no point jumping the gun. We want to watch first to see how things pan out.

What advice would you give to operators and airports that want to become “greener”?

I don’t think we can offer anything that isn’t obvious –you can get electric vehicles, put solar panels on roofs, bring in SAF etc. but all requires investment and the smaller the airport, the tougher it is to transition, which is no different than any other businesses I guess. With our new science park, all the buildings can have solar photovoltaic plaques on the roof and there will be a very high ratio of EV chargers and cycle facilities for instance. All our new hangars have roofs that are solar PV compatible – i.e. ready for retrofit.

Is Oxford Airport carbon neutral? If not, what are the plans to get there?

No, we are not. We have not adopted or formalized a strategy to be so by any given date, but we will adapt and change progressively where the opportunities present themselves. If we choose to plumb into several hectares of solar power sometime in the next few years, it will be primarily driven by the need to reduce the costs of that power or ensure we have enough to tap into where the grid capacity is inadequate in the vicinity. No doubt in time, a target may be adopted but for now we are assessing viable, practical moves step by step and not tying ourselves to any overarching plan on that front.

EMBEDDINGSUSTAINABILITY INTOAIRCRAFTOPERATIONS

Introduction to CELESTE

The Emissions Management Platform from Azzera

If left unmitigated, the transportation sector could be set to generate 50% of worldwide emissions by 2050 while other sectors decarbonize faster. Governments around the globe have implemented different systems and taxes to counter this increase and put a price on GHG emissions. In recent years, commercial and business aircraft operators have faced increasing pressure from regulatory and compliance requirements. The most common compliance programs are emission trading schemes (ETS) in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, and ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). Azzera CELESTE is a software that combines all aviation sustainability services and compliance requirements into a single forum, while minimizing the need for any additional thirdparty. Designed by aviation experts for aviation experts, this platform is the only tool in the market that addresses all sustainability challenges in one place.

Founded in 2021, Azzera was created to make climate action effortless. Two years later, it stands as the leading provider of transformative solutions tailored to the industry's unique challenges. Offering SAF solutions, compliance management, greenhouse gas emissions accounting, and carbon credits for compensation, Azzera is at the forefront of innovation. Among its pioneering endeavors is CELESTE, a B2B Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform meticulously crafted to redefine emissions management for aircraft operators and governments. With its groundbreaking technology, CELESTE adeptly categorizes flights into their respective carbon compliance markets including the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), as well as Regional Emissions Trading Systems like the EU ETS, UK ETS, and CH ETS ushering in unparalleled efficiency and time savings.

Beyond simplifying compliance, CELESTE embodies Azzera's vision for a Net-Zero future, providing a comprehensive suite of tools for emissions measurement, compliance management, and access to solutions that promote sustainable aviation.

Core Features of CELESTE

At the heart of CELESTE's success is its robust suite of core features, each designed to address specific challenges faced by aircraft operators in managing emissions and complying with regulatory frameworks. These features simplify complex processes and reduce both time and effort required from compliance teams. By automating critical tasks and providing precise, secured and real-time data management, CELESTE empowers operators to stay ahead in a regulatory environment that is both dynamic and demanding. Automatic Emissions Calculation and Real-Time Data Processing:

By connecting directly with flight scheduling software via an API, CELESTE automatically receives and processes flight data to calculate emissions in real time. This automation minimizes manual data handling, reducing errors, and saving time.

Sebastien Lacube Chief Science Officer, Azzera

Puja Mahajan

CEO Azzera

Automated Emissions Compliance Market Segregation:

The platform categorizes emissions data automatically into the correct compliance markets (EU ETS, UK ETS, CH ETS, and CORSIA). This feature simplifies the compliance process, significantly reducing the workload for compliance managers and diminishing the need for extensive training and onboarding. It effectively allows managers to focus more on strategic tasks rather than operational details.

Enhanced Management of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) :

CELESTE significantly improves the management of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by providing robust data collection and reporting tools. A vital feature of the platform is its ability to meticulously track SAF uptake and link it directly to specific mission IDs. This capability is particularly beneficial in light of the RefuelEU aviation mandates that from 2025, all aviation fuel provided at EU airports must contain a minimum share of SAF, with this requirement progressively increasing until 2050.

CELESTE’s detailed tracking and reporting functionalities ensure that aircraft operators can easily verify and demonstrate compliance with these regulations by accurately documenting where and how much SAF was used for each flight. This not only simplifies compliance but also enhances the transparency and accountability of fuel usage, aligning with the EU’s climate targets for 2030 and 2050 and facilitating a smoother transition to greener fuel alternatives.

Streamlined Access to Carbon Credits:

CELESTE streamlines the process of acquiring carbon credits by providing direct access to suppliers for select projects, alongside facilitated access to over 12 million projects worldwide through Azzera experts. This extensive range allows operators to select high-quality carbon credits based on their preferences, ensuring compatibility with their sustainability goals. The Azzera Impact Score further aids operators by evaluating projects based on technical and financial criteria, making it easier to make informed choices.

Case Studies

Metrojet’s Journey with CELESTE: Streamlining Compliance Across Markets

Metrojet, a large-scale operator with a diverse fleet, faced significant challenges in managing emissions data across multiple compliance frameworks such as the EU ETS, UK ETS, and CORSIA. Using CELESTE allowed them to automatically segregate and validate huge volumes of flight data, ensuring accuracy and compliance without the substantial administrative overhead previously required. This integration not only saved them hundreds of hours but also significantly reduced the risk of compliance errors.

Elit’Avia’s Sustainable Journey Enabled by CELESTE

Elit’Avia has been dedicated to significantly reducing its environmental impact. By integrating CELESTE, it hasnot only managed to compensate for 100% of their charter emissions effortlessly but also enhanced their compliance with environmental regulations. The platform’s capabilities extend to directly managing and applying Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) credits, which has been crucial in achieving their sustainability goals. Additionally, the use of the Azzera Impact Score within CELESTE has enabled Elit’Avia to make more informed decisions when selecting carbon credits projects, ensuring that they choose options that provide the best technical and financial benefits. This comprehensive approach has demonstrated substantial improvements in both operational efficiency and environmental responsibility.

Conclusion

As the aviation industry continues its journey towards sustainability, platforms like Azzera CELESTE are pivotal in enabling operators to meet both current and future emissions management and compensation needs effectively. Through innovative technology and comprehensive service integration, CELESTE not only supports compliance with global emissions standards but also empowers operators to take proactive steps towards environmental responsibility. Azzera remains committed to advancing aviation sustainability, ensuring that operators have the tools they need to succeed in a greener future.

ADDRESSINGGLOBALPILOTSHORTAGES WITHARTIFICIALINTELLIGENCEANDVIRTUALREALITY

How the University of Waterloo researchers are testing innovative new technologies to bolster Canadian aviation

| ELITE WINGS MAGAZINE

The institute’s Founding Director, Dr. Suzanne Kearns, says WISA’s innovative research can be a game-changer at a critical juncture for business aviation and the entire aviation sector. “For more than a decade, the global aviation industry has been sounding the alarm about the looming workforce shortages among maintenance engineers, pilots and air-traffic controllers,” she says. “Researchers in WISA are exploring cutting-edge innovations in how we educate professionals.”

Just as advanced aeronautics technologies have long sustained business aviation in Canada, even newer technological breakthroughs could help it beat a looming pilot shortage that threatens its sustainability. In 2018, the Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace said the country needed an additional 7,300 pilots by 2025. That prediction was industry-wide. More recently, CAE’s “Aviation Talent Forecast 2023” predicted 106,000 new business aviation professionals including pilots will be needed worldwide over the next decade. Today, what to do about the dearth of new pilots has become an increasingly urgent question across the aviation sector. Some of the most promising answers are coming from the University of Waterloo. Artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, new eye-tracking and communications systems as well as the latest advancements in cognitive science are just some of the tools being used and refined by the university’s Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA). The aim is clear: train more pilots, in less time, for less money and less environmental harm. One of Canada’s first electric planes is also helping this initiative take off. It’s a testament to how WISA, since its founding in 2021, has emerged as a leading hub for sustainable aeronautical research, technology and education.

The institute’s Founding Director, Dr. Suzanne Kearns, says WISA’s innovative research can be a game-changer at a critical juncture for business aviation and the entire aviation sector. “For more than a decade, the global aviation industry has been sounding the alarm about the looming workforce shortages among maintenance engineers, pilots and air-traffic controllers,” she says. “Researchers in WISA are exploring cutting-edge innovations in how we educate professionals.”

That exploration includes aircraft powered by electric batteries. While the institute’s groundbreaking work with

electric aviation has arguably done the most to capture public attention, their e-plane is much more than a novel headline-maker. Paul Parker, a key player in this WISA project, says the e-plane holds huge promise for pilot education and the future of aviation in a world fighting climate change.

Parker and his WISA colleagues achieved a historic milestone in June 2023 when their tiny, two-seater Pipistrel Velis Electro made its inaugural flight at the Region of Waterloo International Airport. To be sure, other experimental planes had flown in Canada before it, but they were each one of a kind, built more to prove an idea than produce a practical model for mass production. In contrast, the Velis Electro is different, and the first of its kind to fly in Canada.

“What stands out with the Velis Electro is that it is the first ‘type-certified’ electric plane in the world,” Parker says. “In other words, it is manufactured to an approved standard and is available in larger numbers to be used for commercial purposes.”

For the past 18 months, this elegant aircraft has been undergoing rigorous trials needed to win the government approvals that will clear the runway for it to revolutionize pilot training. And thanks to the WISA team’s efforts, it signals the true beginning of electrically propelled flight in the country. Working with Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre (WWFC) staff, WISA researchers have demonstrated that the Velis Electro can pass each stage of its flight program under demanding Canadian conditions. Their tests at the Region of Waterloo International Airport are also providing conclusive evidence that electric planes can help reverse a serious pilot shortage.

For student pilots, learning to fly on the Velis Electro is almost identical to the experience they would have on a conventional, internal-combustion-powered trainer. But because the fuel for a gas-powered plane costs far more than the electricity for the Velis Electro, training a pilot on the e-plane promises to be more economical. Parker says that could make learning to fly more affordable to more people, thereby increasing Canada’s pool of aviation talent.

WWFC instructors who learned how to fly the Velis Electro from Pipistrel instructors can now share their electric flight experience with the research team. Three of the team members were recently hired by Sunwing Airlines. According to Parker, the move shows that the airline industry recognizes the talent of Waterloo’s aviation students and their diverse training experience including time in the e-plane and is ready to employ them.

Parker anticipates that the Velis Electro will become a popular trainer, even though it can only fly short distances and for a maximum of 50 minutes with current battery technology. Transport Canada has granted the Velis Electro a Special Certificate of Airworthiness (Limited) enabling the research flights and the sharing of results with the federal agency. Meanwhile, the Velis Electro fleet in Canada has grown from the one being flown by WISA in 2023 to three two in Ontario and one in British Columbia. Looking forward, Parker expects that Transport Canada will approve the Velis Electro for

commercial use later this year and, after that, pilot training. Looking ahead, it could be used at flight schools across Canada to train new pilots.

The Velis Electro carries environmental benefits, too, which Parker believes will be attractive to student pilots worried about the role aviation plays in climate change. At a time when the world is searching for ways to slash emissions, the aviation industry must address its carbon footprint which accounts for more than two per cent of all global emissions. According to Parker, who is also a professor emeritus at Waterloo’s School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, using electric trainer planes could save 1,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over a working lifetime of 20 years if flown for the flight-school average of 1,000 hours a year. If other Canadian flight schools begin using the Velis Electro, aviation industry emissions would start to drop.

“This plane is performing as it’s meant to,” Parker explains. “This is a national industry that we are changing. I hope that in the not-too-distant future you can purchase electric flight training in Canada. This is just the beginning.”

E-planes are not the only transformative technologies being developed by WISA. An equally promising research project is being led by Dr. Shi Cao, a professor in Systems Design Engineering who has enlisted artificial intelligence (AI) to assess pilot performance, support instructors in pilot training and seat more pilots in more cockpits.

Along with WISA colleagues Dr. Ewa Niechwiej-Szwedo, Dr. Elizabeth Irving, and Dr. John Muñoz, Cao is showing how artificial intelligence and other new technologies can enhance pilot training, deepen the industry’s understanding of pilot-skill development in addition to reducing its harmful environmental impacts. To achieve these objectives, the team is first focusing on data collection, laying the foundation for their project by building an integrated data platform and developing data management strategies.

As part of this process, they’re creating imagerecognition algorithms to precisely capture pilots’ actions in real-time something no one else had previously done. Extensive sample data are gathered from flight simulators and aircraft to enhance their data analytics. Those data are then used to train machinelearning algorithms aimed at improving human training. Equipped with substantial and reliable pilot data, the researchers can use AI to evaluate and predict pilot performance. They can then incorporate these AI tools into pilot training programs to measure their effectiveness.

“Findings from our research could support the development of tools to automatically assess pilot performance and provide feedback for improvement,” Cao says. “This could complement the flight-instructor’s role and allow trainee self-assessment in flight simulators or on solo-flights where currently it is difficult to assess and give feedback. The goal is not to replace

humans with AI, but to assist and support humans with AI.”

Cao and his WISA colleagues are supported on many fronts. A 2013 graduate of Waterloo’s Science and Aviation program and now a pilot for a major Canadian airline, Brad Moncion is completing a PhD as part of WISA’s Collaborative Aeronautics Program. As one of the few Waterloo PhD students with aviation industry flying experience, he’s frequently consulted by Cao and the other researchers.

“Dr. Cao’s research will help pilot training going forward,” Moncion observes, citing the high cost of training and instructional capacity limits that have become barriers for many potential student pilots. “Implementing evidence-based training – using technologies like video recordings, flight data parameters and eye-tracking devices to assist in this assessment – and conducting more training in simulators, or with virtual or augmented reality, can address these barriers.”

AdHawk Microsystems, a company founded by Waterloo alumni and faculty, is also lending a helping hand. Their team invented a new type of low-power, research-grade eye tracker the WISA researchers use to record critical eye-movement data. At the same time, the researchers rent aircraft from the Brantford Flight Centre and hire its flight instructor services to collect data both from student and licensed pilots. All of this information is added to the computational models to further enhance

their quality. “We have all these new technological tools,” Cao says. “Why not use them? The preliminary evidence is supporting this approach to pilot training, and we’re going to do more.”

Dr. Jian Zhao heads up a different WISA project, one that, in addition to AI, utilizes virtual and augmented reality to create textual and visual aids that make air traffic communications smarter in the real world and in a way that can be utilized in both flight training and actual flights.

“Our goal is to revolutionize communications between the pilot and the air traffic control tower, and to improve student training in terms of communications,” Zhao explains. “In the high-stakes realm of air traffic control, or ATC, clarity in communication is vital to ensuring flight safety. Misunderstandings in ATC communications have been frequently implicated in aviation incidents and accidents. But textual and visual aids can enhance radio communication by providing supplementary cues for better comprehension of audio messages.”

The first step in Zhao’s research project involves converting into text the audio messages that would come from an air traffic control centre. He achieves this, in part, using an existing AI model that analyzes features of speech and then matches those features into text. But Zhao’s team is going further and adapting these models to the unique demands of an air traffic control system, where terms and language patterns are different than everyday conversations. Assisting Zhao in this effort, university students are collecting airport radio samples, then feeding the audio into the fine-tuned speech-to-text AI model.

In the second step, WISA researchers review the text and interview both licensed and student pilots to create a list of common terms that would be useful when receiving communications from an air traffic control centre Working with a designer, the researchers convert key terms into visual icons. Those icons could eventually be displayed as part of a text message on a screen or a cockpit window for a pilot flying an aircraft. For now, Zhao is testing his system in a university laboratory, transmitting textual messages both with and without

embedded icons to a student wearing a small, virtual reality headset while practicing simulated take-offs and landings. Further tests will involve augmented reality, with a student in the university’s flight simulator. From all these tests, Zhao hopes to determine what does and doesn’t work in his new communications system.

“By providing textual and visual cues using immersive technologies such as AR and VR, our goal is to streamline the read-back process, optimize communication bandwidth, and reduce the likelihood of human error and cognitive workload, thereby improving overall airspace safety,” he says. “Additionally, this method can be utilized to train student pilots in ATC communication which has been known as a challenging skill to acquire.”

As promising as these three research projects are, Kearns, WISA’s Director, says the best is yet to come. “We imagine a future where student pilots are supported by AI instructors in low-fidelity simulators, offering realtime, personalized feedback,” she says. “That’s where we’re heading. By harnessing AI and machine learning, we’re gaining unprecedented insights into human performance, laying the groundwork for training programs that are more effective and less costly.

“Our goal is to collaborate closely with the aviation industry, ensuring that our research translates into tangible benefits. We want to work together to cultivate a sustainable workforce that’s equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

WISA’s plan to build new connections between academia and industry received a Government of Canada investment of more than $9 million through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). A portion of that funding supported 38 Research-for-Impact projects, including the ones being conducted by Parker’s, Cao’s and Zhao’s research teams.

EMBRAEREXECUTIVEJETS SUSTAINABILITYSTRATEGY UPDATE

During EBACE 2023, Embraer joined the business aviation OEM panel to share its perspectives on the industry decarbonization effort, especially highlighting how technology is shaping sustainability and enabling advanced levels of productivity and efficiency.

A conversation with Alvadi Serpa Junior, Director of Market and Product Intelligence at Embraer Executive Jets

Can you walk us through some of Embraer’s advanced products and services and how they are already contributing toward achieving the industry net-zero carbon emissions objectives?

Embraer is steadfastly committed to supporting the aviation sector in its decarbonization by 2050. With a robust sustainability plan targeting emissions reduction across all scopes, we have already made significant strides. Notably, investments in the development and adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) have been pivotal, exemplified by landmark flights such as the E2 flight in 2022 and the Phenom 300E and Praetor 600 flights in 2023, all of which utilized 100% neat SAF in one of the engines. We are also exploring other forms of clean propulsion, including electrification, hybrid electric and hydrogen. Eve, incubated and launched by EmbraerX, is busy developing the 100% electric eVTOL. And through concepts like the Energia family, Embraer envisions a total ecosystem of aircraft that run on clean propulsion technologies.

Embraer’s Executive Jets global headquarters, located in Melbourne, Florida, has been a focal point for Embraer's SAF efforts since 2021, with plans to intensify supply this year. Furthermore, Embraer is continuing to make operations more efficient. In October 2023, our flight department earned the NBAA Sustainable Flight Department Accreditation, which recognizes companies meeting “exceptional environmental sustainability standards.” This was awarded after reducing emissions by more than 10% when compared to the base year of 2019.

We are also incentivizing our customers to adopt sustainable practices through programs such as the carbon offsetting program, which offers 25 flight hours of offsetting to newly enrolled Embraer Executive Care customers, in partnership with 4AIR, at no additional cost. Embraer's journey towards carbon neutrality not only underscores its corporate responsibility but also serves as a testament to its unwavering dedication to shaping a cleaner, greener future for aviation worldwide.

Embraer is not only supporting the global industry’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 but has

also set an aggressive objective of running carbonneutral operations by 2040. What are the major initiatives that will support achieving this goal?

Embraer has unveiled an aggressive strategy focused on three key carbon reduction initiatives. With aviation fuel consumption being the largest contributor to its scope 1 emissions, we aim to achieve a remarkable 25% consumption of SAF by 2040. In fact, we recently partnered with AvFuel and Sheltair to significantly increase the use of SAF at our Melbourne campus when compared to 2023 levels. Starting in April of 2024, the companies have supplied Embraer with one load of SAF per week, which will continue and lead to a total of 240,000 U.S. gallons by the end of this year. This investment will primarily support flight demonstrations in Melbourne and facilitate deliveries and production flights, further solidifying our commitment to sustainable aviation solutions.

Additionally, efforts to replace natural gas with biogas and optimize operational efficiency are underway to further curb emissions. Moreover, Embraer is steadfast in its commitment to transitioning to 100% renewable sources of electricity by 2030, with significant progress already made in its Brazilian facilities, which account for over 70% of its total electricity consumption. This comprehensive approach underscores Embraer's dedication to environmental sustainability and shaping a cleaner, greener future for business aviation.

.At the 2023 NBAA-BACE, Embraer announced completion of 100% SAF flights on both the light Jet Phenom 300E equipped with Pratt & Whitney Canada engines and the super-midsize Praetor 600 equipped with Honeywell engines. Can you give us more details about the SAF testing and certification program at Embraer?

Yes, Embraer conducted experimental flights that marked a pivotal moment in the industry's trajectory and provided valuable insight into systems’ performance in various conditions. Beginning with rigorous ground tests and culminating in flight trials utilizing 100% SAF in one engine of each aircraft, the results were nothing short of promising. Notably, the performance remained uncompromised, showcasing the viability of SAF as an alternative. Moreover, meticulous evaluations of the fuel's effects on various components underscored Embraer's commitment to safety and efficiency. These findings serve as a cornerstone in shaping the future of Embraer's aircraft, particularly as we work towards making our business jets compatible with 100% neat SAF. Embracing innovation and sustainability, Embraer continues to pioneer transformative advancements in aviation, heralding a new era of eco-conscious flight.

Earlier this year, Embraer announced joining United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund focused on

scaling up the supply and availability of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) through investing in innovative startups. What is your opinion on the current state of SAF production and feedstock sources development? Embraer sees SAF as the short-term, most probable replacement for fossil fuels. That belief is driving many of our efforts towards promoting, testing, and investing in SAF. United Airlines Ventures (UAV) Sustainable Flight FundSM is a clear example. This is an investment vehicle focused on scaling up the supply and availability of SAF through investing in innovative startups. Regarding the current state of SAF, the volume of fuel produced in 2022 is less than 1% of the aviation sector’s needs, but the good news is that the volume produced in 2023 doubled the volume produced in 2022. The growth of volumes can be attributed to the increased number of countries with public policies to leverage the SAF chain (from sustainable feedstocks to new plants), the increase in the demand from users, business aviation included, the increase of companies investing in producing the fuel, and so on. New pathways to produce SAF are also gaining relevance, such as technologies to capture CO2 from the atmosphere or industrial sources, also known as Power-to-Liquid (PtL). All that combined customers, governments, suppliers, and consumers will lead to the volume the industry needs to reach Fly Net Zero by 2050.

Electric, Hydrogen, and Hybrid Technology

Getting To Grips with

Future Propulsion Technologies

By Jane Stanbury

Industry bodies and associations regularly state that aviation has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by some 40% over the last 40 years and looking forward the industry is focused on targeting net-zero emissions by the year 2050. The business aviation sector has been leading the charge and has created a multifaceted strategy to help the sector navigate towards selfimposed targets. Technology, infrastructure, operations and monitoring the results through market-based measurements are combined to deliver positive outcomes.

The advancing technology heralds a new era for aviation with traditional and new engine manufacturers exploring alternative propulsion systems. The response to the demand for cleaner propulsion technology is being met by an exciting portfolio of ambitious technology developers. Existing aircraft are flying cleanly through powertrain retrofits and new airframers are looking at an increasing variety of propulsion options.

The possibilities delivered by electric, hybrid-powered and hydrogen systems for future aircraft are looking promising. Harbour Air, North America’s largest seaplane operator flew the world’s first full electric flight when a six-passenger DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver powered by a 750-horsepower (560 kW) MagniX magni500 propulsion system, flew above the Fraser River in Vancouver in 2019. Ampaire is showcasing the possibilities offered by hybrid propulsion having flown its first Eco-Caravan public flight test, powered by hybrid technology – electric and jet fuel - in 2019. Pipistrel became the first certified electric aircraft in 2020 and remains the only certified electric aircraft to this day; and Universal Hydrogen a company based in Los Angeles fitted a fuel cell-based system to a DeHavilland Dash 8 and flew its first flight in March 2023. These are great achievements, but equally, these represent new classes of propulsion and development takes time. The fact is that decarbonizing aviation is difficult, yet electric-powered aircraft represent one of the most promising advancements in sustainable aviation and enthusiasm is gathering apace for its potential. Unlike traditional jet engines that burn fossil fuels, electric aircraft rely on batteries to power a motordriven propellor or a fan and consequently reduce emissions. The batteries can be powered by electric, hydrogen or as yet undiscovered energy sources. A key benefit, as well as the green credentials, is that batteries and electric motors are much simpler than jet engines. Operating costs are much lower making Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) potentially more affordable for operators with less maintenance, spares and replacement

requirements, and potentially for passengers if the lower costs are passed on. As long as the source of the power to the battery is made using renewable energy, pollutants and fuel requirements are significantly reduced.

The disadvantage of batteries is that their energy density is much lower than that of aviation fuel and their weight is not “burnt off” during flight. As a result, electric aircraft are, presently confined to supporting short-haul routes with an average range of around 50 km. The good news is that as battery efficiency is improving by approximately 5% a year, the distances accessible will increase as the technology improves.

This technology has already made its mark in the form of smaller electric aircraft used for short-haul flights, often referred to as Urban Air Mobility (UAM). Vertical Aerospace’s flagship electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) aircraft, the VX4, due for certification in 2026 is powered by Rolls Royce electric engines and represents the next generation of flight.

Image courtesy of Rolls-Royce

Image courtesy of magniX

In 2022, Rolls-Royce successfully ran an AE2100 turbofan engine on green hydrogen at the Boscombe Down research facility in southern England

While electric engines have garnered attention for over a decade, a new addition to the mix, hydrogen-propulsion represents an intriguing green alternative. Hydrogen can be used as a clean energy source to power engines through combustion in a conventional type of jet engine or through a fuel cell to generate electricity to power a motor-driven fan or propellor.

The high energy density of hydrogen enables extended flight ranges and has the potential to revolutionize longhaul air travel. Its potential capabilities could indeed fulfill intercontinental flight operations, however, the airframes will need large-volume tanks to store the hydrogen. Weight and drag aerodynamics will require a review to optimize the potential successfully. The ground infrastructure will also need a rethink to accommodate the requisites for hydrogen production, storage, and distribution. Hydrogen requires significant amounts of electricity for production, this must become more sustainable to realize the full environmental benefits. A key driver in developing this power source is that when hydrogen is used in fuel cells, the only byproduct is water vapour, making it entirely emissions-free.

Leveraging the strengths of electric and/or hydrogen technology, hybrid aircraft combine both to power airframes. While a dual system seems more complex, this approach seeks to address the limitations of fully electric or hydrogen-powered planes. Hybrid aircraft can offer a balance between the efficiency and range of traditional engines and the emissions reduction of

electric or hydrogen systems. As the aviation industry transitions to greener technologies, hybrid aircraft can serve as a bridge, allowing operators to gradually reduce their carbon footprint without compromising operational capabilities for both short-haul and long-haul flights. Based in Sweden Heart Aerospace is already exploring the opportunities as it develops a short-range (200km) all-electric 30-passenger aircraft and a turbogenerator/electric hybrid for longer ranges. For hybrid aircraft employing a turbogenerator, there is also the option to replace conventional jet fuel with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to lower the carbon footprint even further.

Industry collaboration is essential if these revolutionary new propulsion technologies are to move from the exception to the mainstream. In addition, the regulators and certification authorities need to simultaneously generate new guidelines for the burgeoning industry to adhere to. Sustainable ways to generate clean electricity and hydrogen need to be realized. New distribution networks for both electricity and particularly hydrogen must be developed. And of course it must all be affordable to succeed. Thanks to companies, like MagniX, Heart Aerospace, Harbour Air and many others, who are willing to pioneer the technology a zero-emissions future looks possible.

Image courtesy of Rolls-Royce

CORPORATE HELICOPTERS BIZLINERS

BOMBARDIER ECOJETRESEARCHPROJECT

ExploringtheNextBreakthroughinBusinessAviationTechnology

AconversationwithStephenMcCullough,SeniorVicePresident,Engineering andProductDevelopment,Bombardier

StephenMcCullough “ ”

Bombardier’s EcoJet game-changing research project is paramount to developing the technologies that will bring the business aviation toward the goal of net zero emissions by 2050

VISWANATH TATA

Bombardier’s EcoJet research project explores a Blended Wing Body (BWB) aircraft configuration with new technologies in aerodynamics, flight controls, propulsion, and other enhancements to reduce business jet emissions by up to 50%. What is the expected breakdown in benefits between these various technologies and why do you believe these technologies could deliver such significant reductions in fuel and emissions?

Bombardier’s EcoJet research project started more than 15 years ago with the objective to reduce aircraft emissions by up to 50% through a combination of aerodynamic, propulsion and other enhancements. With this project, Bombardier also strives to create significantly more sustainable business jets while providing incredible customer experience.

Indeed, after years of theoretical research, blendedwing-body (BWB) prototypes are now actively leveraged in a multiyear flight test program. Comprised of several free-flight campaigns, the flight-testing program will be held over multiple years to gather increasingly precise data in real-world, representative environments.

The research’s flight-testing program started its first phase in 2019 with a blended-wing-body prototype representing 7% of the size of a long-range business jet and a wingspan of approximately 8 feet. The second phase of the flight-testing program is now also leveraging a larger BWB prototype. This second vehicle represents

approximately 16% of a long-range business jet and has a wingspan of over 18 feet.

The BWB design will contribute to reducing CO2 emissions from 17-20%, through significant aerodynamic efficiencies. It is adaptable to our needs for business jets and is also compatible with future propulsion types. New ways to approach aircraft propulsion have the potential to contribute comparable CO2 emissions reduction, and other enhancements could bring up to 10% efficiency improvements.

BWB technology is already in use for military applications such as the US B-2 flying wing bomber and is extensively explored for commercial airliners. What are some of the challenges of bringing that technology to the business aviation segment?

The blended-wing-body concept was developed decades ago and was the subject of numerous studies. There have been some design realities that have kept the BWB from the mainstream. Some of these challenges include flight control complexity and the U-tail and wing location which require new control laws. And because of the aerodynamic shape, much more testing is required. For example, non-cylindrical fuselages are more difficult to pressurize, tending to require more structural reinforcement, adding weight.

There are also other manufacturing realities that need to be solved from an engineering perspective. Unlike cylindrical fuselages, which can be lengthened or shortened by removing sections, blended-wing-body designs are harder to stretch or shrink due to their nonlinear fuselages. This creates challenges because aircraft manufacturers tend to create aircraft families that have baseline variants, enabling them to squeeze maximum value from massive investment. The Ecojet research project aims to address these challenges. Earlier this year, Bombardier unveiled the University of Victoria as the First Announced Academic Partnership in the Pan-Canadian EcoJet Research Project. Can you elaborate more on the importance of teaming up with the Canadian academic ecosystem?

The recently unveiled partnership with the University of Victoria Centre for Aerospace Research (CfAR) and Quaternion Aerospace is at the core to the EcoJet flighttesting program. Both CfAR and Quaternion Aerospace provide proven expertise in building and testing scale vehicles, which complements Bombardier’s longstanding experience as a business aircraft OEM. All three organizations have a shared vision of the positive role

innovation plays in the sustainable transformation of the Canadian aerospace industry which has resulted in this fruitful collaboration on the flight-testing program of Bombardier’s EcoJet research project.

For more than a decade of collaboration with Bombardier, the Centre for Aerospace Research has grown from strength to strength, and its cutting-edge work with Bombardier represents a significant research partnership. Through such collaborative work between pan-Canadian, multidisciplinary teams, Bombardier’s EcoJet Research Project stimulates coast-to-coast skill transfer and talent development and nurtures a strong, thriving and more sustainable Canadian aerospace industry.

BWB aircraft configuration will highly impact the cabin shape and configuration. Did you explore some of the opportunities that this configuration may offer for advancing in-flight passenger experience?

Yes, absolutely. The Ecojet research project explores the possibilities offered by a different cabin shape, that are at the altitude of our discerning customers.

UPCOMING BUSINESS AVIATION GUIDES

NASAQUESSTMISSION

Paving the Way for the Supersonic Travel Era

A conversation with Peter Coen, Mission Integration Manager for NASA’s Quesst Mission

Peter Coen serves as the mission integration manager for NASA’s Quesst mission. His primary responsibility in this role is to ensure that the X-59 aircraft development, in-flight acoustic validation, and community test elements stay on track toward delivering on NASA’s critical commitment to provide quiet supersonic overflight response data to the FAA and the International Civil Aviation Organization.

In his previous position, Coen was the manager for the Commercial Supersonic Technology project in NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, where he led a team from the four Aeronautics research centers in the development of tools and technologies for a new generation of quiet and efficient supersonic civil transport aircraft.

ELITE WINGS MAGAZINE

VISWANATH TATA

Can you give us a little bit of background about all the initiatives of NASA in trying to remove the sonic boom from supersonic flights?

At NASA Aeronautics, our goal is to build and develop technologies and gather scientific information that supports improving air transportation. Our ultimate goal is to make aircraft more sustainable and aviation more global and transformative. NASA has been interested in building a technology base that can make air transport faster for a long time. NASA's work in sonic boom reduction goes back to the 1950s when the first sonic booms were heard, and the idea of commercial supersonic transport was first appearing.

Since then, NASA recognized that sonic boom noise was going to be a problem. We did a lot of research with the U.S. Air Force and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), focusing on understanding the sonic boom phenomena and how people respond to sonic boom sounds and trying to figure out ways to reduce it. The High-Speed Research (HSR) program in the 1980s and 1990s was a big effort led by NASA that saw the participation of many companies. The program was looking at reintroducing supersonic transport, with an initial focus on the environmental impact of supersonic aircraft. Thanks to this program, a lot of advances were made in technologies to reduce sonic boom noise, landing and takeoff noise from supersonic aircraft, and high-altitude emissions.

Ultimately, the HSR program determined that supersonic, overland flight technology was not ready. We had a target date for the reintroduction of supersonic transport, and it was not going to be ready at that point. However, the work that was done on sonic boom

reduction led to the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD), which proved that the shaping technology worked in a real atmosphere, and we were able to demonstrate that using an F-5 fighter jet featuring a modified fuselage.

All these development programs led to what was really a breakthrough in the design of quiet supersonic aircraft in the 2000s. NASA worked with Lockheed Martin and Boeing at that time to develop a conceptual design of a small Concorde-like aircraft, and the objective of that conceptual design was to have an aircraft that not only reduced the sonic boom noise but also met all the other constraints needed for a viable supersonic airliner. We tested the shape in the wind tunnel, where we measured the pressures and determined that our approach for reducing the boom was working as expected. All the collected measurements matched very well the design predictions.

That was something of a breakthrough because even though the airplane was a conceptual design, ie. there was going to be plenty more work, we felt that we had a solid technological base for an airplane that would produce a sonic boom signal that was quiet enough for overland flights. At that time, it met the Stage IV of the ICAO Chapter 14 noise regulations and had very low emissions at high altitudes.

The next logical step was therefore to demonstrate that supersonic technology in flight, as we were convinced that if we could build a research aircraft that would produce these quiet supersonic sounds, we could use it in planning tests over communities to understand how people respond to the sounds in a realistic environment. So that is what put us on the path towards the Quesst mission and building the X-59 research aircraft.

Can you describe some of the key enabling technologies used to achieve the goal of having a ‘thump’ instead of a sonic boom in supersonic flight?

The main technology for reducing the sonic boom is aerodynamic design. The shape of the aircraft is critical to achieving a signal that's low boom. If you look at the X59, some of the features that you'll see are the long slender nose, the fully 3D shaping of the wing, the engine installation being on top of the wing, in addition to the unique arrangement of the tail surfaces that are all design features identified in our previous studies as being effective in reducing the boom for an airliner. And those features were carried over into the design of the X59.

But the really big advances that allowed us to develop these design features are better Computational Fluid Dynamics tools (CFD) for predicting the flow field and shock waves, running on faster computers, and working in integrated design systems that could do many iterations of the design very quickly.

Our design objective for the X-59 to produce a quiet sound on the ground. It does not matter what the shape of the waveform on the ground is, as long as it is quiet.

We've noted that NASA has performed extensive Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) studies using supercomputers on the X-59 configuration. Can you elaborate a little bit more on the results of those studies?

Prior to the start of the X-59 project , we had done extensive CFD analysis of different configurations, and the results matched the wind tunnel test very well. The CFD tools we are using employ all the latest techniques in terms of grid adaptation and grid spacing that enable faster high-fidelity design and analysis. But as we proceeded into the design of the X-59, we continued to improve those tools and refine them such that they could do a more refined design, for example when we added real features to the airplane like antennas or inlets for cooling air. When designing a quiet supersonic jet, you must consistently redesign the shape to achieve a low noise level for a more realistic configuration.

What conclusions were reached after you conducted some of your high-speed wind tunnel testing, both in quantitative and qualitative terms?

What is remarkable about the design of the X-59 is that we did not have to do any high-speed wind tunnel testing for sonic boom validation before we finalized the design. To assess the pressure signal around the airplane, we relied uniquely on our CFD results. The main reason is that conducting wind tunnel tests to measure the pressures that create the acoustic signal, ie. the sonic boom or the sonic thump is very tricky as it introduces a lot of potential errors or complications that are difficult to correct for. Our wind tunnel testing for the X-59 was mostly high-speed aerodynamic performance type testing, looking at typical parameters such as drag, lift, pitching moments, control surface effectiveness, stability, and control.

To help inform the continued development of our methodology and to improve the tools that will be used to design the first generation of quiet supersonic airliners, we elected eventually to build a wind tunnel model of the X-59 final design and we tested that in our supersonic wind tunnel at NASA's Glenn Research Center.

More recently we cooperatively tested that model with JAXA, Japan Aerospace and Space Research Agency in Japan. It is a small model, about 14 inches long. The wind tunnel also contained a long row of very tiny pressure sensors mounted on a rail. The airplane is positioned relative to that rail, and we could measure the pressure distribution under the airplane. It is also a new technique that was developed over the years, and we have very good agreement between our predictions and our models.

One of the key techniques we use to measure or visualize shock waves is Schlieren imaging. It is a density gradient technique that makes the shock waves visible in photography. There is an advanced technique now that uses essentially digital signal processing to get much sharper images of the shockwave. So, we have employed that in our wind tunnel campaigns. We have also used that to visualize shockwaves on an airplane in flight. Obviously, we have not done it on the X-59 yet, but we have done it on several supersonic aircraft flown by NASA including a T-38 and an F-15.

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We believe it is going to be a very good technique for diagnosing problems that maybe our physics didn't catch. If for some reason we have missed something, this in-flight Schlieren measurement technique is going to be a way that we can identify those problems.

Between Lockheed Martin and NASA, who is responsible for the safety of flight (SOF) milestones prior to your first flight in 2024? Can you describe and break down some of the SOF items at a high-level?

NASA and Lockheed are working very closely together from an airworthiness, certification, and safety perspective. NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center will be responsible for the airworthiness certification. All through the design process, there have been many safety-related milestones. Right now, we are in the phase of powered system checkouts. The next big safety milestone is going to be our Flight Readiness Review. Following that, we will get into some of the initial engine on checkouts and taxi tests.

The NASA safety process has an Airworthiness Safety Review Board meeting, that takes the information from the Flight Readiness Review, combines it with the latest test information and essentially makes the approval for flight. Finally, there is one more briefing called the Tech Brief, which contains all the final details of how the first flight will be conducted. And then we can conduct the first flight.

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Can you describe in further detail how you will align with the FAA and/or ICAO in terms of setting new airworthiness Standards and Regulations that focus on noise rather than speed to achieve the end goal of allowing supersonic flight over land?

I mentioned that at the end of the HSR program, there was a renewed interest in the business aircraft community for supersonic flight. However, what you should know is that FAA has FAR Part 91.817, which prohibits supersonic flight over land. Several other countries also have prohibitions on supersonic flight. But ICAOs’ Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) has a resolution that says nobody should experience a negative impact due to sonic boom noise. They do not prohibit supersonic flights over land, they just say people should not be impacted by it. But since the sonic boom is very impactful, it is essentially a prohibition. But the resolution also says that Member States are encouraged to bring new information forward as it's learned. So, as we at NASA were working on Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstrator (SSBD) and Quiet Spike programs, the FAA was bringing that new information forward to CAEP and they began to monitor that technology.

As more information became available, the work program for CAEP was modified to begin to work on developing new Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) for en-route supersonic noise. We have been working on that for several CAEP cycles. Formal meetings of CAEP are normally held every three years. A typical SARP has a metric, ie. something that you are going to measure, a procedure by which you measure, then a limit. So, we at NASA have been working through

the FAA, to provide information and participate in the CAEP meeting.

We have been working with the international community to identify candidate metrics for the sound levels of Sonic Boom. We are working on the procedure that will be used and the analysis, involving both measurements and computations.

The key piece is when we do the community testing with the X-59, we will develop a noise response relationship. In other words, we seek to understand what level of sound is acceptable based on public reaction.

All that information, ie. metrics, procedures, limit, and noise response data will be provided to the committee and will be used to formulate appropriate policy that will set the standard for acceptable levels of sound over land. In addition to the en-route noise, CAEP is also working on standards for takeoff and landing noise and emissions for supersonic aircraft.

Even though the X-59 is an experimental airplane rather than a prototype, do you foresee the need for any additional X-planes before we see the technology being used in commercial applications, specifically for business aircraft?

The X-59 is a unique experimental airplane. It does generate a sound level that is appropriate for a larger airplane. I am speculating right now, but I would think that if we are successful with the X-59 and we get the acoustic signal that matches our predictions and the community testing helps identify a level that is acceptable to most people, we would not need another X-plane. The next airplane could be a prototype that would be built by an aircraft manufacturer.

Can you provide an estimate in terms of time savings, speed profile, and fuel burn for a typical U.S. city mission pair, for example, New York to L.A., with and without regulatory credit for supersonic flight?

Our studies show that if you get beyond Mach 1.8, it becomes increasingly difficult to make a practical airplane, one that can hold passengers, fuel, and baggage, and is also low in sonic boom. A lot of things converge around the Mach 1.8 speed to make an airliner practical. There are no exotic materials required; you can use the same composites used in subsonic airliners. The engines can have a better match between the requirements for supersonic cruise and the takeoff and landing noise. The inlet can be simple. There are a lot of things that say the next generation of quiet supersonic aircraft will probably be about Mach 1.8.

That means your cruise time is slightly less than half of a subsonic aircraft across the United States. The fuel burn for our designs is three times more efficient than the Concorde but we would certainly like to get better than that to reduce the fuel burn even further.

Is NASA also trying to find a way to reduce fuel burn with low bypass ratio engines?

Yes. One of the interesting technologies that might have a benefit is currently being incorporated in the next generation of military aircraft, what they call a variable cycle engine. So, the bypass ratio varies by changing the internal ducting of the engine in flight. The military does that for other reasons. But we envision being able to use that technology to make a better balance between the bypass ratio required for takeoff and landing and the bypass ratio that is efficient for supersonic cruise.

The main technology for reducing the sonic boom is aerodynamic design. The shape of the aircraft is critical to achieving a signal that's low boom

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PAVING THE WAY FOR THE SUPERSONIC TRAVEL ERA

Dave Richardson, X-59 Program Director,

Lockheed Martin

Skunk Works®

Dr. Mike Buonanno, X-59 Air Vehicle Lead, Lockheed Martin

Skunk Works®

In collaboration with NASA's Quesst Mission, the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® team is solving one of the most persistent challenges of supersonic flight – the sonic boom.

The X-59 will be used to collect community response data on the acceptability of a quiet sonic boom generated by the unique design of the aircraft. The data will help NASA provide regulators with the information needed to establish an acceptable commercial supersonic noise standard to lift the ban on commercial supersonic travel over land.

This breakthrough would open the door to an entirely new global market for aircraft manufacturers, enabling passengers to travel anywhere in the world in half the time it takes today.

ELITE WINGS MAGAZINE

From the X-59 rollout pictures, the first thing that we can notice is the unusual shape of the X-59 low boom supersonic demonstrator. Can you elaborate on the aerodynamic shape, particularly the nose, the wing, and the different flight control surfaces?

Every feature of the shape of the X-59 is due to its unique design mission to serve as a flying noise signal generator. All supersonic airplanes tend to be somewhat slender. They are going to have lower aspect ratio wings and narrower fuselages than their subsonic counterparts. But the X-59 stands out because beyond just being designed for speed, it's also designed to be quiet and to mitigate the sonic booms. One can notice that the X-59 nose is fairly long, and the wing is highly swept. We have a canard mounted forward on the airplane to help balance it out and a T-tail at the very top of the vertical stabilizer assembly.

Every single one of those features is designed for the sonic boom reduction. So that's really the guiding design requirement for almost everything that happens on the airplane.

It's important to note that the X-59 is a Lockheed Martin design. We did compete with other aircraft companies in winning this program to build this aircraft for NASA. Lockheed Martin was selected because of the unique technologies and capabilities that we have in terms of predicting the sonic boom of the aircraft as we do the shaping of the airplane.

Every element of the fuselage shape and flight control surfaces was designed to serve a particular function and to mitigate the sonic boom. This is why every surface on the X-59 is lifting, and that lifting helps mitigate the sonic boom. The X-59 also required the addition of a canard to counter the stabilator since the fact that this aft surface is lifting when supersonically trimmed makes the aircraft nose come down. The canard helps balance the airplane in that configuration.

The X-59 also features a T-tail, though, it is not used as a trimming surface. The T-tail is used as a shock generator that helps to interact with the other shocks on the airplane to detune some of the trailing edge shocks on the airplane.

We noticed that you are reusing some off-the-shelf parts and equipment like the F-16 landing gear and F/A-18 engine. Does this introduce any constraints on the design?

It absolutely does, but those constraints are necessary. When designing a large production program, e.g., if you were going to build a thousand airplanes, you might have an opportunity to design, for example, an engine specifically for that airplane.

A good example would be the F-35 fighter program and the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine that goes with it. In that case, we are building a large number of airplanes. But when you're only building one, you simply can't afford to develop a new engine for only one airplane. And so, you must treat that as a design constraint. As designers, when we're going through the initial layout phase, we consider very carefully what off-the-shelf systems are available and whether they are suitable for the requirements of our platform.

The engine selection is a good example. We selected the General Electric F414 engine that is used in the F/A18E/F Super Hornet because it was the best match for the requirements of our airplane in terms of thrust capability and operating envelope, etc. If we were to design a specific engine for the X-59, it would be a little bit different than the F414 but would be completely unaffordable and not consistent with our schedule requirements. So those are the types of compromises you must make when designing a one-of-a-kind X-plane. Those compromises obviously don't get us where we would like to go. We would like to fly Mach 1.6, which is the design speed that we would want for a future commercial application of a low-boom supersonic aircraft. But the available engines that we have, the F414, gets us to Mach 1.4.

Another design constraint example is the use of the F-16 landing gear that limits the maximum weight that we can support on the gear and landing speeds. Yet another example is the cockpit where we re-used the backseat of a T-38 trainer from the Air Force. This selection was driven by the requirement for an ejection seat, so we did not have to requalify it in a unique cockpit. However,

Image courtesy of NASA

NASA QUESST MISSION

because of the small size of the T-38, and although the X59 will fly in excess of 50,000 feet, pilots will not be able to wear a pressure suit.

With all the constraints and all the optimization you have done, have you foreseen if the design is scalable? Are there any thoughts or some elements of design that may make it scalable to be able to transport passengers?

Yes, there have been. First, I'll mention that the sound the X-59 will make is scalable. Our number one mission requirement is to ensure traceability and similarity of the sonic “thumps” that the X-59 will generate, with the noise signature of a larger commercial airplane, and we have demonstrated that analytically. But in terms of the physical features of the airplane, the future product would not simply be a photo scale-up of what we built for the X-59 program, designed specifically

to be consistent with its mission as an X-plane. For a commercial product, for example, you would need to have more than one engine, and you would need obviously to carry more than one person.

We have done conceptual and preliminary studies for what a full-scale commercial product would look like. We're not actively developing that product, so I don't want to give the illusion that we're building it. But we have done those design studies in the past to show how the same shaping technology and techniques would apply to a future product.

I guess the airplane was optimized for high-speed, low-sonic boom testing. Are there any unique technologies for low-speed flight phases?

Some technologies would likely be integrated into future commercial products that are different than what we put on the X-59. For example, you might explore the use of more sophisticated leading-edge devices, which neither Concord had, nor we have on the X-59, but that might help enable more efficient low-speed flight.

One of the paradigms that we try to adhere to when we're designing this type of X-plane is to keep it simple where it's possible. And since we're going to be operating out of 10,000-foot runways and have a high-thrust military engine, we did not need to increase the sophistication and complexity of our airplane by integrating those types of technologies.

There's an important point in terms of the complexity factor. I mentioned earlier that we would want to fly about 1.6 or 1.8 Mach, which is essentially twice as fast as you can go today. But if you go any faster than that, the complexity of the aircraft propulsion system and the type of materials that you use goes up. It's a significant step function. The Concorde flew with its engines in afterburner to be able to fly at Mach 2. We do not want to fly using an afterburner. We want to fly a little slower to be more fuel efficient, also so as not to create as much heating on the airplane. We also don't want to have a complex propulsion system, ie. the inlet doesn't need to change geometry, and we will not have to carry the weight of an after-burner system.

The goal is to fly two times faster than what commercial airplanes are able to fly today but not at the cost of a complex aircraft like the Concorde. This is what we believe is the sweet spot for a future low-boom supersonic aircraft that can be either an airliner or a business jet. The commercial version that we explored was about 200 feet long, carrying around 44 passengers in an all-business class seating configuration.

Image courtesy of NASA

Are the avionics systems also off-the-shelf, and does the Fly-by-Wire system come from another platform? The avionics in the cockpit are off-the-shelf. They are provided by Collins Aerospace, and they're used in some of their other commercial platforms, but they had to be adapted for the X-59 primarily due to the constraints of our cockpit which is closer in dimensions to a fighter jet cockpit.

However, the Fly-By-Wire (FBW) architecture was developed specifically for the X-59, although the components used in that architecture were derived from other platforms. The FBW architecture is very important for the X-59 platform because, for example, we have relaxed longitudinal static stability. So, the airplane would not be flyable in the traditional sense by a pilot, unless there is active participation by the flight control computers.

The X-59 features a triplex system, and even though it looks like a fighter, it does not fly like a fighter. It flies more like an airliner, in other words, it was not designed to do rolls, loops, high turn rate, or high ‘g’ maneuvers. What are some of the key Safety of Flight (SOF) criteria that you must meet before the first flight? For example, ground testing, iron bird, and simulation. All those elements are key criteria. We're preparing imminently for our key airworthiness review with our customer NASA, and we'll review all the ground testing that's been accomplished so far, as well as our forward plan to progress into flight.

So, at this point, the airplane has been built, we've had our rollout event on January 12, 2024, but have not yet completed our final ground tests nor received our approval for the first flight. That's our focus over the next several months, ie. finishing up those remaining tests, developing those test artifacts, sharing that with the correct technical leaders on our Airworthiness Board, and getting the documentation ready to support our first flight approval.

I wanted to add that all system checkouts for all the different systems are complete. What we haven't started yet are the ones with internal power where the systems are powered by the engine itself. We're going to do some structural coupling tests soon, and then do engine runs to validate that integrated vehicle system checkout. The other difference when testing an X-plane is that since it is a ‘one-off’ airplane, we can’t afford to develop an iron bird or make a structural prototype. In this case, the aircraft itself is used to do structural proof testing. It is what we call an ‘Aluminum Bird’, where we do a lot of

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the system checkouts by using software to make the airplane believe that it's in flight, even though it's on the ground with the engine running.

How will you calibrate the pitot-static system? Are you going to use a traditional experimental nose boom and a trailing cone or a chase plane or some other system?

We do not have a traditional experimental nose boom. What we do have is a nose probe that's part of our aircraft system, not a piece of flight test equipment. It's part of the actual flight control architecture, augmented by three additional conical probes further back on the airplane. All four of those sensors work in concert together to provide air data, including angle of attack, side flow, total pressure, etc. to the flight control computers. We have calibrated the actual probe to be used on our airplane in a wind tunnel that was provided by NASA and done an extensive simulation. There are additional plans during flight tests to do things like tower fly-bys and so on.

Image courtesy of NASA

Image courtesy of NASA

How have you obtained confidence in the predicted high-speed static longitudinal stability characteristics? Will this be used as one of the primary ‘knock-it-off’ safety criteria during envelope expansion?

We've gained experience in the handling qualities, including the longitudinal characteristics, through multiple methods. First, we used extensive CFD and a wind tunnel test campaign at low and high speeds with different scales to build a comprehensive aerodynamic database that describes the way that the airplane interacts with the airflow around it.

We've integrated that into a high-fidelity six-degree-offreedom (6 DOF) simulation and are conducting extensive piloted simulation in our facility where we use the actual flight control computers to run this with the same algorithms. Using that simulator, we go through thousands of test cases with our pilots as they push the aircraft flight envelope.

We use these results to identify any concerns or anomalies and then address them. We'll continue using that facility as we progress through the remaining ground runs and to support flight operations later this year.

Going deeper into the previous question, can we assume that at high Mach numbers, there may be a slight pitch up or a ‘Mach-Tuck’ pitch down, and the

FBW system will be used to compensate for that? I guess you'll be monitoring that very closely with realtime telemetry during envelope expansion.

Yes, that's exactly right. We have an extensive instrumentation system on the airplane that is telemetered to a control room. We've got a team of flight control engineers who have experience with the characteristics of the airplane through supporting it through the development process. They will be closely monitoring those control room screens where they have access to real-time data from the airplane.

Is there any flight test safety criteria to cater for a potential engine thrust loss during takeoff or in cruise?

We have emergency Procedures that are already documented and part of our Flight Manual. That is part of our pilot training, and we go through exactly these types of scenarios in the pilot training curriculum using our simulator. So, loss of thrust is documented in written procedures that are both developed and used during training.

THE PATH TO NET-ZERO BUSINESS AVIATION SOLUTIONS GUIDE

SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL (SAF) CARBON

Offsets are generated through carbon credits from projects that reduce or avoid carbon emissions, such as reforestation projects and renewable energy initiatives.

Project examples include helping make the transition from fossil-based power generation to renewable sources and projects like the protection of existing forests or starting new ones.

AIRCRAFT EFFICIENCY

A sustainability program requires first a solid assessment of operation’s carbon footprint. To maximize integrity total gallons of fuel used each month should be privileged vs simply using aircraft flown hours

Sustainable Aviation Fuel, SAF - is any next-generation aviation fuel, made from 100% approved sustainable sources such as used cooking oil, organic waste, residue raw materials, forestry or agriculture waste...etc

Through its production life cycle, SAF highly reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to fossil fuel and can be used as a direct replacement (drop-in) for fossil jet fuel as it is chemically similar.

SAF has the potential to reduce net CO2 lifecycle emissions by more than 80% compared to conventional jet fuel production life cycle.

The current issues with SAF is its higher pricing and the limited availability and logistical challenges that can be solved through Book-and-Claim solutions as they effectively transfer sustainability claims to final customers.

Newer generation more efficient aircraft can bring a large contribution to reducing carbon and non-carbon emissions together with the reduction in the noise footprint.

Over time the improvement rate in business Jet engines Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC) was roughly 1% per year.

In addition to aircraft manufacturers continuous aircraft improvement program, third party solutions exist to improve aircraft performance and operational efficiency such as in-service retrofit winglets.

ELECTRIFICATION & HYDROGEN

Sustainable aviation fuels play a major role in the decarbonization of aviation, especially when it comes to long-range missions.

Air Transport electrification (eg eVTOLs, eCommuter) currently support short range flights.

Electrical power and propulsion systems will lead the way for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), enabling silent short and vertical take-off and landing capabilities while lowering emissions and reducing fuel consumption Hybrid and hydrogen propulsion systems are looking promising for future medium range missions.

THE PATH TO NET-ZERO A YEAR IN REVIEW

May 2023 – May 2024

May 2023

4AIR Launches Assure SAF Registry. The registry provides complete transparency about the type of SAF purchased, the feedstock used, the blend of the fuel, and more

June

Honda Aircraft Company launches the commercialization of The HondaJet Echelon, designed to offer nonstop transcontinental flight capability. The aircraft is set to deliver unmatched fuel efficiency through aerodynamic innovations to outperform conventional light jets on typical missions by up to 20% and mid-sized jets by over 40%.

October

Embraer Announces it has successfully tested the Phenom 300E and Praetor 600 on 100% SAF. The tests were conducted in collaboration with engine and fuel system suppliers Honeywell Aerospace, Parker, Pratt & Whitney Canada and Safran. The SAF fuel was provided by World Fuel

Rolls-Royce announces the successful completion of a series of tests with 100% SAF on its latest generation of business aviation engines, the Pearl 15 powering Bombardier’s Global 5500 and 6500 and the Pearl 10X planned to power Dassault’s ultra-long-range flagship aircraft, the Falcon 10X

Avfuel Introduces Avfuel Zero. This innovative initiative can help operators create tailored emissions reduction plans, leveraging a wide array of sustainable solutions from Avfuel

Dassault Aviation unveils FalconWays, a new flight planning tool that allows Falcon pilots to select the most fuel efficient route and reduce excess fuel carried using updated global wind data, optimization and performance model-specific algorithms. During actual flights using FalconWays, crews were able to reduce fuel consumption up to seven percent.

November

Gulfstream completes world’s first TransAtlantic flight on 100% SAF using a Gulfstream G600 powered with Pratt & Whitney PW815GA engines, which departed Savannah and landed 6 hours, 56 minutes later at Farnborough Airport in England.

Global Jet Capital announced a strategic partnership with Azzera to provide carbon offsetting and compliance solutions.

The partnership extend to supporting Global Jet Capital CleanFlight carbon offset program originally launched in 2020

NBAA launches new industry advocacy campaign to spotlight Business Aviation’s sustainability leadership, the new advocacy campaign aims at setting the record straight on the industry’s many societal benefits, including its leadership role in sustainability

December

Textron Aviation adds SustainableAdvantage SM carbon emissions offset Program to its ProAdvantage services offering in collaboration with 4AIR

January 2024

Bombardier unveils the University of Victoria Centre for Aerospace Research (CfAR) and British Columbia’s SME Quaternion Aerospace as the first academic collaboration partners on its trailblazing pan-Canadian and sustainabilityfocused EcoJet Research Project

NASA and Lockheed Martin reveal the X-59 Quiet supersonic aircraft, The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which seeks to address one of the primary challenges to supersonic flight over land by making sonic booms quieter. The X-59 is expected to fly at 1.4 times the speed of sound, or 925 mph. Its design, shaping and technologies will allow the aircraft to achieve these speeds while generating a quieter sonic thump.

March

Avfuel Corporation and Neste finalized a partnership extension that keeps the companies at the forefront of SAF supply for business aviation, the agreement extends the companies’ partnership in 2024 and sets the framework till December 2027, continuing their work on enhancing access to Neste MY Sustainable Aviation FuelTM for business aviation

Gulfstream G700 earns FAA certification, the new Gulfstream ultra-long-range flagship announced in October 2019, features enhanced Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 turbofans that are 2–3% more efficient, and an all-new performance-enhancing winglets built at Daher factory in Tarbes, France.

April

Phillips 66 announced a major milestone in its conversion of the San Francisco refinery into the Rodeo Renewable Energy Complex, with the facility now processing only renewable feedstocks and producing approximately 30,000 barrels per day of renewable diesel. The Rodeo Renewable Energy Complex is on track to increase production rates to more than 800 million gallons per year of renewable fuels by the end of Q2, positioning Phillips 66 as a leader in renewable fuels. The Rodeo Renewed project design also provides the capability of producing SAF, expected to start production in the second quarter of 2024.

Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X engine takes to the skies for the first time, the Falcon 10X engine will be the most powerful business aviation engine in the Rolls-Royce portfolio. The Pearl 10X features the very efficient Advance2 engine core. Compared to the last generation of Rolls-Royce business aviation engines, the Pearl 10X offers a 5% higher efficiency, while delivering outstanding low noise and emissions performance

Bombardier publishes the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for its Challenger 650 business jet. Bombardier started this scientific analysis as part of the development of its Global 7500 Ultra-long range flagship jet in 2020. Bombardier published a self-declared EPD for its Challenger 3500 aircraft in 2022, for its Global 5500 and 6500 aircraft in 2023

Airbus Helicopters’ Racer demonstrator, developed in the frame of the European Research Clean Sky 2 project, performed its first flight, in Marignane, France. Optimized for a cruise speed of more than 400 km/h, the Racer demonstrator aims to achieve the best trade-off between speed, costefficiency, and mission performance. The Racer also targets a fuel consumption reduction of around 20%, compared to current generation helicopters of the same class, thanks to aerodynamic optimisation and an innovative eco-mode propulsion system. Developed with Safran Helicopter Engines, the hybrid-electrical eco-mode system allows one of the two Aneto-1X engines to be paused while in cruise flight. The Racer also aims to demonstrate how its particular architecture can contribute to lowering its operational acoustic footprint.

FAA Finalizes Rule to Reduce Carbon Particle Emissions from Aircraft Engines. The new rule sets maximum standards for the amount of non-volatile particulate matter (nvPM) emissions from U.S. civil aircraft engines and aligns with Environmental Protection Agency recommendations and International Civil Aviation Organization standards.

May

Signature LAX becomes the second private aviation terminal worldwide to ensure a 100% supply of blended SAF, joining Signature’s location at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

THE PATH TO NET-ZERO

Carbon Footprint Assessment & Tracking

A sustainability program requires first a solid assessment of operation’s carbon footprint. To maximize integrity total gallons of fuel used each month should be privileged vs simply using aircraft flown hours

Emissions Tracking & Sustainability Management Solutions

Azzera| CELESTE

Azzera CELESTE is a software that combines all aviation sustainability services and compliance requirements into a single platform. At the heart of CELESTE is a robust suite of core features, each designed to address specific challenges faced by aircraft operators in managing emissions and complying with regulatory frameworks. The platform allows for automatic emissions calculation and real-time data processing, automated emissions compliance market segregation, enhanced management of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and a streamlined access to carbon credits

Satcom Direct | SD Pro® Carbon Module

The carbon reporting tool is integrated with the SD Pro® operating system and automatically generates carbon emission reports for subscribing operators and owners. The program leverages realtime data generated by SD’s FlightDeck Freedom® datalink service to capture fuel burn accurately; the system calculates each flight’s carbon emissions and presents operators with authenticated emissions data based on the amount of fuel burned, fuel type and blend. The new module streamlines the computations relating to mandatory and voluntary emission reporting and offsetting, and the automation makes it easier for operators to create precise reports.

Avfuel | Avfuel Zero

Avfuel Zero, currently in its beta testing phase, aims to revolutionize the way aviation stakeholders address their environmental impact and manage their carbon portfolio. This program will offer a comprehensive solution for measuring, mitigating, auditing and reporting carbon emissions in a seamless and sustainable manner.

Carbon Footprint Assessment & Tracking

Aviation Emissions Regulatory Compliance

There are currently several national or regional regulatory initiatives aiming at reducing aviation emissions as part of a larger emissions trading system. Operator subject to these regulations have strict requirements for tracking, measuring and reporting their flying activities and associated carbon emissions based on specific regulatory rules. Operators can often be subject to different programs based on their flying activities.

The most advanced regional Emission Trading Schemes (ETS) requiring aviation operators' compliance are the European Union (EU ETS), the United Kingdom (UK ETS) ETS and the Swiss ETS.

In 2016, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) adopted a global market-based carbon emissions reduction program measure for aviation called Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) in an effort to move away from the “patchwork” of national or regional regulatory initiatives.

Operators should ensure their emission tracking & sustainability management solutions allows for compliance to any current or future compliance obligations under CORSIA or other ETS programs based on their flying activities.

Emissions Trading Scheme

Aviation Carbon Neutrality Plan

THE PATH TO NET-ZERO

THE PATH TO NET ZERO

SAF

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

Through its production life cycle, SAF highly reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to fossil fuel and can be used as a direct replacement (drop-in) for fossil jet fuel as it is chemically similar. SAF has the potential to reduce net CO2 lifecycle emissions by more than 80% compared to conventional jet fuel production life cycle.

Getting to Grips with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

Source & Feedstock

SAF is any next-generation aviation fuel, made from 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials. the current generation of SAF is primarily based on used cooking oil and animal fat waste that are relatively easy to collect and secure for SAF bio-refinery production plants. There are a large amount of feedstock that will allow to grow the production in the future with proper logistics and collection systems. biomass and waste biomass like agricultural waste, corn stalks, and inedible portions of corn or sugar, managed forests scraps that are usually burned. Waste biomass, and agricultural wastes can fulfill most of the US’s fuel demand. After using all these sources, SAF production can grow with access to municipal solid and wet waste, and more advanced biomass-like energy crops that can be planted on nonarable land or in between normal crop rotations. Energy crops have negative carbon impact as they are able to sequester carbon in the soil as they grow. Estimates show that these sources are more than sufficient to meet the industry carbon-neutrality commitments by 2050.

Blend

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) must have the same qualities and characteristics as conventional jet fuel in order to substitute it. This is important to ensure that manufacturers do not have to redesign engines or aircraft, and that fuel suppliers and airports do not have to build new fuel delivery systems, which could be necessary for alternatives such as hydrogen or electrification. At present, the industry is focused on producing SAF as a “drop-in” replacement to conventional jet fuel. Drop-in fuels are entirely fungible with conventional kerosene, requiring no adaptation of engines of associated delivery infrastructure. The standard regulating the technical certification of SAF is American Society for Testing Materials ASTM D7566. Currently ASTM allows for a maximum blend of 50% with conventional Jet A or Jet A-1 fuels. Most business jets are approved to use a blend of up to 50% of SAF mixed with conventional Jet Fuel, based on ASTM specifications. However, many aircraft and engine manufactures are currently conducting testing on fuels containing up to 100% SAF. This may allow possible future specifications allowing for fuels containing up to 100% SAF, that can maximize the potential for reducing emissions by utilizing sustainable, non-fossil-based sources. SAF blend varies by fuel suppliers, the most popular SAF fuel used in business aviation contain around 30% blend.

Pricing

SAF pricing today is highly dependent on geography and the incentives you have with it but, still carry a significant premium over conventional jet A fuel. The lowest pricing can be found in California or the UK where SAF production is incentivised. In the US, outside of California and neighbouring states, you will see much more expensive SAF prices, mostly because you have to transport SAF outside of California and you start losing the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credits that you have within California. With the exception of the UK, SAF pricing in the rest of Europe are still much more expensive. Prices also varies by SAF type, producer and blending percentages. In the short to mid-term, pricing parity with fossil-based jet fuel can only be achieved through government incentives, which is key to helping the industry during the transition phase. In the long term, price parity between fossil fuel and SAF is technically achievable, especially with the development of new feedstock sources. SAF can even become more competitive.

THE PATH TO NET-ZERO Sustainable

Aviation Fuel (SAF)

AVAILABILITY

SAF availability is the biggest challenge facing the global aviation industry transition to Net-Zero. Unlocking SAF supply to meet demand is the challenge that needs to be solved! In 2023, SAF production volumes reached over 600 million liters (0.5Mt), double the 300 million liters (0.25 Mt) produced in 2022, but SAF accounted for only 3% of all renewable fuels produced, with 97% of renewable fuel production going to other sectors. In 2024 SAF production is expected to triple to 1.875 billion liters (1.5Mt), accounting for 0.53% of aviation’s fuel need, and 6% of renewable fuel capacity. The small percentage of SAF output as a proportion of overall renewable fuel is primarily due to the new capacity coming online in 2023 being allocated to other renewable fuels. To put things in perspective, ICAO’s vision of 5% CO2 emissions reduction in 2030 through SAF usage, will require a production capacity of 17.5 billion liters (14Mt) per year. Governments are slowly realizing that supportive policies are necessary to ensure SAF availability to their aviation industry.

US Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge

The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge is the result of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other federal government agencies working together to develop a comprehensive strategy for scaling up new technologies to produce sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) on a commercial scale. The objective of this program is to achieve a 3 billion gallons per year by 2030 (10% of the jet fuel volume uplifted in the US). In order to archive the US 100% transition to SAF target by 2050, SAF production has to increase to 35 billion gallons per year

Book-and-Claim

Because the SAF production industry is still young, finding SAF can be challenging at certain airports. The book-andclaim system allows business aviation operators to purchase SAF even when it’s not physically available on-site and claim the SAF credits from SAF usage at another airport where SAF is available. The book-and-claim mechanisms has many sustainability benefits:

▪ It enables SAF production where it is most efficient

▪ It Provides increased demand for production facilities geographically distant from larger airports

▪ Avoids unnecessary transport of SAF and feedstocks, minimizing cost and the associated incremental lifecycle emissions and enabling efficient deployment

▪ Promotes equal and healthy competition

Today Book-and-claim programs are mostly offered by airport FBOs and global aviation fuel suppliers.

How it Works

Customers can purchase SAF (the claim) no matter where they’re located paying the premium cost for SAF over jet fuel and, in return, receiving the credit for its use and applying it to their environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores. This SAF is taken off the book at an airport where the physical SAF fuel is held and being uplifted by customers who are simply paying for jet fuel and do not get to claim credit toward using SAF.

Suppliers

THE PATH TO NET-ZERO Carbon Offset Programs

Offsets are generated through carbon credits from projects that reduce or avoid carbon emissions, such as reforestation projects and renewable energy initiatives.

Project examples include helping make the transition from fossil-based power generation to renewable sources and projects like the protection of existing forests.

Business Aviation Carbon Offsetting Solutions

Service provider Program Description

Pratt & Whitney Canada

Carbon offset service part of engine maintenance program

Available for all P&WC-powered aircraft as a flexible add-on to an Eagle Service Plan (ESP) or Fleet Management Program (FMP) Pricing varies from $31 per EFH on a PW815GA powering Gulfstream G600 to $4 per EFH on a PW207C Powering Leonardo AW109 Grand New light twin helicopter. The program is offered in collaboration with Azzerra

Global jet Capital

Embraer

Avfuel

Aviation

CleanFlight carbon offset program part of aircraft Financing

Complimentary carbon offsetting to new business jets owners

Carbon offset service part of maintenance cost per flight hour program

Carbon offset service part of hourly maintenance program

Carbon offset service part of fuel acquisition price

At the time of negotiating an operating lease, finance lease or loan, Global Jet Capital with the support of Azzera asses the carbon footprint of the financed jet based on its projected usage. Global Jet Capital can then arrange the purchase of the appropriate number of carbon offsets to cover that usage either partially or fully.

New Embraer business jets customers who enroll in the company’s Embraer Executive Care program receive 25 hours of complimentary carbon-neutral flight hours through 4AIR, offsetting their carbon emissions during their first year of ownership.

In January 2024, Textron Aviation added the new SustainableAdvantage℠ carbon offset program to its very popular ProAdvantage maintenance program. The service was is managed by Textron Aviation in collaboration with 4AIR

JSSI Hourly Cost Maintenance Program clients can purchase carbon credits through the Avfuel Carbon Offset Program directly within the MyJSSI client portal.

Avfuel offer its customers a voluntary carbon offset program for through additional per gallon fee to help reach net zero by purchasing carbon credits that invest in green projects.

In collaboration with Shell, Rolls-Royce developed a flexible program that combines a minimum of 2% SAF investment through book & claim process and carbon reduction programs funding This innovative carbon offset available for all aircraft and engines from any manufacturer, also contribute to increase the production of SAF fuel worldwide.

The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) is a standard for certifying carbon credits to offset emissions. VCS is administrated by Verra and is the world’s most widely used greenhouse gas (GHG) crediting program

Sustainability service providers like 4AIR and Azzera offer a large selection of customized, turnkey carbon offsetting solutions

Textron

JSSI

THE PATH TO NET-ZERO AIRCRAFT

EFFICIENCY

Newer generation more efficient aircraft can bring a large contribution to reducing Carbon and Non-Carbon emissions together with the reduction in the noise footprint.

Latest Engine Technologies

Over time the improvement rate in specific fuel consumption of business aviation engines is roughly about 1% per year thanks to new innovative technologies with highly efficient compressors and turbines and ultralow emission combustors. The last few years have seen the entry into service of new ultra-efficient engine families from Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney Canada and GE Aerospace.

falcon 6X new ultra-efficient wing incorporates advanced structural architecture and curved trailing edge

Aerodynamics Improvements

The midsize jet family introduced a new taller and wider winglets improving both fuel efficiency and range capability

The Gulfstream G700 feature an all-new advanced high-speed winglet designed for increased speed, range and fuel efficiency

The clean and highly swept advanced wing of the Global 7500 enables aerodynamic efficiency at very high speeds

The HondaJet stood as one of the best examples of innovation typical to business aviation. The HondaJet was designed as the world’s first business jet with the engines mounted over the wings. For the development of HondaJet, Honda independently conducted various research on all kinds of ideas. Such research resulted in the unique Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration with optimal engine position and shape, which also achieves a substantial aerodynamic benefit. This design allowed the elimination of the engine support structures from the rear of the fuselage so that interior space can be utilized to the fullest extent

Rolls-Royce Pearl Engine family

Pratt & Whitney PW800 Engine family

Dassault Falcon 6X

The

Embraer Praetor 500 / 600

Gulfstream G700

HondaJet

Bombardier Global 7500

THE PATH TO NET-ZERO

AIRCRAFT EFFICIENCY

In addition to aircraft manufacturers continuous aircraft improvement program, third party solutions exist

Citation CJ M2 with Tamarack active winglets

Cessna Citation X with Winglet Technology elliptical winglets

Falcon 2000S with baseline Aviation Partners blended winglets

Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) with Aviation Partners Split Scimitar Winglets

Winglets are advanced aerodynamics wing extensions, designed to significantly reduce wingtip vortex, resulting in less drag, lower fuel burn and superior climb and cruise characteristics

Aviation Partners blended winglets are good example of innovation in business aviation that benefits to whole aviation industry. Introduced first, for the Gulfstream II in 1992, this patented technology was ultimately installed on over 70 percent of the GII fleet and is now flying on over 8,000 business and commercial aircraft

Winglet Technology and Cessna Aircraft Company collaborated to develop the world’s fastest winglet for the world’s fastest civilian aircraft with a top speed of 0.92 Mach. Winglet Technology worked closely with Cessna Aircraft Company to develop a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) permitting the installation of the Elliptical winglets on the Cessna Citation X business jet. Elliptical winglets become standard equipment on the Citation X+.

The active winglets from Tamarack combines three major elements to achieve new levels of aircraft performance, efficiency, and sustainability. A lightweight wing extension, a composite winglet and the autonomous ATLAS® load alleviation system.