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LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - The European Union's executive body is set to provide permits, regulatory support and easier access to public and private funding for certain strategic green technologies, according to a draft document seen by Reuters. Certain technologies, such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), were not included in the draft as potential candidates for the support scheme. The rules would also support auctions to deploy renewable energy sources, adapt innovation funds and provide easier access to public-private procurement. If the goals aren't achieved by 2030, the European Commission will propose "additional measures aimed at covering the identified gaps," the draft says. The European Commission declined to comment on the draft document, which an industry source said was expected to be released in the coming weeks.

☆ Rolls-Royce strategy bind is a problem best shared
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Pamela Barbaglia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

That’s way better than the 1.5 billion pound cash outflow in 2021, but also four times what analysts had expected. Even so Rolls, which makes 45% of its revenue from making, selling and servicing commercial aircraft engines, is on the wrong side of the energy transition. But reaching net zero emissions by 2050 may involve ditching gas turbines entirely. One solution could come from hydrogen-powered fuel cell engines - Rolls clinched a partnership with easyJet (EZJ.L) in July to carry out a joint project to test a hydrogen engine. Rolls-Royce’s plans to reach net zero emissions by 2050 date back to 2021.

☆ United Airlines, five other companies launch effort to develop sustainable aviation fuel
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Phil Lebeau | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A United Airlines passenger plane takes off from Frankfurt Airport. The United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund will start with $100 million invested by United Airlines, Air Canada , Boeing , GE Aerospace, JPMorgan Chase and Honeywell . The United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund will allow United and the other inaugural investors the chance to play a larger role in startups developing and expanding access to SAF. Since then, United Airlines Ventures has invested in startups focused on decarbonization and new fuel sources. In announcing the United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund, Kirby reiterated his belief the path to lower emissions requires developing new ideas and technology.

CHICAGO, Feb 21 (Reuters) - United Airlines (UAL.O) launched on Tuesday a more than $100 million investment fund to support start-ups focused on the research and production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The Chicago-based carrier along with inaugural partners such as Air Canada (AC.TO), Boeing (BA.N), General Electric (GE.N) JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) and Honeywell (HON.O) have invested in the United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund, it said. United said the fund was open to investment by companies across industries and would prioritize investment in new technology and "proven" producers. United's Chief Sustainability Officer Lauren Riley said the investment fund was aimed at scaling up the supply of SAF. However, as of last December, the total volume of SAF used in its operations remained less than 0.1% of its total aviation fuel usage.

☆ United Airlines CEO on push for sustainable aviation fuel
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailUnited Airlines CEO on push for sustainable aviation fuelScott Kirby, United Airlines CEO, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the company's new investment fund in sustainable aviation fuel, how quickly these SAF prices will become affordable, and the company's announcement for families.

Tata Group, which regained control of Air India last year after decades of public ownership, put out just six paragraphs. "Air India negotiated hard and the team is very sharp despite having no prior aviation experience. A second person who watched the billions fall into place said the Air India negotiators were "methodical, tough and very sophisticated". Plans for announcements on the anniversary of Tata's Air India takeover slipped as engine talks wore on. Analysts caution many obstacles remain to Air India's plans.

☆ Your next flight might land a lot smoother and quieter than you're used to as new rules that save fuel expand to more airports
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Bianca Giacobone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An Optimized Profile Descent is a smooth way of landing planes with their engines close to idle. The new, smoother landing approach — "a gracious slide through the clouds," according to one flight reviewer — is called "Optimized Profile Descent" by the Federal Aviation Administration. "So it's a win, win, win and a win," John-Paul Clarke, an aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics professor at the University of Texas, Austin, who has studied continuous descents, told Scientific American. The FAA started using optimized profile descents" in 2014. Other sustainability efforts include increasing the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel — or SAF — a fuel that's similar to conventional jet fuel but can be up to 80% less carbon intensive.

☆ United Airlines announces JV to develop sustainable fuel using ethanol
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A United Airlines passenger jet takes off with New York City as a backdrop, at Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey, U.S. December 6, 2019. REUTERS/Chris Helgren//File PhotoJan 31 (Reuters) - United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL.O) on Tuesday announced a new joint venture to develop and commercialize a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technology that will use ethanol as a feedstock. Blue Blade Energy, the JV formed by United Airlines, energy infrastructure company Tallgrass and biorefiner Green Plains Inc (GPRE.O), will see an investment of up to $50 million. The JV will provide up to 135 million gallons of ethanol-based SAF annually, and up to 2.7 billion gallons in total under an offtake agreement, United Airlines said. The JV expects to proceed with the construction of a pilot plant in 2024, followed by a full-scale facility that could begin commercial operations by 2028, United Airlines said.

☆ Aviation's best bet for cutting emissions is a new kind of fuel — but there's nowhere near enough of it
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Bianca Giacobone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sustainable aviation fuel can be up to 80% less carbon intensive than conventional jet fuel. The US wants 3 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel by 2030. Sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, is similar to conventional jet fuel, but it's much less carbon-intensive during its full lifecycle. From production to combustion, it releases up to 80% less carbon dioxide than conventional jet fuel, according to data from the International Air Transport Association. "There are very few that have seen the vision" of converting to SAF production.

☆ Tech drags European stocks lower on earnings jitters
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Ankika Biswas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) fell 0.3%, heading lower for a second day with technology (.SX8P) and telecom (.SX8P) declining the most. "The weak outlook painted by Microsoft is weighing on the wider tech sector," said Michael Hewson, chief markets analyst at CMC Markets in London. European stocks came under pressure on Tuesday, as an improvement in economic activity spurred speculation that the European Central Bank (ECB) might have more room to raise interest rates to tackle inflation. Boosting UK stocks, EasyJet PLC (EZJ.L) jumped 10.6% after projecting it would beat current market expectations for 2023 and deliver a full-year profit. Reporting by Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Air fares will have to rise to clean up aviation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

He said that financiers and energy suppliers should invest in SAF production, including in emerging markets. The wealthy people in this room and wealthy nations should be funding the energy transition in aviation to help support developing countries,” he added. Holland-Kaye said that companies can play a major role accelerating the adoption of SAF because business travel accounts for about 30% of fuel used in aviation. In 2021, the industry pledged to replaced 10% of global jet fuel supply with SAF by 2030. Clean energy investments need a major boost if the world is to meet its climate goals, according to Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency.

☆ Move over Ben Franklin: Laser lightning rod electrifies scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] The Laser Lightning Rod, an experimental lighting protection device that diverts the path of lightning bolts using a high-power laser, is seen in action at the top of Mount Santis in Switzerland in this undated photograph. Scientists now are moving to improve on that 18th century innovation with 21st century technology - a system employing a high-powered laser that may revolutionize lightning protection. With further development, this Laser Lightning Rod could safeguard critical infrastructure including power stations, airports, wind farms and launchpads. In experiments during two months in 2021, intense laser pulses - 1,000 times per second - were emitted to redirect lightning strikes. Houard anticipated that 10 to 15 years more work would be needed before the Laser Lightning Rod can enter common use.

☆ Industry vs. Regulator - aviation heavyweights spar in Dublin
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Joanna Plucinska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Willie Walsh, outspoken head of the world's biggest airline trade body, IATA, joined the European Union's top permanent transport official Henrik Hololei on stage at the Airline Economics conference in the world's aviation finance capital. But Walsh wanted to know what could be done to lift that closure, which threatens to penalise some Western airlines at the expense of Chinese and other carriers that continue to fly over Russia. He added there would be no "business as usual" if Russian airspace did reopen. Airlines accuse airports of overcharging carriers, while airports say they have to fund huge capital investments. "We allowed those who wanted to find the poster child for environmental damage to pick on aviation," he said.

☆ France's Safran to pay $17.2 mln to settle China bribery charges in U.S. probe
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Industry Insight | Saw Law Firms Move Past The Pandemic Into A More Client-Focused Service Environment | Thomson Reuters Institute | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 23 (Reuters) - French jet engine maker Safran SA (SAF.PA) will pay about $17.2 million as part of a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department over bribes its subsidiaries allegedly paid in China, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said in a statement made public on Friday. The Paris-based aerospace supplier will be required to turn over profits from "corruptly obtained" and retained contracts by its U.S.-based subsidiary, Monogram Systems, the DoJ said. Monogram and Safran's German unit, Evac GmbH, allegedly paid bribes to obtain "lucrative" train lavatory contracts with the Chinese government. Safran did not immediately respond to Reuters request for a comment. Reporting by Priyamvada C in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

MONTREAL/BOGOTA Dec 16 (Reuters) - Latin America is drawing early investment for jet fuel produced from materials like forest residues and palm oil as emission-conscious airlines scour emerging markets for less-polluting fuel to power flights, industry executives say. While most sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, is produced in the United States, Europe, and Singapore, Latin America is emerging as a budding market. "Latin America right now is really a hot spot for Honeywell." Producing and distributing SAF in regions with faster-growing traffic like Latin America is key to meeting industry targets, said Landon Loomis, Latin America president for U.S. planemaker Boeing (BA.N). And Vibra Energia (VBBR3.SA) is working with Brasil BioFuels (BBF) to produce palm oil-based jet fuel in 2025.

☆ China Eastern takes delivery of the world's first made-in-China C919 jet
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A model of a C919 airliner by Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) is displayed at China Beijing International High-tech Expo in Beijing, China June 8, 2017. REUTERS/Jason LeeBEIJING/SYDNEY, Dec 9 (Reuters) - The world's first C919, a Chinese-made narrowbody jet, was delivered to launch customer China Eastern Airlines (600115.SS) in Shanghai on Friday and took off for a 15-minute flight to mark the historic moment. The plane delivered to China Eastern has 164 seats and was painted with "the world's first C919" on its side in Chinese and English. China Eastern said on Friday it plans to receive the remaining four of its first batch of C919 orders over the next two years, according to Shanghai's The Paper. China is trying to raise the proportion of domestic parts in the C919 and an alternative engine called the CJ-1000A is under development.

☆ Corporate travel propels boom in sustainable aviation fuel
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Jamie Freed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SAF accounted for only 0.5% of aviation fuel in 2021, but many airlines have a target of 10% by 2030 and the industry's goal of "net zero" emissions by 2050 relies on SAF accounting for 65% of fuel. The corporate sector interest could build momentum for the SAF industry to scale up given businesses account for around 20% of air travel globally and 30% in Europe, said Denise Auclair, corporate travel campaign manager at European non-governmental organisation Transport & Environment. 'GREEN PREMIUM'Buying SAF is more costly than purchasing emissions offsets but experts say it can play a key role in reducing travel emissions alongside switches to video-conferencing and cleaner alternatives like rail. "They contract with us, they pay for the cost premium of sustainable aviation fuel over the conventional jet fuel, and then enable us to deliver sustainable aviation fuel for our partner airlines to consume," he said. Companies are able to contract directly with airlines, travel agencies like American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) (GBTG.N) and fuel providers like Neste as they look to claim SAF credits and avoid pitfalls like double claiming.

☆ EU agrees law to make airlines pay more to pollute
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Airlines running flights within Europe currently have to submit permits from the EU's carbon market to cover their carbon dioxide emissions, but the EU gives them most of those permits for free. That will mean airlines will have to pay for their CO2 permits, providing a financial incentive for them to pollute less. Climate campaigners lamented that emissions from international flights would not be added to the carbon market sooner. "Average European families will continue to pay much more for their CO2 emissions than frequent long-haul flyers. EU countries and the bloc's Parliament both need to formally approve the law before it takes effect.

☆ Airlines warn of higher fares from green transition
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Willie Walsh, Director General of the International Air Transport Association, which includes most of the world's major airlines, called for swifter action in Europe to drive up scarce production of greener Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Air fares have already jumped this year as a result of higher prices for conventional fossil-based jet fuel. Environmental groups argue that air higher travel costs will help to rein in emissions by curbing growth in traffic. In July, the European Parliament backed rules on aviation fuel that set binding targets for the replacement of kerosene with less polluting sources, while extending the definition of what a green fuel could be. This year's U.S. Inflation Reduction Act includes significant subsidies to the SAF industry in the form of tax credits, but European industry leaders including the head of planemaker Airbus (AIR.PA) have said the legislation is unfair.

☆ How electric air taxis could shake up the airline industry in the next decade
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Mikaela Cohen | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Companies across the U.S., including several startups, are developing electric air taxis that aim to take cars off the road and put people in the sky. In October, Delta Air Lines joined the list of airlines backing EV technology startups, with a $60 million investment in Joby Aviation, a company developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs), intended to operate as an air taxi service. In 2021, when Joby announced its plan to launch its Uber-like air taxis by 2024, it generated criticism from industry analysts on the ability to launch by that date. One is for $15 million with Eve Air Mobility for 200 aircraft, and another for $10 million with Archer Aviation for 100 eVTOLs. Air taxis could hit markets in the 2030sWhile major airlines enter agreements with global startups, it's important to remember these are conditional.

☆ Airbus develops fuel-cell engine for hydrogen plane
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Airbus has started developing a fuel-cell engine, it said on Wednesday, sticking with plans to introduce a hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft by 2035. The system is one of several options being considered for a potential zero-emission aircaft based on hydrogen, Airbus said. Jet engine makers Rolls-Royce , General Electric , Safran and Pratt & Whitney are among its biggest suppliers. An alternative approach based on combusting liquid hydrogen in more conventional jet engines depends on heavy cooling in larger and heavier tanks. Airbus will start ground and flight testing fuel-cell architecture towards the middle of the decade, the company said during a two-day sustainability event.

☆ Airbus faces growing end-year jet delivery crunch
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Airbus has told investors it plans to deliver "around 700" commercial aircraft in 2022. That figure is increasingly under pressure, barring what would be a record and essentially glitch-free performance in the busy month of December, industry sources said on Monday. According to latest available data from aircraft analyst Cirium, Airbus has delivered 536 aircraft so far this year, implying 39 to 41 deliveries so far in November. Between January and October, Airbus delivered 497 planes or a net total of 495 after adjusting for the cancellation of two planes stranded by Western sanctions against Russia. That could intensify the traditional crunch which often sees some planes delivered in the closing hours of the year.

☆ Rolls-Royce successfully tests hydrogen-powered jet engine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Britain's Rolls-Royce (RR.L) said it has successfully run an aircraft engine on hydrogen, a world aviation first that marks a major step towards proving the gas could be key to decarbonising air travel. The ground test, using a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine, used green hydrogen created by wind and tidal power, the British company said on Monday. They said they were already planning a second set of tests, with a longer-term ambition to carry out flight tests. Planemaker Airbus is working with French-U.S. engine maker CFM International to test hydrogen propulsion technology. Other technologies backed by companies such as Rolls-Royce include electric engines, which would be initially suitable for short flights, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

☆ Airbus may delay some 2023 jet deliveries -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A spokesperson for Airbus said it had no comment on deliveries ahead of its next monthly bulletin in early December. At least one engine maker is experiencing renewed pressure to shift more engines away from supporting aircraft production to a pool of spares for existing customers, the sources said. Currently some 129 Pratt-powered Airbus jets and 55 fitted with CFM's LEAP engines are parked, according to Ascend by Cirium's head of global consulting Rob Morris. At the same time, engine industry sources insist snags on their side of the fence are not solely to blame for delays. In July, Airbus said it would reach an interim production goal of 65 A320-family narrow-body jets a month in early 2024 instead of summer 2023.

☆ Aerospace suppliers flag cash flow warning as jet production hits turbulence
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Abhijith Ganapavaram | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 18 (Reuters) - Aerospace suppliers are staring at the prospect of dwindling cash flow as they struggle with excess inventory due to production challenges at top planemakers Boeing Co (BA.N) and Airbus SE (AIR.PA). Boeing-supplier Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc (SPR.N) said earlier this month a "challenging environment" is "putting a lot of pressure on our ability to generate cash". "We've got to carry extra inventory buffers because of supply chain," Spirit's finance chief, Mark Suchinski, had said. An inventory build opens up the possibility that companies may struggle in the event of a downturn but aerospace executives maintain demand is strong. "Our analysis indicates healthy growth in aircraft deliveries even through a severe recession," CFRA Research senior equity analyst Colin Scarola said.

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