On Thursday 16th May 2024 I attended the Sustainable Skies Summit 2024 at Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre. As the world races to tackle climate change greener technologies are more important than ever if we are to decarbonise skies and make travel sustainable!
In this blog post I will give you a glimpse of the talks and technologies that caught my eye on the day.
One of the most talked-about innovations was the rapid development of electric and hybrid-electric aircraft. Companies like Neboair presented their progress in zero-emissions propulsion with their fully-electric aircraft highlighting the importance of reducing carbon emissions across light aircraft aviation and PPL training level.
Another highlight was the ongoing research into sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). Sean Doyle, CEO of British Airways and Shain Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic along representatives from Boeing and Airbus made great insights and talked about the importance of collaboration to achieve net zero targets together. I later got speaking to Adam Rachid, Sustainability Lead at British Airways at the British Airways stand. We spoke about the here and now – using existing aircraft fleets to significantly lower carbon emissions. This is something BA does very well on their ‘most important journey yet’ to create a ‘BA Better World’.
Adam explained the logistics in delivering thousands of tonnes of SAF fuel to Heathrow as the first airline to adopt SAF on a commercial scale produced in the UK. We also spoke about the Blue Carbon Mangrove project – as above in the poster. This is a greenhouse gas removal project through reforestation and revegetation with mangrove and other species in Pakistan. We also discussed the need for scalability in SAF production and cost-effectiveness to make it a viable solution for the aviation industry as a whole. It is clear there is lots to think about – especially challenges that may arise in scaling from SAF-blend to 100% SAF in the near future.
On the ground BA is also replacing their diesel and petrol vehicles with electric and hydrogen alternatives – for example, their emissions-free electric remote-controlled pushback ‘Mototok’ tugs is a great example – which I have seen rocking about in terminal 5, London Heathrow! Other initiatives BA is doing include trialling electric passenger buses which use 75% less energy than traditional buses as well as running hydrotreated vegetable oil fuel (HVO) in many buses (reducing emissions by 90%).
One other thing I noticed on their banner was when a BA aircraft is at it’s stand – the engines are switched off and renewable energy is plugged in – fuelled by 100% wind power in order to operate air conditioning and lights. As well as calculating fuel-efficient altitude and speed using latest wind and temp informations or operating ‘continuous descent’ when landing to minimise engine power and reduce noise whilst also ensuring the landing gear is lowered at the most efficient time.
One of the most engaging parts of the summit were the expert-led panel discussions, which delved deep into the challenges and opportunities facing the aviation sector around sustainability. There was lots of discussion around the role of government regulation, incentives, and the future of air traffic management, providing valuable insights into the broader context of sustainable aviation. But one thing is clear whilst sustainable advancements are crucial, collaboration across industries—airlines, manufacturers, policymakers, and the fuel sector—is essential to drive real change.
It was such a great pleasure to witness firsthand how the sector is addressing the challenges and creating opportunities for a greener future.
It was also great to see many startups there. Such as Lilium, which is developing a fully electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Interestingly in one of the talks Shashank Nigam talked about eVTOL having secured 2x as much funding as the rest of sustainable aviation technologies combined (at around $5.6 billion!).
Towards the end of the day I had a little go using the WheelTug. Wheel Tug is known for their in-wheel electric taxiing system eliminating the need of tugs all together as it is built in! I saw them here last year so it was great to catch up with them again.
Overall, I had some great fun and it was lovely meeting a diverse group of passionate individuals driving change in the years to come. Below are some photos of the day:
