“The introduction of the H160 into Nigeria represents a meaningful step forward for our offshore operations in West Africa. This aircraft brings a combination of advanced technology, operational flexibility, and improved fuel efficiency that strengthens our ability to deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation for our customers. Its performance profile, particularly its range, payload capability in a 12-passenger configuration, and ability to operate from smaller helidecks, positions Bristow with a distinct advantage in this market. We believe the H160 will play an important role in supporting the evolving needs of the energy sector across the region,” Stu Stavely, Chief Operating Officer, Offshore Energy Services, Bristow Group, said.

“Milestone is pleased to support Bristow with the lease of five new H160s, making us the first lessor to introduce this aircraft type into Bristow’s fleet. Our continued investment in next-generation medium and super medium helicopters ensures our customers have access to the most efficient and capable aircraft on the market, supporting mission-critical operations around the world. We appreciate the strong collaboration with Bristow and Airbus and look forward to further strengthening our partnership in the years ahead,” remarked Pat Sheedy, Chief Executive Officer of Milestone.

“The arrival of these first two H160s in Nigeria is a proud moment for Airbus Helicopters as we see our latest medium-twin aircraft prepare to take flight for Bristow’s offshore missions. This delivery underscores our commitment to supporting the energy sector with a helicopter that sets new standards in safety, comfort, and competitiveness with its 18% reduction in fuel burn. We look forward to seeing the H160 in operation and continuing our long-standing partnership with both Bristow and Milestone,” noted Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters.

With three additional H160s planned for delivery to fulfil the five-aircraft agreement, Bristow is well-positioned to operate one of the most modern and capable fleets in Africa to support mission-critical services for the energy industry. One of the world’s most technologically advanced helicopters, the H160 was designed and built to offer the highest levels of operational safety while providing exceptional comfort for rotorcraft in its class.

The H160 can perform a wide variety of missions such as law enforcement, offshore transportation, search and rescue, private and business aviation, and emergency medical services, and has been put into service in Brazil, Canada, China, France, India, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Europe.

Image Credits: Airbus

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Despite delays and cost overruns, the project was deemed a game-changer for civil aviation, as since its maiden service flight on 21 January 1976 with Air France from Paris-Roissy and British Airways from London Heathrow, Concorde quickly captured flyers’ attention. Transatlantic flights became the main market, with Washington Dulles and New York JFK becoming the operational hubs for these jets. While Air France and British Airways operated 20 such airframes together, they could only operate them for transoceanic flights, as going supersonic, despite more than halving travel times, brought another menace: sonic booms over the ground.

However, the story met a horrible ending on 25 July 2000, when Air France Flight 4590 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 109 occupants and four on the ground. Although the remainder of the fleet came back to service eventually, they were retired in 2003, 27 years after beginning their commercial operations.

Since then, aviation geeks have been wondering: Will there be another supersonic passenger jet, or will concerns like deafening sonic booms and exorbitant costs push things back again? However, companies like Boom Supersonic, Spike Aerospace, Exosonic, and Hermeus are bringing the concept back to life.

Promising days ahead?

In August 2022, American Airlines pre-ordered 20 Overture aircraft from Boom, with the option to purchase an additional 40. With a $10 million initial investment, Japan Airlines too followed suit with a pre-order for an additional 20, and United Airlines promised to purchase 15 from the venture.

Boom claims that the jets, which are anticipated to be built in 2025 and make their flight by 2029, will carry 80 passengers on over 600 routes and reduce travel times by up to 50% compared to their subsonic counterparts.

Private companies are not the only ones participating; NASA is developing the X-59, a supersonic aircraft, through its “Quesst” programme. Its purpose is to reduce the noise of the infamous “boom” in order to avoid the problems of the Concorde, which was only permitted to reach supersonic speeds over the ocean.

In order to measure the ground response to the sound, the jet is scheduled to fly over a few residential communities in the United States in 2025. The data will then be submitted to the International Civil Aviation Organisation in an attempt to change noise regulations. Opening hundreds of new airline routes to supersonic travel could result from its success.

According to Boom, passengers could travel from Miami to London in less than five hours, Tokyo to Seattle in four and a half hours, and New York to London in three and a half hours.

According to reports, Spike, which is creating an 18-passenger business jet that might be completed by 2028, is trying to increase speed even more in order to transport passengers from London to New York in as little as 90 minutes.

While Boom is aiming for net zero by 2025 and says Overture will “run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel, making it the first new commercial aeroplane to have such capability,” Spike is aiming for net zero carbon by 2040.

As per Boom, its jets will have “engine updates, without afterburners, and an automated noise reduction system” to ensure takeoff is no louder than subsonic planes. Exosonic, which is developing a 70-passenger aircraft with VIP suites, says its sound will be quieter than that of regular traffic. Both companies are also working on lowering the boom through various technologies.

Battling headwinds

However, not everyone is assured about the prospects of supersonic flights being an instant hit in the coming days. Teal Group Senior Consulting Analyst Bruce McClelland is one of these sceptics.

“The problems are both economic and political. The faster an aeroplane flies, especially supersonically, the more it encounters an exponential increase in drag. That requires a lot more engine thrust, which requires a lot more fuel. Concorde needed as much as eight times more fuel to move one passenger from New York to London compared to a Boeing 747, so that’s expensive,” he said.

“There’s also the cost of developing, building and testing a plane. The development of modern jetliners runs into the multiple billions of dollars. I don’t see there being sufficient demand for a large production run, so it’s going to have to be priced pretty high. Given the physical limits, I don’t see a way to overcome this,” he added.

The United States and the Soviet Union developed but later gave up on supersonic flight due to prohibitively high costs. Concorde was the only successful endeavour, and the French and British governments provided funding for it.

Kevin Michaels, Managing Director of AeroDynamic Advisory, said, “Boeing was developing its own supersonic aircraft back in the 1960s, and it dropped out when it saw that the US government wasn’t going to support it. There are only two airlines that used Concorde, BA and Air France, and it never made money for the manufacturers that produced it. If the manufacturer can’t make money producing it, then it’s not going to be a viable market in the long run. The economics of being part of an airline are what ends up killing you, and that was one of the biggest lessons from Concorde.”

Additionally, there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the engine’s manufacturer. With a statement stating that the commercial aviation supersonic market was “not currently a priority,” Rolls-Royce recently ended its collaboration with Boom. Since then, Honeywell Aerospace, Safran, and General Electric have all declared that they will not be manufacturing the engine.

“That left only Pratt & Whitney, and they said it’s not core to them and their brand, and they’re focusing on other projects. Engines take years and years and years of development, and a brand new one costs billions of dollars. These five companies are the only companies that have a remote chance of pulling this off technologically, so as it stands, Boom doesn’t have an engine,” Michaels added.

Boom is currently developing a purpose-built turbofan engine called “Symphony” for its Overture supersonic airliner.

Ecological issues

Boom will probably encounter more obstacles even if it sorts out the engine hurdle. NASA’s project probably wouldn’t be ready in time for Boom’s anticipated 2029 takeoff, and it’s unclear if the sonic noise problem can be resolved.

Additionally, there is the matter of customer demand. Flights across the Pacific that could have attracted customers are not feasible due to the current supersonic jets’ limited range before requiring refuelling.

Most importantly, a lot of people have questioned the sustainability claims at the moment, as the supplies of sustainable aviation fuel are still scarce.

“The claim that Boom’s flights will be offset by using only sustainable aviation fuel strikes me as stretching credibility. The only way that works is if the producer of a supersonic aircraft has its own source for SAF. Otherwise, operators will be forced to queue up with everyone else and take whatever they can get their hands on, most of which will probably be plain jet fuel. SAF right now is more expensive than regular jet fuel, so it just adds to the operating costs. Right now, known SAF production represents only a small fraction of a per cent of the total worldwide demand for jet fuel, and the most optimistic scenario I’ve seen is that this might ramp up to 30% by 2050,” McClelland said.

There are chances of airlines ending up facing criticism if they use their limited supply of SAF for supersonic travel (pumping multiple times as much fuel per passenger as a regular aircraft). Aerion Supersonic, the massive business jet company that went out of business, is all too familiar with these challenges. A group of industry experts founded the company in 2004, determined to create a $120 million supersonic aircraft that would first take to the skies in 2029. At the time, this project was regarded as the most promising option in the supersonic world.

However, it never built an aircraft and, after 17 years of trying, declared bankruptcy, stating that it was having difficulties in raising capital to achieve the next steps in the manufacture and regulatory approval of the company’s supersonic aircraft.

“Aerion was very highly thought of in the industry. It was aimed at business aviation and charter companies rather than commercial flight, so there was a much smaller capacity. It had a really interesting design, they were extremely well-funded, and they had some of the big OEM manufacturers on board. Then one day, they announced chapter 11 bankruptcy, and it was over. There’s only been one successful entrant into the jetliner business globally, and that’s Embraer in Brazil,” Michaels noted.

Future possibilities

None of this means that supersonic travel will never again be possible. However, the challenges indicate that, should it ever regain traction, the business aviation sector is more likely to see success than large-scale commercial aircraft. That’s at least the opinion of Michaels.

“Demand for supersonic travel is there, but it’s very niche. It doesn’t lend itself to commercial airlines. It lends itself to lower capacities, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. So, is it something that’s going to revolutionise the airline industry as we know it? I don’t think so,” he said.

There is still hope that we could one day be flying around the world in a few hours and in a semi-sustainable manner if NASA’s project is successful. This is because sustainable aviation fuel will become more widely available, operating costs can be reduced, and supersonic jets can travel farther.

We may have to wait a bit longer before we can hop over to Australia in half a day, though, as reaching that destination by 2029 appears to be more of a marketing gimmick for airlines like United and American.

Supersonic travel remains a captivating vision for aviation’s future. While technical, financial, and ecological challenges persist, ongoing innovations and renewed interest suggest the dream of faster-than-sound passenger flight may yet become reality again.

The post Supersonic jets set for takeoff again? appeared first on International Finance.

He was instrumental in advancing the development of Wisk’s Generation 6 aircraft while he was Senior Vice President of Engineering and Programmes. He oversaw the coordination of hardware and software engineering, flight and systems testing, simulation, and autonomy, among other important technological areas.

His hiring comes at a critical time for Wisk as the company moves forward with its certification process and prepares its Gen 6 aircraft for flight. Wisk’s long-term objectives and Sebastien Vigneron’s in-depth understanding of the aircraft development lifecycle put him in a strong position to guide the business as it moves closer to commercial launch.

Former Wisk CEO Yutko will join Boeing Commercial Airplanes as Vice President of Product Development. Yutko will continue to oversee strategy and keep Boeing and Wisk in a supportive relationship in his new role.

Wisk, a separate company owned by Boeing, is dedicated to achieving its goal of becoming the first autonomous aircraft to carry passengers in the US market. For the company’s innovative aspirations in the future of air travel, the leadership change signifies both continuity and new impetus.

Who Is Sebastien Vigneron?

Born and reared in France, Sebastien Vigneron initially became interested in technology and engineering. He studied aerospace engineering to further this interest, graduating from one of France’s top engineering schools. His education prepared him for a career in the aerospace industry, where he has established himself as a leader who prioritises strategy, innovation, and operational excellence.

Early in his career, Vigneron worked for a number of well-known aerospace firms, including Airbus. He specialised in the creation and administration of intricate engineering projects while gaining experience in a variety of technical and leadership capacities. Vigneron held executive positions at a number of other aerospace and aviation-related businesses before joining Wisk as CEO. He worked on projects involving aircraft systems, engineering design, and strategic development. Vigneron spent the early part of his career, six years in total, at Dassault Aviation, where he worked on the Falcon 5X, 6X and 7X programmes, including as aerodynamics group lead.

Then he moved to Bombardier in 2011, where he spent eight years and contributed to the CSeries (now called the Airbus 220) commercial aircraft programme and Bombardier’s Global business-jet programmes. Under his watch, Bombardier achieved the Global 7500’s certification in 2018. Vigneron then took a job with Virgin Hyperloop, which had been developing a high-speed passenger transportation system involving a magnetically levitated vehicle travelling inside a tube.

Sebastien Vigneron was in charge of spearheading new business endeavours, alliances, and technological developments at a large aerospace company prior to joining Wisk as the Executive Vice President of Strategy and Innovation. Among the advanced aviation technologies he has contributed to are electric and autonomous flight systems. As the leader of Wisk, a company dedicated to the development of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for urban air mobility, Vigneron was a perfect fit due to his extensive knowledge of both aerospace engineering and business strategy.

He also led aerodynamics for that company’s supersonic business jet research programme and contributed to the Solar Impulse programme to develop a solar-powered experimental aircraft, a project that spurred Vigneron’s interest in innovating new types of aerospace products.

It is anticipated that Vigneron’s leadership will be crucial to developing Wisk’s autonomous flight technology and introducing cutting-edge air transportation options to international markets. Vigneron has established himself as a pivotal figure in the quickly developing field of urban air mobility thanks to his long aerospace career and strategic vision.

Certification Challenge Lies Ahead

Sebastien Vigneron believes he has the aircraft-development experience needed to lead the company’s transition into the critical phase of flight testing and certification.

“I have 20 years of experience developing new aerospace products, in the US, in Canada, in Europe. I have covered the entire product-development life cycle, from a clean sheet… through detailed design, build, test, certification, entry into service,” he told FlightGlobal.

Talking about his leadership style, Vigneron remarked, “I bring a good blend of the rigour and discipline of aerospace product development and \[of] certification… I am able to navigate both sides of that world, and I’m able to maintain the right balance. I always assume good intent, and I believe in the people. I work for my team. I support my team. And I do everything I can so that they can be successful.”

Stating that the CEO transition does not reflect any shift to Wisk’s broader strategy, Vigneron noted, “The mission is not changing. The game plan is not changing.”

Wisk has flown several eVTOL designs in recent years but is now inching closer to beginning flight tests of its Gen 6 prototype, the variant it aims to bring through certification. The new CEO said that the company is eyeing the upcoming summer for the first flight of the prototype while certifying the eVTOL before the end of the decade.

The Gen 6 air taxi will carry four passengers, have 78nm (145km) of range, fly at 110-120kt (204-222 km/h), and charge in 15 minutes. The eVTOL will come equipped with fixed wings and 12 propellers mounted in pairs on wing-mounted booms. All 12 propellers produce lifting thrust, while the forward six props also rotate to provide forward thrust. While pilotless, the air taxis are monitored by humans on the ground.

While there are questions about whether the battery technology has advanced sufficiently to enable high-frequency, taxi-like flights, Vigneron insists the electric-propulsion technology is up to the task.

“I was very much attracted by the prototyping mindset, pushing the boundaries, bold innovation, quick iteration, learning by doing,” says Vigneron. Like other eVTOL developers, Wisk faces a tall task in bringing an aircraft as novel as its Gen 6 through certification. However, the company and its competitors at least now have a roadmap, as the Federal Aviation Administration in 2024 issued both a rule defining air taxi operational and pilot-training requirements and an advisory providing guidance for certificating air taxis under existing airworthiness regulations.

“It’s laying out the path for certification… It’s all going in the right direction. The principles we need to follow exactly, and the methodology, is the same. How do we show compliance to those things? That’s where the challenge is,” Sebastien Vigneron noted.

And while regulators have never approved types like eVTOLs before, Vigneron says the certification process, specifically the certification “guiding principles,” is the same as for conventional aircraft. The company’s system integration test rigs are “firing on all cylinders,” said Vigneron, while adding, “We are deep into the weeds of safety-of-flight testing right now.”

Wisk is also conducting aerodynamic evaluations of a subscale Gen 6 model at Boeing’s V/STOL Wind Tunnel facility in Philadelphia. Those wind-tunnel tests will last several months, Vigneron said, while adding, “We are going to be doing a lot of endurance testing, durability testing… We need to get a lot of hours under the belt.”

Wisk operates “completely independently from Boeing” but has access to some of the aerospace giant’s resources, such as the wind-tunnel facility, Vigneron said. Wisk has also been leveraging Boeing’s manufacturing capabilities in Seattle and in the Mesa area for so many different components.

“We are exploring new ways of doing product development, new ways of running a development programme. We bring all those learnings back to Boeing, and that’s why the connection with Boeing product development makes sense. We are learning from each other,” Vigneron concluded.

Most of Wisk’s competitors, Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Eve Air Mobility, and Beta Technologies, are developing air taxis that will, initially at least, be controlled by an onboard human pilot. However, Wisk is undertaking the more ambitious goal of developing and certifying an autonomous air taxi from the start.

Sebastien Vigneron sees autonomy enabling air taxis to be economically viable, where operators will not incur the cost of employing pilots, with pilotless aircraft having room for one more paying passenger.

Image Credits:muraena.ai

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As the aviation industry is facing the challenge of rapidly reducing carbon emissions from its operations, JetZero is hoping to stand up to the occasion by offering a blended wing design, in which the wings merge seamlessly with the curvaceous fuselage, leading to as much as a 50% reduction in fuel burn per passenger mile as a result of lower drag. The company has already received a USD 235 million contract from the United States Air Force to develop its tech demonstrator. In March 2025, JetZero announced a partnership with Delta Air Lines under which the carrier would help with the design and development of the aircraft.

JetZero is gearing up to seek private equity funding for billions of dollars needed to bring its aircraft to market. The start-up is also expected to announce a site selection for its final assembly plant before the Paris Air Show that begins in June 2025. Today’s episode of “Start-up of the Week” will see International Finance talking about the venture in detail.

Shaping The Future

JetZero’s airliner is dubbed the Z4. It is a 250-passenger, 5,000nm design for the so-called “Middle of the Market” segment, currently occupied by out-of-production and ageing Boeing 767-300ERs, Airbus A330-200s, and a limited number of Boeing 757s. Eyeing a service entry by the early 2030s, the first flight of the demonstrator aircraft is planned for 2027.

JetZero has an ambitious goal of producing composite aircraft. The final assembly site will be on a 1,000-acre site with a building about the size of Boeing’s widebody plant in Everett. The start-up is planning for a monthly production rate of 20 five years after production begins, with conditional orders from major airlines like United and Delta making the news.

JetZero was founded in 2021 by aviation legend Mark Page and start-up veteran Tom O’Leary. In early 2024, the company expanded into a 285,000 ft², seven-building headquarters, housing several crucial departments such as the design team, cabin lab, fabrication shop, scale model programme, and aero labs. In addition, JetZero professionals are working remotely in support of the programme throughout the United States, securing the supply chain in the process while scouting more customers and business partners.

The start-up has a few daunting tasks to take care of. Some of them are engine commitment for the aeroplane, a product support system, finalising the method to produce the composite aeroplane, “flying” the iron bird, and much more. In March 2025, RTX’s Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace entered into three agreements with JetZero to provide key systems for the airframer’s full-scale demonstrator. Pratt & Whitney will integrate the PW2040 engine and auxiliary power unit (APU), and Collins Aerospace will provide the nacelle and propulsion mounting structure. Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace are RTX businesses.

Another American biggie, Alaska Airlines, in 2024 invested in JetZero. The investment, which includes options for future aircraft orders, was made through Alaska Star Ventures (ASV), the airline’s investment arm whose purpose is to influence the future of the aviation industry. ASV is focused on identifying and enabling the technologies that can help Alaska reach its ambitious goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. This initiative is part of Alaska’s comprehensive sustainability strategy along with operational efficiency, fleet renewal, sustainable aviation fuel, waste reduction, and electrified aircraft.

Meet The Aircraft

JetZero envisions its aircraft to be a “Multi-Use Platform,” bringing a whole new experience within the existing airline and airport infrastructure. Using the “One Plane, Many Routes” approach, the aircraft will serve everything from single-class short-haul to four-class international. On top of that, airlines will be able to reduce up to half of the fuel cost, saving millions per plane per year, thereby ensuring uninterrupted growth. The Z4 will also come with stress-free boarding, faster turn times, dedicated overhead storage, and more personal space in every passenger class.

The freighter version of the aircraft will maximise the current airport and cargo infrastructure, as the Z4F will not require additional investment by shippers. The same containers and better route economics will meet the growing demand for just-in-time delivery. At the same point in time, the economics of the all-wing design will enable a freighter that is more efficient than long-range widebody freighters and competitive for shorter-range missions as well. With air cargo set to grow 70% over the next 20 years, the Z4F offers cost-efficient growth for multiple air shipping routes.

The military version of JetZero’s aircraft will compete for the United States Air Force’s long-range operational requirements as an advanced refuelling tanker that will have a 5,000 nmi range, higher capacity tanks, and a 45,000 ft service ceiling. The military variant, KC-Z4, will serve Washington and its allies as the most fuel-efficient platform while significantly improving combat capabilities operating from an extended range of airfields.

As mentioned before, Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace entered into three agreements with JetZero to provide key systems for the airframer’s full-scale demonstrator earlier this year. Under the arrangement, Pratt & Whitney will integrate its PW2040 engine.

The PW2000 engine family is known for offering 37,000 to 43,000 pounds of thrust and powers all models of the Boeing 757 aircraft, with the F117 military derivative engine serving as the exclusive power plant for the C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. The PW2040 model engine also powers the US Air Force’s C-32A aircraft, the military version of the 757. The military version will use the PW2000 engine.

Pratt & Whitney’s Canada division will provide the APS3200, an APU that employs the latest in advanced manufacturing techniques, including the use of composites, while Collins Aerospace will design and build nacelle structures including the inlet, fan cowl, and fan duct, in addition to fairings and the engine support structure. Collins has designed, certified, and manufactured nacelles for large commercial aircraft programmes for decades, including the Boeing 787, Airbus A350, A320neo, A220, and Embraer E2.

The Z4 programme looks firmly set for its demonstration flight in 2027. Under the “Pathfinder” programme, JetZero is using scaled aircraft to refine things further. The start-up marks this process as an “iterative” one, where digital tools do all the heavy lifting. The full-scale demonstrator is being built in partnership with Scaled Composites, a subsidiary of the American multinational aerospace and defence company Northrop Grumman.

Last but not least, during the test flights, JetZero will incorporate its customers’ feedback (United Airlines and Alaska Airlines) to refine the design further, thereby significantly increasing the pace of the aircraft’s service entry into the market.

State-of-the-art tools are enabling the start-up’s Long Beach-based campus to log thousands of flight hours before the demonstrator ever takes to the skies. Understanding the innovative aircraft’s requirement for a reliable flight control system to ensure a safe and smooth flight, Thales will help JetZero’s efforts by providing its “Fly-by-Wire” flight control solution that has been field-proven for over 40 years and installed on board more than 12,000 aircraft.

The solution offers substantial benefits in terms of flight safety, aircraft performance, reliability, and availability. Those benefits encompass flight envelope protection, reduced pilot workload, minimised aircraft weight, improved handling qualities, and reliability.

Image Credits: JetZero`

The post Start-up of the Week: United Airlines backs JetZero’s ‘Blended Wing Body Jet’ amid net-zero push appeared first on International Finance.

Musk, who, apart from owning Tesla and SpaceX, possesses a private pilot’s certificate, has locked horns with the American aviation watchdog.

“In a moment charged with peculiarity, Musk shared his bewilderment on social media over the non-linear flight path of a commercial jet. The post ignited conversations about the intricate calculus that governs flight paths, highlighting Musk’s missteps in understanding a system he aims to revamp,” a report from Science Magazine summed up the whole thing in these following words.

Elon Musk vs FAA

Conversations on X (formerly Twitter and also owned by the Tesla and SpaceX chief) show Elon Musk and his allies are overlooking variables like weather conditions, air traffic nuances, and federally dictated air highways—factors that dictate the journeys of commercial aircraft, aspects that prioritise safety and efficiency above speed.

SpaceX engineers have already entered the scene to “help” the FAA modernise its air traffic control under the Trump administration. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said in an X post that the deadly January 29 crash between a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight landing at Reagan Airport in Washington served as “a heartbreaking wake-up call that improvements must be made.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation reportedly told Reuters that SpaceX engineers tapped as part of Musk’s DOGE team at the FAA are serving as special government employees and will be kept separate from the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation, which handles regulations for the company, to avoid any conflicts of interest.

In an email to the employees, Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau said that the DOGE team would be visiting more FAA facilities, including FAA headquarters, after stops at the Air Traffic Control Command Centre and Potomac TRACON in Warrenton, Virginia.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (whom Trump defeated in the 2016 Presidential Election) was among critics to claim Musk’s team was inappropriately gaining special access to the FAA. Duffy told Fox News that the SpaceX engineers had gone to the FAA on February 24 to “just observe and would craft a phased approach on how we might be able to fix the American system.”

He added, “It’s not just SpaceX. We’re going to ask everyone else to come in that’s smart and bright and loves America to think through the process. We’re like using a rotary phone. We’re spending 90% of our money to keep the rotary phone working from back in the 1980s as opposed to thinking, well, we use cell phones today. We have such antiquated, old equipment that no one has fixed. Donald Trump has said, fix this system, make it work, keep people safe.”

As part of his outreach effort, Duffy will visit Air Traffic Control Command Centres across the United States to talk with FAA employees about “the critical need to upgrade the existing air traffic systems.”

The DC crash, which killed all 67 people aboard both craft, happened nine days after President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president. It was the deadliest American aviation disaster since 9/11.

In another X post, Duffy rejected what he described as the “growing media narrative that there are more aeroplane crashes now in Trump’s presidency than under Biden.”

He asserted that there were 57 aviation incidents in the United States during President Joe Biden’s first month in office, “compared to 35 under Trump,” while stating, “the need for immediate improvement to our safety infrastructure is long overdue.”

Criticisms galore

Elon Musk did qualify for a private pilot certificate in 2002. However, as mentioned in the article’s beginning, the tech billionaire and his allies have been overlooking the crucial variables that control the safety and efficiency of commercial aviation.

One very good example to validate this was the supply chain company CEO Ryan Petersen sharing a screenshot of the projected flight path of a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Houston on X, which hewed close to the southern US border with Mexico.

“Why is this plane not flying in a straight line?” Petersen wondered. Musk replied, “It should be.”

“While both men appeared to suggest there was something irregular or suspicious about the flight plan, this was not the case. Planes may take certain less direct routes due to weather, air traffic, or any number of factors. Indeed, Musk’s own private jet has flown on curved trajectories, as captured in screenshots of flight records shared on X by Jack Sweeney, a software engineer who has worked for American Airlines and the aviation consultant UberJets, and famously aroused Musk’s ire by tracking the movements of his private jet with ElonJet, a network of social accounts. Sweeney posted the flight path that Trump’s plane took from Southern Florida to Texas in November ahead of a SpaceX launch, which for a while hugged the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico instead of tracing a straight line over the body of water,” reported Rolling Stone magazine.

“There are countless reasons why a flight might not follow a straight path — weather, [Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards] regulations, or optimising fuel efficiency by following favourable winds,” Sweeney stated on X.

Sweeney told the magazine that Petersen and Musk appeared to be “jumping to conclusions” to “push a point that our system is outdated, which, there’s definitely things that can be updated.”

However, he added, “It’s a complex system currently in place, and there are reasons things were designed the way they were, including with established routes in the sky that function as aerial highways. It takes time for things to get updated properly.”

The software engineer also felt that Musk’s DOGE has not taken into account these technicalities, while it seeks to slash away at vital federal agencies, including the FAA.

“That predicted line that is on that picture is usually [navigational] points picked by the dispatchers or the pilot,” Sweeney mentioned, while referring to Petersen’s screenshot.

He found further flight data that showed the flight route was initially straight but adjusted to avoid turbulence. Scott Manley, a science educator, physicist, and licensed private pilot, offered another potential reason for the curved route between the two cities, which he said adds about 50 miles, or 12 minutes to the trip.

“The US military has a huge chunk of airspace it randomly closes to let their pilots train or to test new weapons,” he wrote in a post on X, sharing a map screenshot with a circle drawn around an area west of Bakersfield, California.

According to reports, Musk’s DOGE project directed the firing of hundreds of FAA employees. The White House has claimed that none of the workers who were fired were performing safety-critical functions. Musk backed it with his X post, which stated, “To the best of our knowledge, no one affecting safety has been fired.”

However, when Rolling Stone spoke with several current and former FAA workers, the latter mentioned that the vital jobs the fired employees were doing included air traffic control support, obstacle impact that studies and identifies hazardous obstacles (like new buildings and cranes) to inform flight paths around the country, keeping drunk or reckless pilots out of the skies, and airman certification that decides whether pilots are medically fit enough to fly their aircraft. Are SpaceX employees, who are going to replace these professionals in the FAA, are aware of the complexities associated with these roles?

FAA in complete mess

On January 20 (the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration), Michael Whitaker stepped down as FAA administrator after clashing with Elon Musk. The SpaceX CEO publicly called on Whitaker to resign after the FAA fined the company for failing to get approval for launch changes.

Whitaker was only a year into the top job and had several years left in his term. While Trump appointed Chris Rocheleau, a top executive for an aviation business association, as acting FAA administrator, there is no clarity yet on when the aviation watchdog will get its new full-time boss.

Elon Musk has been a bitter critic of Whitaker. The SpaceX boss has complained many times about the FAA, including a September 2024 outrage after the agency levied a $633,000 fine for launching missions with unapproved changes. The FAA also fined Starlink after the SpaceX subsidiary failed to submit safety data before launching satellites in 2022.

However, the biggest issue here is the FAA suffering from underfunding and outdated technology. In 2023, an expert panel’s report found that the watchdog’s increasing reliance on overtime to staff air traffic control facilities was putting air safety at risk. The agency has fielded hundreds of complaints from air traffic workers describing dangerous conditions from staff shortages to dilapidated buildings.

Now Musk wants retired air traffic controllers to consider returning to work amid staffing shortages, but to ensure that, a federal law needs to be reformed. The law requires air traffic controllers to retire by “the last day of the month” in which they turn 56.

The Transportation Secretary can exempt controllers “having exceptional skills and experience” from automatic separation, but only until that person is 61. The retired air traffic controllers, before they rejoin, also must pass annual medical examinations with strict physical requirements, like having 20/20 vision, sufficient hearing, and proper blood pressure levels.

While Duffy has announced a plan to “supercharge” controller hiring (by simplifying the existing hiring process and increasing starting salaries), the newly-appointed Transportation Secretary also plans to “make an offer” to air traffic controllers to let them stay longer, past the mandatory retirement age of 56.

However, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union that represents the country’s air traffic controllers, told Flying Magazine that Duffy’s suggestion was not the answer to filling thousands of shortages.

“The solution to the ATC staffing crisis is a long-term commitment to hiring and training and the retention of the experience of all the highly skilled, highly trained air traffic controllers,” the union said, noting that in 2026, just dozens of air traffic controllers across 35 facilities will reach 56.

While the FAA has tried to boost recruitment efforts amid ongoing staffing and retention issues, the process of recruiting air traffic controllers is a long and strenuous one. Including training, it takes three years, while the attrition level constantly remains on the higher side.

Conflict of interest to haunt Musk?

According to reports, Starlink may secure a multibillion-dollar contract to overhaul the US air traffic control communication system, potentially displacing the long-standing contractor Verizon. The FAA is preparing to cancel its $2.4 billion deal with Verizon and shift the work to the SpaceX subsidiary, according to The Washington Post. The news got further corroborated by both Bloomberg and The Associated Press.

And if things pan out as claimed by the media outlets, there will be serious accusations of favouritism, cronyism, and conflicts of interest against Elon Musk. Why so? The SpaceX boss has raised concerns over the Verizon system, claiming without evidence that it is “not working and putting air travellers at serious risk.” In one of his X posts, the tech billionaire argued that the Verizon communication system was “breaking down very rapidly,” adding that the “FAA assessment is single digit months to catastrophic failure, putting air traveller safety at serious risk.”

“The FAA had been scheduled to begin disbursing funds for the Verizon contract next month (March 2025), but SpaceX’s team reportedly recommended that Starlink be awarded the deal instead,” reported The Washington Post.

However, the process of shifting the contract from one contractor to another needs a proper procedure, and while senior FAA officials are said to have refused to approve the proposal, Elon Musk’s team is now looking to seek assistance from a Trump-appointed official within the agency.

As per Bloomberg, Musk has reportedly approved a shipment of 4,000 Starlink terminals to the FAA, and one such terminal has already been installed at the FAA’s ATC technology lab in New Jersey. There will be a new programme “TDM X,” with the goal being to have the upgrades fully functional in 12–18 months.

Speaking to Bloomberg, an FAA spokesperson confirmed that testing has been completed for one Starlink terminal in Atlantic City (New Jersey) and two other terminals at non-safety-critical sites in Alaska.

“The FAA has been considering the use of Starlink to fix telecommunication connections to provide more reliable weather information at remote sites, including in Alaska,” the spokesperson added.

Hitting back at the DOGE chief, Verizon said that “the FAA systems currently in place are run by L3Harris and not Verizon.”

Musk later corrected himself and said that L3Harris is responsible for the “rapidly declining” system.

“Our company is working on building the next-generation system for the FAA which will support the agency’s mission for safe and secure air travel. We are at the beginning of a multi-year contract to replace antiquated, legacy systems. Our teams have been working with the FAA’s technology teams, and our solution stands ready to be deployed. We continue to partner with the FAA on achieving its modernisation objectives,” Verizon stated.

Elon Musk and DOGE will be under some scrutiny in the coming days. While they need to find a quick fix to the problem of recruiting a massive number of air traffic controllers in a short period, apart from making sure that FAA gets its house in order, any increased participation from SpaceX and Starlink in this process will be seen as a potential “Conflict of Interest.”

It’s a tightrope situation and DOGE has already entered into it proactively through its decision of downsizing the FAA workforce. There is no backing out from here.

The post DOGE’s ‘reform plans’ for FAA: What is Musk up to? appeared first on International Finance.

Founded in California and having its presence in the United Kingdom, ZeroAvia has emerged as a leader in zero-emission aviation with the mission of delivering a hydrogen-electric engine in every aircraft as the most environmentally and economically friendly solution for addressing the industry’s climate impact.

A Glorious Journey So Far

Having established in 2018, the company is now focussing on hydrogen-electric propulsion and fuelling solutions to address a variety of markets, from 300-mile range in 9–19 seat aircraft by the 2025 end, to up to 700-mile range in 40–80 seat aircraft by 2027.

The company first grabbed the headlines in December 2021, by initiating the first spin of the propeller on its in-house Dornier 228 testbed using electric power. The test was designed as a functional check of the fully integrated and flight-ready Electric Propulsion System aboard the testbed aircraft at the United Kingdom’s Cotswold Airport.

In 2022, the aircraft achieved another milestone, in the form of the first outdoor ground testing after the full installation of the hydrogen-electric powertrain. The Dornier 228, in the following months, made its first movements on the runway, in the form of medium power taxi testing. By the year end, ZeroAvia’s prototype aircraft completed all the ground tests.

In 2023, the 19-seat testbed aircraft took to the skies with its left side propeller powered by a hydrogen-electric powertrain, making this the largest aircraft flown with hydrogen-electric propulsion at the time. The milestone also ensured that ZeroAvia was well on the way to meeting the target of commercial flights using only hydrogen fuel cell power by 2025.

The venture then took things forward with the aircraft performing a levelled flight using only the ZA600 prototype engine. The test crew flew with zero thrust from the conventional turbine engine as the ZA600 entirely powered the testbed aircraft. As the tests progressed, the testbed aircraft reached its highest speed yet (140 knots), with the fuel cell and electric propulsion systems increasing their performance envelopes. The speed further increased to 150 knots and in the subsequent tests, the aircraft reached a height of 3,000, while flying for 16 minutes.

As the tests progressed, the aircraft soared to 4,000 feet, making it the highest-flying commercial-scale aircraft powered by fuel cells. The aircraft also flew for 22 minutes, making it the longest-duration flight yet. On the ninth flight, the aircraft reached its highest altitude yet, ascending to 5,000 feet and flew for 20 minutes in total. In January 2024, the same Dornier 228 flew above 5,000 feet, apart from successfully passing an endurance test lasting some 23 minutes. In the most recent test flight, undertaken on April 18, 2024, the aircraft flew for some 35 minutes.

While the fuel cell power generation and electric propulsion system, the core components of the novel zero-emission engine, have been performing at or above expectations throughout the flight tests, ZeroAvia wants to fine-tune things further.

Being A Revolutionary Force

ZeroAvia’s standout product has been its ZA600 engine, which has been tailored for 10-20 seat aircraft. The 500 to 750 Kw hydrogen-electric powertrain is fuelled by gaseous hydrogen tanks, apart from being capable of carrying passengers up to 300 nautical miles. The engine is perfect for airframes like the DHC-6 Twin Otter, Dornier 228 and Cessna 208B Grand Caravan.

Next is ZA2000, a 2-5 megawatt modular hydrogen-electric powertrain, that will power 40-80 seat regional turboprop by 2027. Fuelled by liquid hydrogen tanks, the engine will be capable of carrying passengers up to 1000 nautical mile. This particular powerplant will power bigger regional aircraft like the DHC Dash 8 Series and ATR 42/72.

In pursuit of its first engines, ZeroAvia has developed high-performance and high-efficiency aviation components that offer a step change to existing technologies in the market. One such innovation is the ZeroAvia SuperStack Flex, which is a modular fuel cell power generation platform with up to 150kW net total continuous power and lightweight, aviation-optimised balance-of-plant, developed as a best-fit approach for drones with further potential applicability in marine and ground vehicle use cases.

Another good example is ZeroAvia’s high temperature (HTPEM) fuel cell stacks, which, once fully developed, will support electric propulsions of larger aircraft, as well as rotorcraft and eVTOL applications. ZeroAvia has also developed its own continuous power silicon carbide inverters which bio-directionally convert high-voltage DC into three-phase AC to power electric motors. These advanced components, once integrated with aircraft, will enable reliable high-altitude performance. The company is progressing with the optimised integration of the inverters with electric motors.

Decoding The ‘Hydrogen Fuel’ Challenge

ZeroAvia’s dedicated Hydrogen Infrastructure team has been partnering with leading energy players and innovators, apart from advancing the underlying technologies to support airport H2 operations. Realising the potential of green and other low-carbon hydrogen as cost-effective options than jet fuel, airports have started working towards the transition. And ZeroAvia is emerging as the agent of change here.

The start-up is working with energy majors and hydrogen innovators to develop the refuelling infrastructure and operations to enable clean aviation, apart from exploring novel technologies for optimal hydrogen storage and aircraft refuelling.

ZeroAvia’s “Hydrogen Airport Refuelling Ecosystem” works on four pillars: Electrolyzer (modular components to produce hydrogen on-site, supplemented by partnerships with Shell, ZEV Station and others, to ensure supply of low-carbon hydrogen), Mobile Refuellers, Hydrogen Pipeline (world’s first hydrogen airside to landside pipeline at its Cotswold Airport location) and Liquid Hydrogen Development-related projects, which will enable further infrastructure builds to demonstrate LH2 refuelling operations.

Prominent among ZeroAvia’s industry partners, we have energy giants like Masdar, ScottishPower and Fortum, while NEOM, the futuristic urban area being built by Saudi Arabia, has also invested in ZeroAvia, to explore the development of clean hydrogen generation.

Talking about ZeroAvia-Masdar partnership, the UAE-based renewable energy giant entered into the arrangement in 2023, with the goal of exploring hydrogen production and supply at key locations. The stakeholders will focus initially on projects in North America and Europe, while also looking at the opportunities to establish clean flight operations in the UAE. Masdar, which aims to be a global green hydrogen leader through a “smart first mover” approach, is developing and investing in strategic projects and building scalable platforms in key markets.

In collaboration with ScottishPower, ZeroAvia will explore airport hydrogen supply models and financing, apart from investing in clean power requirements and hydrogen production infrastructure for potential future ZeroAvia sites within ScottishPower’s distribution network areas across Scotland, North West England and North Wales.

ZeroAvia recently announced a 70 engine agreement with Scottish headquartered Ecojet. The company also has a longstanding partnership with AGS Airports, including Glasgow and Aberdeen to explore the hydrogen infrastructure requirements for airports to support hydrogen-electric flight and other potential use cases.

With the Fortum partnership, ZeroAvia has expanded its hydrogen production and refuelling infrastructure-related activities at Nordic airports. The companies will investigate the potential development of on-the-ground hydrogen infrastructure at airports with the aim of removing emissions from both flights and the wider airport ecosystem.

Making Impacts In The Market

American Airlines has signed a pact with ZeroAvia for the opportunity to order 100 ZA2000 RJ, hydrogen-electric engines, targeting regional jets. Similarly, United Airlines and ZeroAvia have entered into an agreement anticipating 50 ZA2000 RJ engines, with an option for an additional 50. Alaska has secured options for up to 50 powertrains to begin converting its regional aircraft to hydrogen-electric power through ZeroAvia’s zero-emission powertrain.

The start-up is also working with operators to extend the life of existing fleets via retrofit programmes, along with bringing new zero-emission aircraft into service via ZeroAvia’s line-fit agreements with the original equipment manufacturers. Additionally, the venture has entered into business arrangements with prominent lessors to enable zero-emission aircraft options for their operator customers.

ZeroAvia is also helping forward-thinking airports in adopting hydrogen, while also advancing the underlying technology to support airport H2 operations. Using its experience in operating hydrogen production and refuelling facilities in airport environments, ZeroAvia is working with some of the leading airports and fuel providers to build out the infrastructure for powering hydrogen flights.

The post Start-up of the Week: ZeroAvia, the future leader in green aviation appeared first on International Finance.

With offices in California and Switzerland, the venture, as of April 2024, has raised USD 25 million in venture-backed funding from investors such as Lakestar, Mosaic Ventures, Costanoa Ventures, and Tectonic Ventures, while having a rich clientele including General Electric (GE) Aviation, Quantum Systems, Impossible Aerospace, and the United States Department of Defence.

Unifying A Workforce Of Autonomous Robots

Auterion’s drone software is a different breed altogether, as it streamlines operations, elevates integration, and maximises automation for its clients, all on a single digital platform, while increasing safety, efficiency and sustainability with the operating system for autonomous robots.

Auterion’s cutting-edge operating system for autonomous computing is empowering a diverse range of autonomous robots to perform high-risk to mundane tasks, deliver goods, and aid in life-saving missions. Staying true to its operational versatility, the drone software start-up is powering a range of autonomous vehicles, including multirotors, fixed-wing, VTOLs, and ground vehicles.

A very good example of Auterion’s operational versatility is “Freefly Astro,” which is a connected drone for enterprise workflows. The product is a result of the collaboration between Auterion and its industry peer Freefly. Astro is a ruggedised drone, which enables enterprise workflows through standardised user interfaces, automated data transmission and real-time 4G data connectivity. The lightweight drone is perfect for jobs like image mapping, delivering goods, carrying out infrastructure inspections and search & rescue operations.

Using Auterion’s expertise, a drone manufacturer can accelerate its go-to-market strategy by utilising tried-and-tested software and hardware for faster integration and production scale-up, apart from expanding the capabilities of an enterprise’s robotics fleet. The client venture can also streamline its enterprise-ready solutions like end-to-end workflows, delivering data to the cloud, and connecting with existing apps, all through Auterion’s help.

The start-up is also providing state-of-the-art drone payload tools like MAVLink and the Pixhawk Payload Bus. For its enterprise-grade operations, Auterion also offers a variety of enterprise-grade payload options like a full camera, an app for advanced drone training and mission planning, cloud connection for live video streams, real-time monitoring and over-the-air firmware updates via onboard LTE.

What Are The Key Products?

Let’s start with AuterionOS, which is the only vendor-independent operating system that runs onboard a fleet of interconnected robots. The onboard software platform consists of a flight controller and an operating system running on the mission computer. AuterionOS allows robots to perform advanced operations by enabling specific autonomous actions, ensuring safe mission execution, establishing communication with other software and hardware, and providing LTE connectivity to transfer data in real-time to the user and the cloud.

AuterionOS also allows the installation of apps, enabling features that are relevant to the client enterprise’s purposes, in order to enhance the latter’s operational experience. A very good example here is AuterionOS powering the drone fleet of its industry peer DroneUp which operates in the delivery hubs of Walmart, the largest American retailer, to provide 4 million US households with last-mile delivery.

AuterionOS helps its users to operate a variety of vehicles and payloads with the same experience and workflow, while bringing elements like APIs into the play, to expand the range of drone cameras, radios and payloads. AuterionOS, while running on multiple drone models and supporting different payloads, also enables a unified workforce of autonomous robots with the world’s leading operating system for autonomous computing. Here Auterion Suite comes into the play.

With every mission, data gets automatically transferred into the cloud-based Auterion Suite to provide real-time information captured by the robot while it’s still operating, without any manual intervention. All flight logs get automatically uploaded for every vehicle and every pilot, and log data gets analysed and made available to download as compliance reports.

Auterion Suite enables holistic and scalable fleet management by providing updated information on the vehicle health status, predictive maintenance actions and over-the-air software updates. Robots send operational data and live video automatically to the Suite, while they are still in the air. The Suite also enables end-to-end automated workflow, from the vehicle operating in the field, over the air to the cloud and into third-party applications to process the captured data.

Auterion Suite is a foolproof management solution for a client enterprise’s robotics programme and missions, by handling software updates, tracking vehicles for predictive maintenance and monitoring components to flag operational issues.

Next is Auterion Mission Control, which is the app to plan and execute autonomous missions for any Auterion-powered vehicle. With simple controls and intuitive views, the tool allows a seamless robotics mission planning and execution experience for the client enterprise, especially in terms of standardising operations and reducing training time and resources, apart from scaling up missions and saving execution time by planning from remote locations.

Finally, we have Skynode X, a fully integrated autopilot and mission computer for drones operating under the Auterion software platform. Compared to other drone autopilots, Skynode X transforms robotic vehicles from mere mobile cameras into connected autonomous systems.

Solutions Galore

By collaborating with the start-up, ventures can manage their diverse fleet of robotic vehicles in a single asset management system that handles all software updates, tracks every drone for predictive maintenance, and monitors component health. The business can also download compliance reports per pilot or vehicle data from the cloud, prepare drone missions with pre-flight planning checklists and check real-time traffic information.

From Auterion, drone manufacturers get tried-and-tested software and hardware for faster integration and production scale-up, apart from the ability to offer enterprise-ready robotics fleet with elements like end-to-end workflows, cloud-powered data delivering mechanism, and integration with existing apps, built on industry standards MAVLink and the Pixhawk Payload Bus.

For app developers, AuterionOS comes with payload integrations and on-board applications, so that the professionals become part of an ecosystem that reaches more users and has a bigger impact.

An app developer can integrate his/her services and payloads to work across the whole fleet of Auterion-powered systems. It covers mechanisms like flight controllers, onboard components and the ground station/robotics data workflow in the cloud.

Auterion In News

The start-up, as of April 2024, along with its partners like Freefly, Deltaquad, Lucid Bots, Spleenlab and Sony, is providing its drone software solutions across all the major industry verticals, from cargo and energy to infrastructure and agriculture. Auterion, through its partnerships with drone manufacturers, software developers and payload makers, is shaping the future of both the UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) industry and the mainstream economy. The domain of robotics is heading towards the software-defined future and Auterion’s products give us a sneak peek of how things will look in the coming years.

In March 2024, Kraken Technology Group, a maritime technology leader specialising in the disruptive design and manufacturing of high-performance platforms, and Auterion announced a strategic partnership to exponentially develop autonomous capabilities in the high-performance littoral security boat sector. Auterion will develop and implement modular and low-cost autonomy software and UxV systems for Kraken’s K3 SCOUT and K4 MANTA uncrewed platforms.

The post Start-up of the Week: Auterion & software-defined future of UAV industry appeared first on International Finance.

In their most recent report on single-use plastic products, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) included Dubai’s flagship carrier’s closed-loop recycling programme among “good practices from the airline sector.”

“In addition to several initiatives to reduce plastic waste, the closed-loop recycling initiative allows for millions of onboard items such as plastic trays, bowls, snacks, and casserole dishes to be recycled in a local facility and remade into fresh, ready-to-use Emirates meal service products,” the global aviation body Iata said, Zawya reported.

To adopt the ideas of a circular economy—in which products are reduced, reused, and recycled—Dubai’s premier airline unveiled a closed-loop recycling programme on June 1, 2023.

This initiative aims to collect millions of outdated and damaged meal service items from Economy and Premium Economy Class dining flights.

The items will be cleaned and inspected for damage, then transported to a facility in Dubai where they will be reprocessed, ground down, and manufactured into new dishes, bowls, and trays. Finally, they will be sent to Emirates Flight Catering so that they can be used for thousands of meals in the air again.

Dubai has made it mandatory for all retail establishments to stop using single-use plastic bags as of June 1st; no store is required to provide free alternatives. Dubai has already imposed a 25-fil fee per single-use bag at all of its retail locations.

IATA acknowledged the following airline-adopted best practices: Qantas’ premium economy blankets made with 20 recycled plastic or water bottles that are 100% recycled PET; Delta Air Lines’ testing of a reusable cup system and new paper cups; Malaysia Airlines’ biodegradable materials for in-flight catering and merchandise; and Air Baltic’s initiative to allow passengers to submit in-flight meal selections up to one hour before departure to avoid unnecessary single-use plastic products.

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The repayments include Ksh2.37 billion (USD 15.5 million) for principal repayments and Ksh351.29 million (USD 2.3 million) for interest payments.

“The fresh instalment brings cumulative exchequer payments on the KQ guaranteed debt to Ksh13.35 billion (USD 87.1 million) with the first payment having been done in the quarter ending in December 2022,” Zawya reported.

“The total amount paid on guaranteed loans during the first three months of FY 2023/24 amounted to Ksh2.72 billion, which was payment for Kenya Airways loan comprising of Ksh2.37 billion for principal repayment and Ksh351.29 million for interest payments,” the Kenya Controller of Budget (COB) noted.

In 2022, the Kenya Treasury informed the IMF (International Monetary Fund) about taking over the debt contracted by Kenya Airways in 2017 from the USA Export-Import Bank (Exim). The African country took the step to facilitate the better management of risk for its national carrier including the potential call-up of the guarantee.

In February 2023, Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo told MPs that Exim Bank USA had handed in a default notice after the KQ made a delayed payment of the guaranteed loan.

Despite paying down more than Ksh13 billion (USD 84.83 million), KQ’s guaranteed debt has soared by 13.4% since September 2022 to Ksh87.36 billion (USD 570 million) from Ksh76.97 billion (USD 502.3 million), due to the sharp depreciation of the Kenyan Shilling.

KQ’s debt takeover by the exchequer, known as debt novation, is dubbed as a part of the airlines’ wider restructuring, seeking to support the carrier cost-effectively.

The plan will incorporate additional capital injection by the state, along with cost cuts and network optimisation. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will also be set up for the KQ senior executives.

Meanwhile, the airline has warned of impending flight disruptions, due to the problems it is facing in the aircraft spare parts global supply chain. Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and CEO Allan Kilavuka said that the capacity shortage might persist for “approximately two weeks”.

Kenya Airways has now been hit with flight disruptions due to the crew shortage. The phenomenon, which started in December 2023, has now created a situation for the venture where it will have to forego any chances of making profits, as it faces the pressure of compensating the passengers being affected by the flight disruptions.

As per the media reports, on December 13 and 14, some 17 flights got delayed. For flight cancellations, especially on the European routes, KQ will have to refund per passenger some Sh92000.

Kenya Airways’ fleet has two B737-300s, eight B737-800s, nine B787-8 Dreamliners, and thirteen E190ARs. Of the overall lot, E190 5Y-KYS (msn 19000478) has been out of service in Nairobi since late October.

The venture has already taken the delivery of its first B737-800 freighter and plans to add a second unit of the type by February 2024.

Kenya Airways will utilise the aircraft on routes to destinations like Sharjah, Dubai World Central, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dakar Blaise Diagne International, Lagos, N’Djamena, Mogadishu, Mumbai International, Freetown, and Monrovia Roberts.

The airline is seeking a strategic investor as it battles foreign exchange volatility negatively impacting its turnaround strategy despite its recent KES998 million shilling (USD 6.6 million) operating profit.

Kilavuka, while briefing the Parliamentary Transport and Infrastructure Committee on October 24, said that with limited government support and growing foreign currency-denominated debts, the carrier had no alternative but to seek a strategic investor.

Kilavuka said that the venture was aiming to achieve a capacity growth of 23% in 2025 and 16% in 2026.

The post Despite settlement of USD 17 million debt, Kenya Airways faces headwinds appeared first on International Finance.

As part of the initiative, the manufacturer will work with the Federal Aviation Administration and the United States Department of Transportation to sponsor a Small and Framework Grant (SAF) project by the APEC Transportation Working Group. The project will address various issues related to the industry’s development in the 21 APEC member economies.

According to Boeing, the programme will tackle the following issues: finding sustainable feedstocks for low-emission fuel; creating SAF policies and accounting procedures; and finding new routes, such as utilising current infrastructure and industries to speed up SAF manufacturing.

Chris Raymond, chief sustainability officer of Boeing, cited research demonstrating the critical role SAF plays in the sector’s net zero efforts: “To advance SAF, this programme strengthens the connections we have had for years with various nations.”

“With the goal of creating a safer and more sustainable aviation future, we will encourage cooperation and knowledge sharing among APEC economies,” the official stated further.

By participating in the programme, Boeing furthers its efforts to promote the global development of SAF, building upon research conducted with the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials regarding the technology’s scaling in Southeast Asia, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Brazil.

In keeping with its pledge to guarantee that every aircraft it owns can handle 100% SAF by 2030, the airline has also joined the Aviation Initiative for Renewable Energy in Germany and collaborated with the APEC Secretariat to host regional webinars on SAF.

The effort, which was agreed by the various parties during the APEC annual meeting in San Francisco, aims to increase the industry’s usage of SAF, which is at 0.1% of the world’s jet fuel demand, by collaborating with some of the largest economies on the planet.

Others Chip In Too

Apart from Boeing, United Kingdom-based aviation giant Rolls-Royce has now achieved a milestone in the SAF front, as its ‘UltraFan’ technology demonstrator saw a successful run to its maximum power at the aerospace venture’s Derby facility.

“The milestone test saw the prototype utilising 100% SAF. The UltraFan programme, with its 10% efficiency gain over the Trent XWB, promises improved efficiency for current and future aero-engines,” Rolls-Royce stated further.

This latest accomplishment comes after the initial successful test earlier in 2023. Both the superhit tests now show that the technology can be scaled, as per the engine’s efficiency needs.

“The UltraFan’s scalable technology, ranging from approximately 25,000 to 110,000 pounds thrust (111,205 to 489,026 Newtons), holds the potential to power the anticipated narrowbody and widebody aircraft in the 2030s,” Rolls-Royce noted.

Another American aviation venture Gulfstream Aerospace has now announced the successful completion of the world’s first trans-Atlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The feat, which was accomplished on November 19, took place on a Gulfstream G600 aircraft, which departed the company’s headquarters in Savannah and landed 6 hours, 56 minutes later at the United Kingdom’s Farnborough Airport.

“Powered by Pratt&Whitney PW815GA engines, which used 100% SAF, the flight showcased the potential for aviation’s future use of renewable fuels, which feature lower carbon, sulphur and aromatics. The data collected from this endurance flight will help Gulfstream and its key suppliers gauge aircraft compatibility with future low-aromatic renewable fuels, particularly under cold temperatures for extended flight durations,” the venture, which was the first business jet original equipment manufacturer to fly on 100% SAF, informed the media.

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