Plans to debut electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi services at the Olympic and Paralympic Games have been scrapped after the certification for the engine failed to come through. German urban air mobility (UAM) pioneer, Volocopter, lobbied for authorisation ahead of the games but the setback highlights the critical safety requirements when pioneering new modes of transportation.
Dirke Hoke, CEO, Volocopter said the change in plans was due to “an American supplier who was not capable of providing what he had promised,” adding, “we are a little disappointed but in any case we had said that we would not make any compromises with security.”
Although the main test demonstrations will no longer go ahead, a successful crewed test flight took place at the Aerodrome of Saint-Cyr-l’École which Volocopter reported was the first bespoke commercial vertiport for eVTOL integrated within Volocopter’s approved flights routes in Paris. Commenting on the test, Hoke said:
“Everyone at Volocopter is incredibly proud of how far the company has come and what it means to fly today at Saint-Cyr-l’École. City launches take time to establish a foothold on the ground, and through open communication and dedication, Volocopter has become an embodiment of trust, from our partners, Europe’s leading aviation authorities, and Paris which has become one of the most advanced IAM networks in the world […] We still aspire to fly at the Austerlitz vertiport later this year. Beyond that, we concentrate on the Type Certification of the VoloCity and will start the test phase of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Germany together with our partner ADAC Luftrettung in 2025.”
Adding a new mobility layer to a city is a complex process where safety must remain paramount. For insights from the CEO & Head of UAM at Airbus, Balkiz Sarihan, into what this process entails, watch this short conversation. To hear more on the topic in person, Billy Nolen, Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer at Archer will be answering the question, ‘is the industry ready for the developments in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)?’ at Aerospace Tech Week Americas. Book your ticket for free to find out the answer.
At Aerospace Tech Week, Franc Sanmartí, Director of Sustainability & Aeropolitical Affairs, Vueling Airlines joined to share his insights on the industry’s progress towards the net-zero by 2050 target. This five-minute conversation looked at key targets within the airline, the vital role of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other emission-cutting initiatives, and Sanmartí’s perspective on the Single European Skies agreement.
Emphasising the importance of SAF, Sanmartí noted that when reducing emissions, 60-70 per cent will come from SAF, compared to 20 per cent from new aircraft technology, 10 per cent from operational efficiency, and the rest from innovations like carbon capture. This highlights that although SAF is critical for the industry’s decarbonisation journey, other efficiency-based tech innovation also has its part to play.
Touching on the Single European Sky agreement, Sanmartí explained that effective digitalisation and innovation can achieve the same emission reduction that the agreement initially proposed. To unlock this, collaboration within the industry and across the value chain will be crucial.
Watch the full interview below for more.
Questions asked include:
Do you think the industry is where it needs to be to hit the net-zero by 2050 targets?
What balance are you striking between investment in SAF and investment in sustainability focused technologies?
Are you satisfied with the Single European Sky agreement’s ability to drive meaningful progress with regards to sustainability?
Farnborough International Airshow has seen some major announcements this week, with several large orders despite ongoing supply chain issues. By the end of day two, Forbes reported a total of 187 orders between Airbus and Boeing, with Boeing in the lead at 118 orders compared to Airbus’ 69.
US-based Boeing has enjoyed a number of deals, with Qatar Airways ordering 20 more 777-9 planes bringing its total order to nearly 100 aircraft, a deal which Reuters identified as nearly $4 billion. Boeing also secured an order from Macquarie Airfinance for 20 737 MAX-8 planes, estimated to be worth around $1 billion.
Airbus’ key orders included 20 Airbus A350-900 twin-aisle planes and 11 single-aisle A321neo aircraft for Japan Airlines, worth over $3 billion, in addition to six A320neo family aircraft for Berniq Airways, and seven Airbus A330-900s for Virgin Atlantic estimated at $800 million. Speaking on the order, Shai Weiss, CEO, Virgin Atlantic said:
“Our special partnership with Airbus began with the arrival of ‘Lady in Red’ in 1993, with our most recent arrival, ‘Ruby Rebel’, arriving to mark our 40th birthday this year. Virgin Atlantic has flown more than 60 Airbus tails in the last three decades. While not first to the party, they’ve been our main dance partner, making our customers smile ever since.”
Despite these orders, the persistent supply chain challenges remain front of mind for many, with flydubai’s CEO Ghaith al-Ghaith criticising Boeing on Monday:
“So in March, we were told your 12 aircraft is now going to be eight. So now in July, just last week, we were told, out of the eight, we’ve already received four and we’re not going to receive anything more. From our point of view, this is where there is frustration, and we felt like we had to say something.”
From 2025, Heathrow will use digital twin technology developed by NATS to tackle emissions at the airport. The Demand Capacity Balancer (DCB), ‘digital twin’ already predicts and models operational performance in near real-time at the airport but will soon be used to reduce CO2 emissions.
The DCB is a predictive decision-making tool developed by NATS and Frequentis Orthogon that accurately forecasts demand, capacity, and performance metrics from the day of operations and up to six months in advance.
Rolling out a new series of environmental performance-based features, NATS is supporting Heathrow in understanding the most efficient operating plan to reduce emissions. The press release revealed this these improvements would reduce airborne holding and fuel burn and could result in CO2 savings up to 30,000 tonnes a year.
Kelly Stone, Head of Airport Operations, Heathrow said:
“It is fantastic to see the DCBs use extended to environmental performance. Small incremental steps like this are vital to reduce ‘in the air’ emissions to reach Heathrow’s goal of net zero by 2050. I am grateful for NATS’ ongoing commitment in bringing world first technology to Heathrow helping us be an extraordinary airport, fit for the future.”
Guy Adams, Managing Director of NATS Services, said:
“DCB is a proven success at Heathrow, helping save several millions of pounds a year by reducing delay, so it makes perfect sense to harness that same analytical technology to include environmental performance. No other airport in the world has this capability, and NATS is proud to be supporting Heathrow’s ambition.”
At Aerospace Tech Week Europe, Stephen Snyder, Managing Director, JetBlue Ventures joined for a five-minute discussion into the current innovation landscape. Snyder described the space as dynamic, with capital readily available and continued excitement around artificial intelligence (AI). Highlighting the technology’s current position in the trough of disillusionment, Snyder explained why this is an exciting point in the hype cycle for an investor, where applications shift from theoretical to practical and investors can advocate for their future.
Looking ahead, Snyder predicted sustainability-based technologies will be dominating the market 5-10 years into the future, with eVTOL aircraft, hydrogen propulsion, and hybrid electric tech poised to support the industry’s transition to net zero.
Discussing innovation in this safety critical sector, Snyder reiterated that while there is no margin for error, “we also cannot stall when it comes to innovation.” He urged that we must shift the mindset around safety and innovation from “either, or” to “both, and.”
Watch the full interview now.
Questions asked include:
How would you characterise the current innovation landscape with regards to Aerospace?
If we think 5-10 years into the future, what technologies will still be dominating the market?
How do you strike a balance between the importance of safety & security and the need for innovation?
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) have long been sparking conversation around what the future of transport will look like. With recent major developments in the AAM sector, this is evolving from concept to imminent reality. Balkiz Sarihan, CEO & Head of UAM at Airbus shared her insights on this journey and what it could mean for our cities.
Firstly discussing the promise of AAM, Sarihan described what adding a new mobility layer to a city would look like and the potential it offers for revolutionising how we live our lives and design our cities.
The conversation also touched on the challenges that come with integrating this technology into the broader ecosystem, where Sarihan cautioned that patience and safety are paramount and fostering collaboration across stakeholders is essential.
Looking ahead, Sarihan unpacked the steps need to mature AAM aircraft, mentioning investment, safety standards, and user interface.
Questions asked:
Can you briefly summarise the transformative potential of Advanced Air Mobility?
What are the major challenges you foresee when it comes to the broader ecosystem of Urban Air Mobility? How are you pre-empting these?
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