Tag: Airbus

Airbus brings digital technology to firefighting

Stuart Mitchell

Airbus has just successfully completed a unique first-of-its-kind trial in forest firefighting. By linking aircraft, helicopters, drones and ground personnel via communication and data processing systems, Airbus has demonstrated the ability to carry out highly accurate water drops and significantly reduce the time between fire detection and extinguishment.  The trial mobilised significant resources, including the Airbus H130 FlightLab helicopter, two aircraft, an ATR 72 test aircraft and a Cirrus SR20 light aircraft, four drones including an Airbus Aliaca, and three lorries from the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service of Le…

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Airbus and Cathay form co-investment partnership for scaling sustainable aviation fuel adoption

Stuart Mitchell

Airbus and the Cathay Group have announced a joint investment of up to US$70 million to accelerate the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production in Asia and globally.  The agreement was announced in Hong Kong on the sidelines of the IATA World Sustainability Symposium at a ceremony hosted by Cathay Chief Operations and Service Delivery Officer Alex McGowan and Airbus President Asia-Pacific Anand Stanley. Under the terms of the partnership, the two companies will collaborate to identify, evaluate and invest in projects that support the scaling of SAF production…

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How aviation partnerships are strengthening humanitarian logistics

Stuart Mitchell

Airbus have posted on their website here an explanation of their new partnerships strengthen their humanitarian efforts, and I felt it might be of interest to some of our readers. The humanitarian sector is facing unprecedented challenges. With a growing number of emergency and protracted crises, coupled with a drastic drop in global funding in 2025, the humanitarian aid community is grappling with how to maximise its resources to continue reaching those most in need. In this critical landscape, strategic partnerships, prioritising flexibility and agility, are not just beneficial, they…

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Biomass, a satellite to look inside the world’s forests like never before

Stuart Mitchell

Most of us learned in school that trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) during photosynthesis, store carbon in their cells, and release oxygen into the atmosphere. This process plays a significant role in the carbon cycle and helps regulate the Earth’s climate. However large-scale data on the amount of carbon stored in the world’s forests and how they are changing over time is not readily available.  This is where ESA’s Earth Explorer Biomass satellite, built by Airbus, comes in. Set to launch in the coming days, this mission aims to fill…

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Airbus launches study on non-CO2 aircraft emissions with Canadian aerospace partners

Stuart Mitchell

Airbus and major Canadian aerospace academic and research organisations have launched a project to measure non-CO2 emissions produced from different jet fuels, including 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).  The project named Contrail Research Yielding STimulating Advanced RQL Learning (CRYSTAL) includes a ground and flight test campaign at Airbus’ Mirabel site in Canada, the A220 Programme headquarters.  The CRYSTAL project aims at measuring emissions on-wing (ground testing) and in-flight emissions and contrails at various altitudes (flight testing) using the A220 flight test aircraft.   Both ground and flight tests will be operating…

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