Tag: Airbus

Airbus renews its transatlantic fleet with lower-emission ships

Stuart Mitchell

Airbus will renew the entire fleet of chartered vessels that transport aircraft subassemblies between production facilities in Europe and the United States with three modern, low-emission roll-on/roll-off vessels, supported by wind-assisted propulsion. Airbus has commissioned shipowner Louis Dreyfus Armateurs to build, own and operate these new, highly efficient vessels that will enter into service from 2026. The new fleet is expected to reduce average annual transatlantic CO2 emissions from 68,000 to 33,000 tonnes by 2030. This will contribute to Airbus’ commitment to reduce its overall industrial emissions by up to…

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Contrail-chasing Blue Condor makes Airbus’ first full hydrogen-powered flight

Stuart Mitchell

The modified glider at the centre of Airbus UpNext’s hydrogen contrail-studying experiment, Blue Condor, made its first hydrogen-powered flight over Nevada in the United States on 8 November. The flight was the company’s first ever to use hydrogen as the sole fuel source, and it kicked off a test campaign that will conclude in a contrail-measuring mission in early 2024. Hydrogen offers aviation a path to low-carbon operations, yet its combustion produces contrails just like conventional jet fuel. Hydrogen contrails, however, differ significantly. They don’t contain soot or sulphur oxides,…

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easyJet signs up to Airbus’ pioneering carbon removal solution

Stuart Mitchell

easyJet has become the first airline in the world to sign a contract with Airbus for its carbon-removal initiative. Available through the Airbus Carbon Capture Offer, the technology uses Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS), to offer airlines worldwide carbon removal credits to advance their decarbonisation goals.  DACCS technology filters and removes CO2 emissions directly from the air using high powered extraction fans. Once removed from the air, the CO2 is safely and permanently stored in underground reservoirs. CO2 emissions released into the atmosphere during aircraft operations cannot be directly…

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Airbus to install new fuel-saving sails for maritime operations

Stuart Mitchell

Airbus will equip one of the vessels it uses to transport aircraft subassemblies, chartered from shipowner Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, with a wind-assisted propulsion technology that captures wind energy to generate thrust and, therefore, delivers savings in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The eSAIL, developed by the Spain-based firm bound4blue, creates as much as six to seven times more lift than a conventional rigid sail. It consists of a sail-like vertical surface and an electric-powered air suction system that helps the airflow to re-adhere to the sail, generating additional lift and…

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Consortium lays pathway for green hydrogen aviation to take flight in New Zealand

Stuart Mitchell

A new report called ‘Launching green hydrogen powered aviation in Aotearoa New Zealand’ demonstrates how the consortium members could work together to remove up to 900,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year by 2050 through the use of hydrogen-fuelled aircraft flying New Zealand domestic routes. The Report has just been released by the New Zealand Hydrogen Aviation Consortium – a partnership of six international businesses Airbus, Air New Zealand, Christchurch Airport, Fortescue, Hiringa Energy and Fabrum. Launched in February 2023, the Consortium has spent the last six months examining the…

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