A green demonstration flight from Los Angeles to Singapore has resulted in a reduction in flight time of 30 minutes, with a saving of 10,686kg of fuel and a reduction in carbon emissions of 33,769kg. The Singapore Airlines flight, as part of the Asia and Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE) scheme, employed air traffic management best practices and was the world’s first multi-sector demonstration green flight.

During the departure phase, the aircraft was given priority clearance from air traffic control for taxiing and departure. The time taken for the aircraft to get from the parking bay to the runway was minimised by assigning it the shortest possible route, and the aircraft was given an unimpeded take-off without restrictions on speed or aircraft level.

At the cruising phase, User Preferred Route and Dynamic Airborne Reroute procedures were employed, allowing the pilot to capitalise on prevailing wind patterns to alter the aircraft’s flight path to shorten its flight time and achieve greater flight efficiency. In addition, Performance Based Navigation procedures such as a reduction in the lateral and longitudinal separation among flights were employed, allowing the aircraft to use preferred flight paths and levels.

Finally, at the arrival phase, the Optimised Profile Descent technique was used to allow the aircraft to fly with engines set at idle in continuous descent from a high altitude to land at Changi Airport. Upon landing, the aircraft was also assigned the shortest possible route from the runway to the parking bay to minimise fuel consumption.

Yap Ong Heng, director general of Singapore’s air navigation service provider CAAS, said: “The significant reductions in flight time, fuel consumption and carbon emissions provide benchmarks which air navigation service providers and airlines can work towards in the air transport industry’s collaborative commitment and efforts to cut down carbon emissions.”

CAAS says it will now work with airlines to see how the procedures and techniques used for this ASPIRE flight can be applied to regular operations.

jason.holland@ubmaviation.com

Engine washing company Green Flight has announced plans to pay airlines for every tonne of CO2 they do not emit into the atmosphere when using its “GreenWash” service. “We will measure the performance improvement and fuel savings of the engines we GreenWash, and calculate the tonnes of CO2 that didn’t go into the atmosphere. And we will pay the airline for the CO2 emission reductions by way of GreenWash credits,” said Green Flight’s Dennis McMahon. “For every tonne of CO2 emissions saved, we will credit the airline up to $2 towards their future GreenWash engine washes, plus if there is the opportunity to sell those emission reductions into the world carbon markets, we will split the revenue between Green Flight and the airline. That means that airlines can not only save costs on fuel by running their engines more efficiently, they have the chance to make some money from their CO2 reductions.”

Shell International Petroleum has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Brazilian bioethanol producer Cosan to form a $12bn joint venture (JV) that will enable the companies “to establish a scalable and profitable position in sustainable biofuels”. It covers the production of ethanol, sugar and power, and the supply, distribution and retail of transportation fuels. The JV aims to establish a market-leading position, and Shell cited Brazil, where the venture will be based, as the most efficient ethanol producing country in the world. The JV would have an initial annual production capacity of about 2 billion litres. Mark Williams, Royal Dutch Shell’s downstream director, said: “We see joining with Cosan as a way to grow the role of low-carbon, sustainable biofuels in the global transportation fuel mix. The joint venture would also enable Shell to set up a material and profitable biofuels business, with the potential to deploy next generation technologies.” The companies will now work towards finalising the agreement.

Garuda Indonesia has signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to utilise its carbon offset programme. Passengers will now be able to decide whether or not to pay to cover their own carbon footprint for their flight when booking online, according to the airline. Once fully implemented, IATA’s software allows passengers to calculate the compensation required, the volume of reduced CO2 emissions needed and available emission reduction activities. Garuda is the 15th airline to participate in the initiative.

CFM International (CFMI) said the 'eCore 1', a demonstrator core for the LEAP-X engine programme, is to begin the second test phase in 1Q 2010. The engine core features an eight-stage high-pressure compressor, an advanced version of the TAPS II lean burn, low emissions combustor, and a single-stage high-pressure turbine. These tests will focus on aerodynamic performance parameters; the aeromechanical properties of the blades and how they respond to vibration and natural frequencies; and operability to ensure the engine maintains stall-free operation. All of the data collected from these tests will feed into 'eCore 2', which features a two-stage turbine and is on schedule to begin testing in mid-2011.

Finnish airline Blue1 has become one of the first network carriers in the Nordic countries to receive an ISO 14001 certificate for its environmental management system. Auditing and certification of Blue1’s environmental management system was provided by Bureau Veritas Certification Finland. The airline said its environmental system focuses on flight, cabin and technical operations.

Barack Obama's $3.8tn budget proposal for the 2011 fiscal year (which begins on October 1) has included significant funding for the NextGen air traffic control programme. Funding has increased by 30 per cent from the previous fiscal year, to $1.1bn. Funding has also been set aside for biofuel research, much to the approval of the Air Transport Association of America (ATA). "We commend the Department of Agriculture's continued commitment to alternative fuels by reprogramming monies to fund a variety of other programmes, including support for biorefineries to utilise advanced biomass crops and research designed to create cellulosic and advanced biofuels," said ATA president and CEO James May.

A legal challenge by the US Air Transport Association, American Airlines, Continental Airlines and United Airlines against their inclusion in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) has been referred to the European Court of Justice by the UK government. It is believed that this will lead to the quickest resolution of the case.

Aviation can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50 per cent below business-as-usual (BAU) levels by 2050, according to a new report from the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. The report, Aviation and Marine Transportation: GHG Mitigation Potential and Challenges, examines growth projections for emissions and options to reduce those emissions. It says that under BAU forecasts, CO2 emissions from global aviation are estimated to grow 3.1 per cent per year over the next 40 years, resulting in a 300 per cent increase in emissions by 2050. A range of near-, medium- and long-term options can mitigate this, including improvements in operational efficiency, improvements in the energy efficiency of engines and the design of aircraft, and transitioning to less carbon-intensive fuels and transportation modes. Implementation of these options could result in reductions of more than 50 per cent below BAU levels by 2050 from global aviation, it concludes, but for these reductions to be realised, international and domestic policy intervention is required.

The US Chamber of Commerce president Tom Donohue says the Obama administration’s proposed climate regulations should be rethought as they would raise costs for businesses in light the current economic landscape. Donuhue believes implementing the climate regulations would slow economic recovery. He stated: "Congress, the administration and the states must recognise that our weak economy simply could not sustain all the new taxes, regulations and mandates now under consideration. It's a sure-fire recipe for a double-dip recession, or worse." Donohue made the comments during his annual State of American Business speech. As part of the climate regulations, Obama has proposed offering loans and grants for aviation projects.