Copenhagen Airport, a partner and lighthouse airport in Europe’s ALIGHT sustainability program, announced Airbus has recently joined the ALIGHT project. The OEM will contribute its aerospace expertise to advance sustainable aviation. Airbus will share its experience with the intelligent usage of sustainable aviation fuels to reduce CO2 and non-CO2 emissions.
Collaborating with other key partners in ALIGHT, Airbus will perform crucial cost-benefit analyses on future SAF scenarios. These will help determine the feasibility and viability of each identified scenario for sustainable aviation.
“Being able to attract a partner like Airbus is a testament to the robustness of the ALIGHT partnership. Airbus is one of the largest aircraft manufacturers globally. Their unique expertise will add incredible value to our efforts in promoting sustainable aviation and airport operation in Europe,” says Sabrina Tekle Krarup Jensen, Senior Project Manager for Sustainability at Copenhagen Airport.
Since 2020, the European Commission-funded partnership has worked to promote sustainable solutions and technologies for the aviation sector. By adding Airbus to the partnership consortium, ALIGHT can co-develop and test potential models in an aircraft context and with profound expertise on future aircraft and engine technologies.
“The distribution of sustainable aviation fuel at airports is challenging for the entire industry. This is why Airbus has joined the ALIGHT project: to contribute to the modeling of infrastructure for sustainable aviation fuel and renewable energy sources for ground activities in airport operations. In addition, we will collectively develop the aviation ecosystem necessary to bring this model to life,” says Julien Manhes, Airbus Head of Sustainable Aviation Fuel and Fuel Efficiency.
Airbus’ action plan on sustainable aviation fuels
SAF has been identified as one of the key elements in helping achieve emissions reduction goals. Since 2008, Airbus has acted as an essential catalyst in the certification process through demonstration flights, partnerships, and policy advocacy of sustainable aviation fuel. In 2016, Airbus became the first aircraft manufacturer to offer customers SAF on delivery flights. Today, aircraft and helicopters leave Airbus delivery centers with SAF onboard from Toulouse and Marignane in France, Hamburg and Donauworth in Germany, Mobile in the USA, and Tianjin, China.
Airbus operations and logistics are also carried out with SAF, including the fleet of Airbus Belugas from 2019. Airbus’ commercial aircraft, helicopters, and military aircraft can fly with up to 50% SAF blended with kerosene. They will be capable of operating with 100% SAF by 2030. This capability will play an important role in the sector’s decarbonization journey.
About the ALIGHT Sustainability Program
With this new addition to the consortium, the ALIGHT partnership now comprises 17 dedicated partners in 10 different European countries. The partnership model is based on co-creation and knowledge exchange for maximized impact. The project will strive to develop replicable and scalable models for sustainable aviation and airport operations for a better tomorrow.
The ALIGHT project aims to support an efficient airport paradigm shift towards zero-emission aviation and airport operation. It will advance solutions, support knowledge exchange, and provide guidelines and best practice handbooks. The ALIGHT project focuses on two main topics:
- Sustainability Aviation Fuel, including fuel supply chain, usage of sustainable aviation fuel, economics, and sustainability.
- Smart Energy Systems and under this smart energy supply, integration, management, and use.