FIA2024: Airbus Doubles Down on Sustainable Aviation

‍DALLAS — Airbus has announced its investment in producer of sustainable fuels technology LanzaJet as part of its mission to serve as a catalyst for the worldwide development of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

The European manufacturer also announced it is partnering with aircraft lessor Avolon to explore the potential of hydrogen-powered aircraft.

The Airbus investment in LanzaJet will allow the beneficiary to increase its capacity to scale its Ethanol to SAF process technology which supports the development of the Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) pathway, a crucial step necessary to manufacture SAF at scale.

As for the Avolon partnership, this is the first time Airbus' ZEROe Project works with an operational lessor.

LanzaJet's AJT Technology

With a suite of carbon reduction technologies, LanzaJet's technology can further reduce emissions, according to the Airbus release. Low-carbon ethanol is used to make SAF, which, when compared to fossil fuels, cuts greenhouse gas emissions by over 70% over the course of its lifecycle.

LanzaJet's ATJ technology SAF is an authorized drop-in fuel that works with current aircraft engines and related hardware. LanzaJet is currently initiating the first-ever commercial-scale production of ethanol-to-SAF in history at the company's Freedom Pines Fuels.

Airbus notes that the US-based facility will serve as a model for scaling up the production of SAF and produce renewable diesel and SAF from sustainable and low-carbon ethanol.

Airbus Links with Avalon

In a related effort, this time to explore the possibilities of hydrogen-powered aircraft, Airbus and Dublin-based aircraft lessor Avolon launched a new partnership at FIA2024.

Airbus and Avolon announced they would look at the financing, commercialization, and potential leasing business model support for future hydrogen-powered aircraft.

Airbus says it is dedicating substantial resources to investigating the industry's potential for introducing hydrogen-powered aircraft and its operational mechanisms with airports and carriers. The industry's objective of achieving nearly zero emissions is greatly aided by the creation of a sustainable hydrogen ecosystem.

Avolon revealed orders for 310 new engines to power 155 Airbus A320neo family aircraft in its order book yesterday at FIA2024. The lessor placed orders with CFM International for 150 LEAP-1A engines and Pratt & Whitney for 160 GTF engines.