Skift Travel News Blog

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has announced that one of its Gulfstream G600 aircraft has successfully completed the world’s first trans-Atlantic flight powered by 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). 

The aircraft, which departed the company’s headquarters in Savannah, Georgia on November 19, landed almost seven hours later at Farnborough Airport in England.  

The SAF used on the flight was comprised of 100% Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (neat HEFA), and was produced by World Energy and delivered by World Fuel Services.

According to a release, it is hoped the data collected from this flight will ‘help Gulfstream and its key suppliers gauge aircraft compatibility with future low-aromatic renewable fuels, particularly under cold temperatures for extended flight durations.’

“Gulfstream is innovating for a sustainable future,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream.

“One of the keys to reaching business aviation’s long-term decarbonization goals is the broad use of SAF in place of fossil-based jet fuel. The completion of this world-class flight helps to advance business aviation’s overarching sustainability mission and create positive environmental impacts for future generations.”

Emirates has announced that its first flights operating with sustainable aviation fuel in the Emirates have taken place, with Emirates’ flight EK 412 bound for Sydney departing Dubai International Airport on 24 October. 

315,000 gallons of blended sustainable aviation fuel has been provided to the airline’s hub in Dubai by Shell, and according to a release, has enabled the airline to ‘power a number of missions’ over the course of the last few weeks.

The supplied blend has chemical characteristics that are identical to conventional jet fuel, which means that integrating the fuel into the existing infrastructure and aircraft engines can be seamlessly actioned with no modifications required.

“We’re pushing ahead with proactive measures to enable more sustainable flying now and in the future, and powering flights from our Dubai hub is just one of the steps we’ve taken to reduce emissions and concretely help our customers minimize their own carbon footprint. We still have a long road ahead, and we hope that our partnership with Shell Aviation inspires more producers to address the supply gaps and make SAF readily available in major hubs like Dubai, as well as other points on our network,” said Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline.

Finnair has announced that it will be giving the interiors of its Embraer aircraft a refresh in the coming years. 

According to a release from the Finnish carrier, the new cabins will build off the familiar elements introduced in the carrier’s new long-haul aircraft cabins and will provide a ‘fresh and inviting interior’ for passengers. 

There are 12 jet engine aircraft in the Finnair fleet, which are used to fly Finnair’s domestic and European destinations, and the first renewed aircraft are expected to operate at the end of 2024 with the project due to be completed in 2025. 

“We want to improve travel comfort and provide our customers with a high-quality travel experience across our route network”, says Ole Orvér, chief commercial officer for Finnair. 

“We will bring similar elements and feeling to our Embraer fleet as we have used in our previously redesigned Airbus wide-body aircraft”.  

You can take a look at the new long-haul aircraft cabins in the video below:

Air Canada has unveiled the first of its upgraded Airbus A321’s, featuring a host of new features that have been implemented to improve ‘customer comfort’.

The new aircraft, which has been redesigned from nose to tail, features a new cabin interior along with a range of new technologies, including a new in-flight entertainment system with bluetooth audio, free high-speed internet, larger overhead bins, upgraded seating, LED mood lighting and exterior cameras.

The new cabins will also see a reduced fuel consumption of more than 2.4 million litres per year when the work has been completed across the entire fleet, thanks to a weight reduction of approximately 240 kilograms. 

“We’re proud to welcome customers on board to experience the comfort, convenience, and connectivity of our latest cabins. These upgraded fleet interiors will align the A320s and A321s to the highly popular A220 experience, further strengthening our industry leading product offering,” said Mark Nasr, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Digital, and President of Aeroplan.

“Additionally, new features such as our inflight entertainment system streaming exterior aircraft camera feeds, Bluetooth connectivity, and free, fast internet connectivity will be extremely popular with travelers. We will continue advancing our product leadership by trialing more new in-flight experiences with this A321 and expanding those learnings to additional aircraft in our fleet.”  

Retrofitting on Air Canada’s remaining Airbus A321s and A320s will begin this fall and is slated to be completed by the end of 2025.

A specially developed small gas turbine designed to power hybrid-electric flight has successfully completed its first fuel burn, according to an announcement from Rolls-Royce.

The ultra low emission technology, which utilizes novel combustion technology, will form part of a new turbogenerator system within the engine maker’s electrical propulsion portfolio. 

The complete turbogenerator system is being developed for the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) market – which includes electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) or electric short take-off and landing (eSTOL) aircraft – and will, according to Rolls-Royce, ‘open up new, longer routes than electric battery powered aircraft can support today.’

You can take a look at the video released by Rolls-Royce to learn more about the technology below:

“Rolls-Royce is developing all-electric and hybrid-electric power and propulsion systems for the Advanced Air Mobility market. The first fuel burn of our brand-new small gas turbine is a significant leap forward with successful stages throughout the test from light-up to the pull-away of the system,” said Matheu Parr, customer director, electrica at Rolls-Royce. 

“This significant achievement follows the fast-paced development time of the new gas turbine from concept freeze to ‘pass to test’ in under 2 years. The turbogenerator system will enable our customers to extend the routes that electric flight can support and means more passengers will be able to travel further on low and potentially net zero emissions aircraft.”

Qatar Airways has revealed its latest onboard theme song, ‘The Ascent’, which has been composed by Dana Al Fardan and performed by members of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.

‘The Ascent’ marks the trilogy of the two previous onboard theme songs, ‘The Awakening’ and ‘The Dawn’.

The theme song, introduces a unique fusion of Arabic charm intertwined with classical music, achieved through the incorporation of traditional Arabic instruments such as the Ney and the Rababa alongside the piano, violin, viola, and cello.

“As a composer, I really want to capture the sounds from my country and explore the nuances of different Arabic instruments, rhythmic patterns, and flourishes. The idea is to preserve the authenticity of one style of sound and build it into another in a way that fits without one having to accommodate the other by deconstructing itself,” Said Dana Al Fardan.

“Music is a universal language, and at Qatar Airways we have chosen a theme song that uplifts the passengers and transcends them to a wonderful destination. I am proud of Dana Al Fardan, not only is she showcasing our Qatari culture through sophisticated art, but her onboard music has also become synonymous with Qatar Airways’ brand identity. It is now directly associated with travel, culture, and luxury. It brings me great pleasure to welcome passengers onboard with the rhythms of Dana’s new symphony,” Said,  His Excellency, Mr. Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways Group.

Air France is set to commemorate its 90th anniversary with a fashion exhibition that will take over the window display at the Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann.  

The exhibition, which will run from 28 September to 10 October 2023, will showcase five dresses designed by Xavier Ronze, head of the costume design workshops at the Paris Opera Ballet. 

The designer took inspiration for the dresses from the signature hallmarks of the airline, including aircraft and technology, uniforms and fashion, its iconic posters, fine dining and tableware, and design and architecture.

In addition to the window display, the exhibition will also feature a selection of vintage Air France memorabilia, as well as a number of pop-up stores carrying items that have been specially created or reissued to commemorate the anniversary.

Visitors will also have the chance to attend real fashion shows retracing the company’s uniform heritage, with models dressed in the uniforms of pilots, cabin crew, airport staff and mechanics taking over a dedicated area of the store.

Air France boasts a rich history of collaborating with famous fashion houses to design its crew uniforms, encapsulating the essence of ‘French elegance’, as demonstrated in the video below:

The Finnish Border Guard will allow passengers on selected Finnair flights to and from the UK to pass through border control at Helsinki Airport using new Digital Travel Credentials (DTC) from 28 August 2023.

The pilot project forms part of a reported world first pilot program, which has been launched in cooperation with Finnair, the Finnish Police and Finavia.

DTC is a digital version of a physical passport, and according to a release from the Finnish Border Guard, is ‘equally reliable and will allow smooth and fast border crossings without compromising security.’

Passengers flying with Finnair on the London, Manchester and Edinburgh routes will now be able to pass through border control by registering as a voluntary DTC user and use it at border control when leaving and/or arriving in Finland.

The European Commission is developing the DTC as part of a larger digital identity policy package, with the European Union committing €2.3 million to co-fund the project.

The pilot will run at Helsinki Airport from Monday 28 August 2023 until the end of February 2024.

You can register as a DTC user at the police service points in Tikkurila or at Helsinki Airport by following the instructions on the Finnish Border Guard’s website.

Oman Air has introduced a new initiative across its fleet, which sees the plastic used to wrap passenger blankets and mattresses in its premium cabins replaced with an friendly, paper-based alternative.

The introduction of the paper bands will result in a reduction of up to 21.6 ton of plastic per year, according to a release from the carrier.

“In a concerted effort guided by our in-house experts and bolstered by collaborations with partners and vendors, we have successfully achieved another milestone in our sustainability efforts. This pivotal step aligns seamlessly with our corporate strategy to reduce waste and choose more environmentally friendly products, reflecting our commitment to national sustainability goals,” said Captain Nasser bin Ahmed Salmi, acting chief executive officer at Oman Air.

The initiative forms part of a wider initiative for Oman Air, as it aims to phase out the use of single-use plastics on board its aircrafts, including plastic sleeves used to load cutlery and reducing plastic water bottles and cuplets by up to 50% on certain routes. In 2023, it has also replaced 80% of its in-flight service carts with lightweight alternatives, providing a considerable boost to fuel efficiency.

Boom Supersonic, the company building the world’s fastest airliner, Overture, has completed several key milestones with its technology demonstrator aircraft, the XB-1.

The XB-1 aircraft is playing a vital role in enabling the development of the Overture aircraft, which is a sustainable supersonic airliner that has been designed to fly at Mach 1.7 and run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel. 

Boom Supersonic announced last week that the demonstrator aircraft had completed its first round of taxi testing, in addition to extensive ground testing since moving to the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California earlier this year.

You can take a look at a video released showcasing the ground test below:

“The recent progress made towards XB-1’s first flight reflects the team’s collective efforts to build and safely fly the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO at Boom Supersonic. 

The supersonic demonstrator ‘leverages 60 years of progress in airplane technologies like carbon fiber composites, advanced avionics, and digitally-optimized aerodynamics to enable sustainable supersonic travel,’ according to a release from the company.

In addition to the ongoing testing, XB-1 recently received an experimental airworthiness certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and letters of authorization have been awarded to allow Chief Test Pilot Bill “Doc” Shoemaker and test pilot Tristan “Gepetto” Brandenburg to fly XB-1 over the Mojave desert.