6
Flightpath.
» AIR NAVIGATION
INVESTING IN SPACE
Nav Canada has invested an additional $40 million in Aireon, a joint venture with Iridium Communications increasing Nav Canada’s ownership of Aireon to 18.7%. Aireon’s mandate is to take advantage of the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation to deliver global aircraft surveillance through Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) receivers on the satellites. Aireon will provide space-based air traffic monitoring services to air navigation service providers (ANSPs) around the world as the new constellation becomes operational, with full capability expected by 2017. This will extend air traffic surveillance to vast regions of the globe, promising a quantum leap in fuel savings and avoided CO2 emissions for airlines. The savings stem from the increased ability to use more optimal altitudes and routes, due to the expanded capacity of airspace formerly limited to less efficient procedural separation. The ADS-B data will enable Nav Canada to deploy this new satellite-based surveillance capability in its North Atlantic ai rspace operations — the busiest oceanic airspace in the world with some 1,200 flights per day. Nav Canada estimates customer fuel savings on the North Atlantic alone of over $125 million per year as a result of this new capability, as well as reduced greenhouse gas emissions of 328,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalents annually.
[ALASKA AIRLINES]
1
» AIRLINES / BIOFUEL
ALASKA AIRLINES IN BIOFUEL DEAL
Alaska Airlines and Hawai’i BioEnergy have signed an agreement for the carrier to purchase sustainable biofuel for its aircraft. Founded in 2006, Hawai’i BioEnergy is a consortium of three of Hawaii’s largest landowners and three venture capital companies who plan to use locally grown feedstocks to produce biofuels. Alaska Airlines is Hawai’i BioEnergy’s second customer, and the first airline to sign a contract. Hawai’i BioEnergy will ramp up production of the sustainable fuels within five years of regulatory approval,
» AIRPORTS
allowing Alaska Airlines to begin procuring sustainable jet fuel for its Hawaii flights possibly as soon as fall 2018. “We are pleased to be partnering with Hawai’i BioEnergy to encourage the production and commercial distribution of sustainable fuels,” said Keith Loveless, Alaska Air Group’s executive vice president and general counsel. “Beyond the environmental advantages, it improves the fuel supply integrity in the state of Hawaii, which will allow for the further growth of our airline operations throughout the Islands.”
The feedstock for the biofuel is anticipated to be woody biomass-based and will be consistent with the sustainability criteria established by the Roundtable for Sustainable Biofuels, an international multi-stakeholder initiative concerned with ensuring the sustainability of biomass production and processing. Alaska Airlines has reduced its carbon footprint intensity by 30% since 2004. In 2011, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air were the first domestic airlines to fly multiple passenger flights powered by a biofuel blend.
EDI EXCEEDS RECYCLING TARGET
Edinburgh Airport has exceeded the Scottish Government’s zero waste targets after recycling 82% of its waste last year. In 2012, Edinburgh Airport sent an average of 12.3 tonnes of food waste per month to a recycling plant which helps to generate electricity. This is the same amount of waste produced per month by over 900 average households and has increased from 7.7 tonnes in 2011 with the national target being to recycle 75% of all of Scotland’s waste by 2025. Scotland’s busiest airport has also been rewarded for its recycling efforts by receiving gold status in the National Recycling Stars Awards for outstanding recycling performance. The airport has also received a grant for over £48,000 from Zero Waste Scotland which has helped with the installation of 75 new recycling bins throughout the terminal. David Wilson, Edinburgh Airport’s chief operating officer, said “We are delighted to be supporting the Recycle for Scotland Campaign, in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland. We are the only Scottish Airport so far to have been awarded funding. Our new recycling bins will improve the quality of recycling and send a clear message to UK and international visitors that Edinburgh Airport and Scotland is serious about recycling”. These new recycling bins will be in busy, public areas to make it easier to recycle on the go at Edinburgh Airport, and we urge visitors to make use of these new facilities.”