by Elsie Clark | Feb 24, 2026 | Innovation, Sustainability
Zero-emissions taxiing is the focus of a new project backed by the UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK. Led by Airbus, a consortium of partners including Drive System Design (DSD), Evolito, and the University of Southampton will work together to advance an electric wheel taxi system.
Such a solution could reduce taxi emissions by 47%, as aircraft could take off without deploying their main engines. Called Project SONATA, the consortium will develop a low speed, high torque electric motor and other infrastructure to support development.
Commenting on DSD’s involvement, Chris McDonald, the UK Government Minister for Industry, said:
Aviation needs to be sustainable on both land and air to reach Jet Zero, and that’s why this government is backing this innovative project by DSD to electrify aircraft ground operations. The UK’s world class aerospace sector has a key role to play in this race, and that’s why we’re doubling down on support for the sector through our Modern Industrial Strategy, delivering innovation and good jobs.
IATA named climate change-related disruption as one of the aviation industry’s top risks for 2026. The increasing frequency of extreme weather events will make running flights more difficult and less predictable, making improved sustainability an operational necessity. If successful, projects such as SONATA could go some way to mitigating these risks while reducing aviation’s overall environmental impact.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026, where we’ll be hosting key partners from the UK aerospace industry to discuss key sustainability questions.
For more like this, see:
by Elsie Clark | Feb 17, 2026 | Innovation, Sustainability
An icon of British and French engineering, the first commercial Concorde flight took off 50 years ago on 21 January 1976. But more than two decades after the famous jet touched down for the last time, are supersonic aircraft making a return above the Atlantic?
Capable of flying between New York and London in three-and-a-half hours, Concorde could travel at 1,354 miles (2,179 km) per hour — more than twice the speed of sound. The jet has come to epitomise both technological prowess and luxury, with tickets for a one-way flight in 1976 costing an eye-watering US$2,800 in today’s money.
An executive order from President Donald Trump has lifted the ban on commercial supersonic planes flying over US land, potentially opening a door for a greater number of routes. Meanwhile, companies are developing new premium supersonic commercial jets with modern technology to make them more energy-efficient. Could these twin developments pave the way for supersonic flight taking off again in the next five years?
The heirs to Concorde
Based in Colorado, Boom Supersonic are one developer hoping to revive the age of Concorde. Its Overture jet features an all-premium cabin that could host 60-80 passengers in a swish business-style experience. Compatible with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), Boom claim the aircraft can reach speeds of Mach 1.7 and serve more than 600 global routes. A number of airlines have already placed pre-orders for Overture, including American Airlines, Japan Airlines, and United Airlines.
Overland civil supersonic flights had been banned in the US since 1973 due to concerns over the noise from sonic booms, as well as potential damage to property and people. However, Trump lifted this ban in June 2025, with the White House claiming in a press release:
Advances in aerospace engineering, materials science, and noise reduction now make supersonic flight not just possible, but safe, sustainable, and commercially viable. This order begins a historic national effort to reestablish the United States as the undisputed leader in high-speed aviation.
This executive order opens up the West Coast of the US to supersonic travel. But despite the White House’s claims, is the world ready to embrace Concorde-style travel once more?
Why was Concorde discontinued in the first place?
For all its technological achievements, Concorde faced a number of problems that ultimately contributed to it being retired from service in 2003. To reach its incredibly high speeds, the aircraft needed to consume 6,771 gallons of expensive jet fuel in a single transatlantic flight, making it difficult to run at a profit. Restrictions on overland travel further inhibit revenue, ultimately limiting Concorde deployment to routes between New York, Washington DC, London, and Paris.
Concorde’s environmental impact made it unpopular with the public. Sonic booms resulted in noise complaints, and residents reported windows being broken when the planes flew overhead. Additionally, Concorde was extremely carbon-intensive, producing three times more CO2 than subsonic planes and leaving visible air pollution in its wake.
Concorde’s decline was further accelerated by the Air France Concorde crash in 2000 that killed over 100 people, and the drop in air travel following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But the aircraft’s ultimate failure lay with its unprofitability and environmentally-unfriendly technology.
Would a modern Concorde face the same problems?
Sustainability remains a huge question for the new supersonic jets. Boom Supersonic claim Overture is ‘SAF-compatible’. However, the sustainable fuels market is nowhere near ready to supply subsonic aircraft, let alone the supersonic, on the scale required. As it stands, there can be no justification for launching a jet that could have triple the carbon impact of a regular plane in an industry already struggling to meet net-zero targets.
Furthermore, experts have questioned whether there is sufficient demand for a modern Concorde. Business jets are more popular than ever, and wealthier customers may prefer to avoid commercial aircraft, no matter how fast they fly, when they could travel privately on their own schedule.
In its heyday, one of Concorde’s key benefits was to help business travellers get across continents in as little time as possible. Many meetings are now hosted online through Zoom or Teams, reducing the need for travel. And at the same time, more airlines are investing in high-speed inflight WiFi through Starlink, meaning work can continue even at 30,000 feet in the sky. Is the length of the flight so important now that the customer experience has improved significantly through better connectivity, entertainment, and comfort?
Blake Scholl, CEO of Boom Supersonic, remains confident. He told The Independent in 2025:
We believe in a world where more people can go to more places more often. Sustainable supersonic travel unlocks new possibilities for business relationships, prospects for vacation and opportunities for human connection.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026.
For more like this, see:
by Elsie Clark | Feb 16, 2026 | Innovation, Sustainability
London Heathrow Airport has set the ambitious target of exceeding the UK government’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) target by 2% in 2026. This year, regulations stipulate that 3.6% of all aviation fuel used in the UK should be sustainable. However, Heathrow is going further with a 5.6% target, backed by an £80 million fund.
Matt Gorman, Heathrow’s Director of Sustainability, said:
Sustainable Aviation Fuel is not a hypothetical concept for the future, it’s already producing real impact in 2026. Heathrow is leading the way globally, with 17% of the world’s SAF supply in 2024 used at the airport. SAF is a key lever on aviation’s journey to net zero by 2050, and a key element of Heathrow’s Net Zero Plan. Our incentive delivers real progress today, as well as a future promise for tomorrow.
The initiative forms part of Heathrow’s wider sustainability plans, which will also see it exceed UK government mandates. By 2030, 10% of fuel used in the country must be SAF, but Heathrow plans to scale their targets to achieve 11% SAF use that same year. The £80 million will help make SAF more competitive with traditional kerosene fuels while reducing the cost impact on airlines — a common criticism of existing SAF mandates.
Overall, the plans will see 350,000 tonnes of SAF used at Heathrow in 2026. This results in a carbon saving of approximately 600,000 tonnes, the equivalent of 950,000 economy passengers flying a round-trip between Heathrow and JFK.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026 to discuss sustainable aviation.
For more like this, see:
by Elsie Clark | Jan 28, 2026 | Innovation, Sustainability
EcoCeres has launched its first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in Johor, Malaysia. Growing from Hong Kong, the company’s original facility in Zhangjiagang, China, has made it one of the world’s leading SAF suppliers. The Johor plant will also produce hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and renewable naphtha, and can ultimately operate at a production capacity of 420,000 tonnes a year.
Matti Lievonen, CEO of EcoCeres, said:
The Johor plant is a major step forward for EcoCeres’ regional platform and for Malaysia’s renewable fuel industry.
It also demonstrates our commitment to reliable supply capability and high product quality as customers’ demand for renewable fuel solutions accelerates. This facility supports Malaysia’s transition towards net-zero while strengthening Hong Kong’s strategic position as a regional hub for financing and scaling sustainable energy projects, enabling the supply of sustainable fuels to global industries. Our waste-to-fuel technology proves that economic growth and environmental stewardship can go hand-in-hand.
A 2025 report from IATA found that SAF production potential is 100 million tonnes (Mt) short of what is required by 2050. However, additional research from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) found that multiple countries in the region could become net SAF exporters. As well as Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand have abundant feedstock for supplying the entire Asia-Pacific region, but production needs to scale quickly to meet the demands of airlines and the climate.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026 to discuss sustainable aviation.
For more like this, see:
by Elsie Clark | Jan 14, 2026 | AI & ML, Avionics, Connectivity, Flight Ops IT, Innovation, MRO IT, Sustainability
We are excited to announce a significant strategic update to Aerospace Tech Week 2026: the event will now take place in London, UK!
Moving from Munich, Germany to the world-leading Excel exhibition centre means the event can better serve the evolving needs of the aerospace industry. Additionally, new confirmed dates of 11 – 12 November 2026 give us more time to craft our dynamic exhibitor hall and informative agenda.
Lucy Matthews, Senior Conference Producer for Aerospace Tech Week, said:
Moving Aerospace Tech Week to London represents a major step forward for the event. It gives us the opportunity to grow our audience, expand the technical depth of the programme, and deliver our biggest and best edition yet.
Why join us in London?
- A global gateway: Unrivalled international connectivity to attract a truly global visitor base.
- The hub of innovation: Direct access to the UK’s leading aerospace, tech, and investment sectors.
- Enhanced programme: The new dates provide an extended runway to build our most ambitious conference and exhibition to date.
As we prepare for our biggest edition yet, we are now inviting industry leaders to secure their place in the 2026 programme.
Want to be part of the London launch? Whether you are looking to showcase your latest technology on the exhibition floor, lead the conversation as a speaker, or elevate your brand through sponsorship, we want to hear from you.
Click here to speak, sponsor, or exhibit.
Confirmed speakers already including representatives from the UK Ministry of Defence, Oman Air, Airbus, the Civil Aviation Authority, and TAP Maintenance & Engineering.
We look forward to welcoming you and the rest of the global aerospace community to London in November 2026.
About Aerospace Tech Week
Aerospace Tech Week is an event focused on driving innovation and technology advancements in the aerospace sector. Bringing together senior executives and technical leaders, ATW connects the whole value chain of aerospace to discuss, connect, and collaborate on emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities.
In 2026 we are excited to reunite our community of 1,500 industry experts for two inspiring days featuring over 120 speakers. Key topics covered include AI, avionics, flight ops, and sustainability, while our exhibitor and networking programmes spark connections that drive transformations across the industry.
Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest aerospace news and exclusive interviews straight to your inbox.
by Elsie Clark | Jan 12, 2026 | AI & ML, Innovation, Sustainability
Industry body IATA has named the five risks that most threaten the aviation industry in 2026. With profit margins expected to remain tight at 3.9%, good decision planning and situational awareness will be critical in determining which airlines make it through the year unscathed.
1. Policy fragmentation
Last year saw the aviation industry thrown into chaos by tariffs, and Marie Owens Thomsen, Senior Vice President, Sustainability & Chief Economist, at IATA, reckons trade disruption will continue in the year ahead. However, this time policy fragmentation around the globe will have more impact.
From protectionism to divergence on sustainability and taxation, nations are more inclined than ever to sidestep industry bodies. Owens Thomsen notes:
Such policies raise little money for governments, have little or no impact on emissions, and make air transport more expensive.
2. Supply chain disruptions
This has been an ongoing theme for years now, but unfortunately pressure on supply chains remains high. IATA does not expect delays on aircraft orders to abate until the 2030s, and also highlights that this negatively impacts the pace on sustainable development.
3. Climate change-related disruptions
Rising temperatures are resulting in more extreme weather events. From violent snowstorms to heatwaves, the impact on all industries’ trade and infrastructure cannot be understated. In the years ahead, increased migration from ‘climate refugees’ will place further strain on air transport and immigration authorities.
4. Cyber threats and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Airlines and airports are increasingly turning to technology to improve efficiency and manage greater passenger numbers. Yet the deployment of third-party tech providers also multiplies the frontiers for cyberattack. As a critical industry that hosts a wealth of sensitive data, the aviation world is especially vulnerable.
As for AI, the benefits could take years to realise, and the software is not infallible. Misinformation and loss of privacy could all damage relationships with passengers.
5. Macro-economic outlook
The weakening of the US dollar will have a significant impact on aviation, where over half of its cost base is invoiced in USD. While lower oil prices will benefit airlines, the world economy in general is not inclined to growth, threatening the aviation industry’s already narrow margins.
Nevertheless, IATA see reasons to be optimistic, with 4% of global GDP still linked to air travel. Additionally, they emphasise that a move towards sustainable aviation could generate far greater change than any economic policy.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026.
For more like this, see:
You must be logged in to post a comment.