by Elsie Clark | Apr 9, 2026 | Innovation, Sustainability
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a new process that could significantly cut the cost of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.
The US-based research team have found a method of turning ethanol into jet fuel components in a single step, radically simplifying a process that usually requires multiple stages. Off the back of this discovery, Biofuel company Gevo are licensing the technology from ORNL to test the process on a larger scale.
Andrew Sutton, senior scientist in the Manufacturing Science Division at ORNL, said:
This partnership will streamline the transition of ORNL’s catalyst technologies from lab scale to pilot-scale reactors. By demonstrating industrial viability, our goal is to accelerate the commercialisation of this technology in the US, boosting global competitiveness and domestic production of aviation fuel.
SAF is derived from plant- or waste-based feedstocks. From these materials, ethanol is then converted to olefins, which are in turn transformed into fuel. By developing a one-step method for turning ethanol into olefins, ORNL could significantly accelerate the efficiency of SAF production while also reducing costs.
Many aviation industry calculations for net zero rest on the assumption that SAF will scale to meet commercial demand. As air travel only increases in popularity, finding innovative ways to boost production fast are critical to mitigating climate change. Industry body IATA has warned that aviation needs to build momentum on SAF or airlines risk falling well short of their sustainability targets.
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by Elsie Clark | Mar 23, 2026 | Connectivity
An aircraft has crashed with a ground vehicle at New York’s LaGuardia airport, resulting in multiple casualties.
The incident occurred on the evening of 22 March as an Air Canada Express landed. A CRJ-900, the aircraft recorded speeds of 39kmph as it hit the firefighting vehicle, which was on the tarmac attending to a separate incident. Both pilots were killed and several people seriously injured. As a result, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced they would close until it was safe to resume operations. The airport serves as a regional hub and handles around 30 million passengers a year, causing significant disruption to aviation across the Americas.
Photographers captured severe damage to the nose of the CRJ-900 as a result of the incident. Recent years have seen a notable uplift in ground and airborne collisions across the US, which have largely been blamed on a shortage of air traffic personnel. In October 2025, LaGuardia was the scene of another incident where two regional Delta jets collided at a taxiway intersection. Clipped wings and scrapes between aircraft have also taken place at Chicago O’Hare and San Francisco airports in the past year.
The ATC shortage has been exacerbated by the current government shutdown, which means many air traffic controllers are working without pay. Reports suggest that the controller managing the Air Canada flight was simultaneously responsible for overseeing a fire risk on a United aircraft due to a lack of staff.
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by Elsie Clark | Jan 29, 2026 | Innovation
This interview is taken from our sister site, World Aviation Festival.
Handling 87 million passengers every year, Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) is the third-busiest airport in the world. At the same time, for three consecutive years, Airports Council International (ACI) has recognised DFW as one of the best large airports in North America. So how does the Texan airport achieve its high customer service scores while processing such huge traveller numbers?
Paul Puopolo, DFW’s Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, believes tech investment has been instrumental to improving airport processes and enhancing the traveller experience.
We began our innovation journey about six years ago, and one of the things that we did was we looked at customer needs. On the innovation side, our team really tries to take a human-centric approach.
Among the security measures Puopolo has overseen are streamlined security, a private 5G network, biometrics, and artificial intelligence (AI) systems. DFW’s new Terminal F, currently in construction, also represents an opportunity to rethink airport design. When complete, the US$1.6 billion project will boast self-service bag drops, e-gates, and sensors for managing passenger flow.
When we build new infrastructure, we want to make sure it’s a little bit more flexible. So as customer needs change, we can change. We don’t want to end up being like a mall that nobody goes to anymore.
Advanced air mobility (AAM) is one such consideration. A ‘when, not if’ evolution for the industry, Puopolo is watching sandbox initiatives in the Middle East to see how eVTOLs and air taxis could be incorporated at DFW once they receive FAA certification. He currently forecasts that AAM services could go live in 2028, but for this to be possible DFW needs to prepare now.
We believe air taxis are coming to the airport, and being a feeder route is important to us. But for that to happen, we have to make our infrastructure investments two to three years ahead.
🎥 Watch the interview to hear Paul Puopolo’s full thoughts on AAM integration, tech, and innovation.
Questions asked include:
- What role do you think innovation has played in boosting your customer service rating?
- What are your plans for Terminal F from a tech perspective?
- How can airports implement designs that are tech-forward but also sustainable and long-lasting?
- How do you see air taxis being integrated at DFW in the future?
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026 to discuss the future of advanced air mobility (AAM).
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