by Elsie Clark | May 18, 2026 | Flight Ops IT, Innovation
A new microsensor developed by a startup at the University of Surrey can detect ice build-up on an aircraft’s wings in real time.
Surrey Sensors say their 3cm-long sensors will help pilots understand what’s happening to their wings during a flight and ultimately make aviation safer. Dr David Birch, one of the leaders of the project, said:
What’s important is not just detecting ice, but understanding how it is affecting the aircraft’s performance. Combining different sensing approaches will help to make these measurements far more robust – particularly in the harsh conditions where current systems are most vulnerable.
Developed in collaboration with the Canadian Flight Test Centre of Excellence, the sensor could also make aircraft more fuel-efficient by reducing reliance on anti-icing systems. Alistair Chapman, Director of Marketing at Certification Center Canada, added:
Knowing your stall margin in all phases of flight is critical. Combining these technologies will both further address this safety issue and open up new possibilities for a rotary environment. Together, Surrey Sensors Limited and Flight Test Centre of Excellence are poised to set new standards in aerospace safety, efficiency and environmental sustainability through innovative airflow sensing technologies.
Even incremental layers of ice on plane wings can significantly disrupt aircraft aerodynamics. When ice builds up, airflow is reduced, cutting lift, increasing drag, and making take-off more dangerous.
While climate change is mostly associated with rising heat, it increases the frequency of extreme weather of all kinds – including freezing temperatures, hail, and snowstorms. As these events will only become more regular, it is essential that the aviation industry develop better systems for monitoring ice on aircraft to ensure safety on all flights.
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by Elsie Clark | Apr 27, 2026 | Innovation, Sustainability
Now operational in Kent, UK, Clean Planet Technologies has opened a facility that can convert used plastics into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The first plant of its kind in the world, the process takes waste that cannot be recycled and turns it into fuel, producing 75% less carbon than regular jet fuel.
Clean Planet Group say that around 80% of the 5 million tonnes of plastic the UK produces each year go to waste. Its Sustainability Aviation Centre is supported by the Department of Transport’s UK SAF Clearing House, with fuel output to be certified by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
CEO Bertie Stephens commented:
This pilot opens up new ways to make sustainable aviation fuel, just as existing feedstocks such as energy crops are becoming harder to secure. It also positions the UK as a leader in turning waste plastics into SAF, supports UK and European SAF targets and is helping clear the path to commercial‑scale plants later this decade, and remove plastic waste from the environment.
The process begins by shredding the plastic waste into equal pieces, which pass through pyrolysis units to melt them into a synthetic crude oil. This product is then purified, distilled, and hydroprocessed to remove impurities and meet SAF specifications.
The UK government has currently set a SAF mandate of 10% for the aviation industry, which will rise to 22% in 2040. Dr. Katerina Garyfalou, Chief Operating Officer at Clean Planet Technologies, added:
The Sustainability Innovation Centre is set up to demonstrate our patented waste-plastics-to-SAF process at pilot scale, supporting fuel testing, validation and progression. The important thing is that our pilot facility will support the growth of others, helping the UK to meet its SAF mandate.
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by Elsie Clark | Mar 18, 2026 | Sustainability
The UK’s ‘Jet Zero’ taskforce have published their first annual report after the government introduced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) targets at the beginning of 2025.
The mandate sets guidelines for achieving 10% SAF blending by 2030. Supported by a Revenue Certainty Mechanism and a £63 million Advanced Fuels Fund, aviation minister Keir Mather said at the Sustainable Skies World Summit that the progress made so far was ‘encouraging’. He added:
We must be clear eyed that there is still a long way to go on this journey and there are real challenges ahead but there are enormous opportunities too.
The green transition is not only about protecting our planet but also about strengthening our economy and our resilience. In an uncertain world, energy security has never been more important and that is why we must keep building momentum, boosting the production and deployment of SAF, backing technological renovation, improving efficiency and building robust carbon markets.
Alongside scaling SAF, the UK government is expanding the Hydrogen Challenge programme and launching a £240 million fund for next-generation aerospace technologies. Sustainable Aviation also announced a £2 million greenhouse gas removals (GGR) initative alongside the report, with estimates suggesting that the UK’s aviation industry will need 20 to 30 million tonnes of carbon removed each year by 2050.
Duncan McCourt, Chief Executive of Sustainable Aviation, said:
The UK aviation industry is working hard to address its climate impact. Scaling Greenhouse Gas Removals is essential for hard-to-abate sectors, and this Advanced Market Signal is the aviation industry acting now to help stimulate the growth of the GGR sector.
We have also made clear today that the aviation industry supports action to address the non-CO₂ impact of aviation. By accelerating research, trials and collaboration, we can deliver practical solutions that reduce aviation’s full climate impact.
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by Elsie Clark | Feb 19, 2026 | Innovation
European aircraft and aerospace manufacturer Airbus have published their full-year 2025 financial performance, recording revenue of €73.4 billion and a record backlog of 8,754 commercial aircraft.
Revenue was up on 2024’s €69.2 billion, and Airbus also managed to deliver more aircraft (783 in 2025 against 766 in 2024). Airbus Defence and Space performed especially well, with revenue increasing 11% year-on-year to €13.4 billion.
For 2026, assuming no further geopolitical disruption, the company is targeting 870 commercial deliveries. Production on the A220s is still accelerating, with Airbus now hoping to deliver 13 models a month by 2028. They blame Pratt & Whitney as engine suppliers for the current stalling on the programme, and assert that they will achieve a rate of 70 to 75 overall aircraft a month before the end of 2027.
Rivals Boeing posted a profit in 2025 for the first time since 2018, but also reported a backlog worth US$682 billion.
Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer, said:
2025 was a landmark year, characterised by very strong demand for our products and services across all businesses, a record financial performance, and strategic milestones. We successfully navigated a complex and dynamic operating environment to deliver on our updated guidance.
Global demand for commercial aircraft underpins our ongoing production ramp-up, which we are managing while facing significant Pratt & Whitney engine shortages. The broad and competitive portfolios of Defence and Space as well as Helicopters allow us to capture the momentum in defence. We are also making progress to establish a new global industrial space player, together with our partners. These 2025 results and the confidence in our future financial performance support the proposed higher dividend payment.
Faury alludes to the merger with Leonardo and Thales that will see Airbus contribute its Space Systems and Space Digital businesses to a new aerospace entity that could rival SpaceX. Worth €10 billion, the European super-company represents an exciting development for Airbus as the manufacturing arm continues to struggle with supply chain issues and an extensive backlog.
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by Elsie Clark | Feb 18, 2026 | MRO IT
Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines have significantly boosted their in-house MRO capabilities with a new US$40 million facility. Situated at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the facility consists of three new hangars, two for maintenance and one for paint. These provide space for simultaneous line and base maintenance for up to five narrowbodies.
By the end of 2026, another hangar will be constructed, enabling base maintenance for a further five aircraft. Güliz Öztürk, chief executive of Pegasus Airlines, said:
Every investment we make in technical infrastructure takes our operational strength one step further. Our aircraft maintenance centre investment at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport is a strategic milestone in Pegasus’ sustainable growth journey. Our new hangars will not only enable us to manage the maintenance needs of our growing fleet more effectively, but also accelerate our transformation focused on digitalisation and efficiency. By managing our aircraft maintenance processes more quickly and in a more optimised way, we aim to provide our guests with an ever more seamless travel experience.
The facility will support a range of technical processes, from avionics modification to aircraft painting and engine changing. Digitisation has been a key consideration in the construction, with the facility boasting a digital warehouse and tool management system, as well as AI-enhanced occupational health solutions.
Together, the hangars will create 200 jobs. While currently only caring for Pegasus aircraft, in future the airline said they would be open to third-party work as well.
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