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.
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by Elsie Clark | Jan 20, 2026 | Innovation
The UK government is launching a new fund worth up to £43 million (US$58 million) for financing green aviation projects.
Hydrogen propulsion and limiting contrails are two key areas of interest in the competitions, which will run in February. The funding comes from Innovate UK and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Avoiding contrails is of special interest as the aviation industry attempts to balance decarbonisation with growth. Most emissions produced by contrails are avoidable, and the programme is especially keen to track airlines based in Africa and the Caribbean. Lacking the technology to report emissions accurately, these regions are not saddled with the same green aviation costs as competitors in the UK. The new competitions will help create a more equal environment for all while consolidating a path to net-zero.
Hydrogen fuel has the potential to revolutionise aviation as it only produces water while combusting. However, the technology remains in its infancy and the industry currently considers sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as more reliable. Nevertheless, integrating the hydrogen economy could have a considerable impact on certain operations if scaled correctly. The CAA said they would use the investment as an opportunity to develop regulations for commercial hydrogen aviation.
This latest round of competitions are running alongside the UK’s existing commercial aviation research and development (R&D) strategy, which has committed £2.3 billion in funding over the next ten years. Additionally, a bill guaranteeing a set price on SAF for UK consumers is set to be introduced by the government later this year.
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by Elsie Clark | Dec 9, 2025 | Connectivity
Research from IATA has found that air traffic control (ATC) delays in Europe have doubled over the past decade.
This increase has far outpaced the rate of traffic growth (6.7%), and affected 1.1 billion passengers. IATA estimates the delays have collectively cost the industry €16.1 billion since 2015. Delays due to weather and strikes were not covered in the analysis, which found staff shortages to be overwhelmingly responsible for ATC’s poor performance.
Staff capacity-related disruptions have increased by 179.7% and staffing-related delays by 201.7% since 2015. IATA Director-General Willie Walsh commented:
We’re now seeing the consequences of Europe’s failure to get a grip on air traffic control. A small, expected improvement in 2025 from a very bad 2024 does not change the deterioration that we have seen over the last decade. Airlines and travellers were promised a Single European Sky that would cut delays and reduce fuel burn through more efficient navigation and routes. Instead, passengers have seen delays more than double.
10 of the 39 European Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP) were responsible for 87% of all delays. France (DSNA) and Germany (DFS) alone were responsible for more than 50% of delays. These statistics demonstrate how a handful of countries are having a disproportionately negative impact on the continent’s ATC performance.
Walsh added:
While Eurocrats debate ways to increase the burden of EU261 passenger compensation, the root cause of much of the delay suffered by travellers—air traffic control—escapes without action or censure. And Europe’s connectivity and competitiveness suffer from schedules that must accommodate ATC inefficiency. It is completely unacceptable.
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by Elsie Clark | Oct 23, 2025 | Connectivity, Innovation
Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales have agreed to a much-anticipated business deal that will see them pool their space businesses together.
Such a project has been under discussion for months now, as the European defence giants seek to establish a rival to SpaceX, Elon Musk’s US-based satellite and space exploration businesses.
Now, the three companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to build a new entity that combines their space businesses. It is hoped that the deal will improve operational agility and consolidate Europe’s position in the aerospace industry by establishing an autonomous alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink, the low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity project.
In a joint statement, Guillaume Faury, CEO Airbus, Roberto Cingolani, CEO Leonardo, and Patrice Caine, CEO Thales, said:
This proposed new company marks a pivotal milestone for Europe’s space industry. It embodies our shared vision to build a stronger and more competitive European presence in an increasingly dynamic global space market.
By pooling our talent, resources, expertise and R&D capabilities, we aim to generate growth, accelerate innovation and deliver greater value to our customers and stakeholders. This partnership aligns with the ambitions of European governments to strengthen their industrial and technological assets, ensuring Europe’s autonomy across the strategic space domain and its many applications
The new entity will have an annual turnover of €6.5 billion and employ 25,000 people. Regulators are expected to approve the deal, meaning the new business could be operational by 2027. Ownership will be shared between the three companies, with Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales holding 35%, 32.5%, and 32.5% respectively
Each company will contribute to the new entity as follows:
- Airbus: Space Systems and Space Digital businesses
- Leonardo: Space Division, including shares in Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space.
- Thales: Shares in Thales Alenia Space, Telespazio, and Thales SESO.
Full governance structures will be established in due course. The announcement will strengthen and centralise the European aerospace industry, while also offering new opportunities for innovation.
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by Elsie Clark | Sep 22, 2025 | Connectivity, Innovation
Honeywell and Redwire Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Quantum Key Distribution Satellite (QKDSat) project.
Launched in 2024, the initiative is jointly led by the Austrian, Belgian, British, Canadian, and Czech space agencies. QKDSat aims to make satellite communications ultra-secure through quantum technology, reduce the impact of spoofing and jamming, and guarantee the secure transmission of sensitive information.
Lisa Napolitano, vice president and general manager at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, said:
By combining Honeywell’s quantum optical payload technology and experience in satellite communications with Redwire’s expertise in agile platforms and onboard quantum computing, we are bringing the promise of quantum-secured communications closer to reality.
Why is quantum communication different?
While classical cryptography relies on algorithms to encrypt data, quantum security uses principles from quantum physics, such as superposition and entanglement, to create potentially unbreakable communication channels. Additionally, quantum positioning could have a huge impact on navigation technology, representing a significant advancement on GPS.
Honeywell UK were already supporting ESA’s project, but the signing with Redwire unlocks new capabilities. Together, the two companies will launch a combined payload and platform by mid-2026.
Marc Dielissen, General Manager of Redwire Space Belgium, commented:
Quantum-enabled telecommunications could be a gamechanger for government agencies and the private sector, and our collaboration with Honeywell is focused on delivering cutting edge innovation to mitigate increasingly sophisticated threats.
Working together with ESA, the world-class team of Redwire and Honeywell leverages the strength of Public-Private Partnerships to initiate a quantum-secure space network that could set a new standard for secure global communications.
The news comes amid escalating reports of Russian interference in European airspace. Last month, a plane carrying the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was targeted by suspected Russian GPS spoofing.
Meanwhile, a September 2025 report revealed that more than a quarter of flights over Baltic airspace were disrupted by Russian interference with navigation signals in the first four months of 2025.
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