The war in Iran continues to ratchet up fuel prices, and that doesn’t just make it more expensive to drive – it’s getting more expensive to fly, too. What many don’t realize is that a significant share of an airline’s operating costs are tied to ground operations, and that’s where Oshkosh is putting automation and electrification to work.
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For the first time, a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III has airlifted a complete, 5 MW nuclear reactor from March Air Reserve Base in California to Hill Air Force Base in Utah for assembly and operation, signaling a new era of deployable energy and logistical capabilities.
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Aviation startup Electra made history last month when its EL2 became the first hybrid-electric Ultra Short Take-off and Landing (uSTOL) aircraft to successfully complete helicopter-like take-offs and landings at the Watertown International Airport.
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The Oshkosh-built Striker Volterra Electric Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighter (ARFF) packs advanced battery technology to deliver ultra-fast emergency response performance no matter how long it needs to be in action — and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport just put six of the awesome 6×6 machines to work!
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Belgian aviation support brand Shire is hoping to change the airport ground support equipment (GSE) game with a line of purpose-built baggage and cargo tractors engineered from the ground up as electric vehicles.
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Delta Air Lines is teaming up with Dutch aviation startup Maeve Aerospace to take its idea for a more advanced, fuel-sipping hybrid-electric aircraft powertrain from the drawing board and into regional commercial service.
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With a 236-foot wingspan that’s wider than a 747’s, the battery and solar-powered Skydweller Aero drone is pushing the boundaries of aviation. And, after back-to-back three-day flights without recharging, it’s pushing the boundaries of energy efficiency, too, begging the question: is perpetual aviation really here?
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Air taxi startup Vertical Aerospace achieved a world’s first this week, completing the first flight between two airports through public airspace for an eVTOL at the Royal International Air Tattoo in Gloucestershire, England.
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Chinese carmaker XPeng is getting perilously close to bringing its AeroHT consumer eVTOL concept to market, thanks to a $250 million Series B round that’s set to accelerate the company’s modular “flying car” production plans.
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Aviation startup ZeroAvia says it’s been granted a “raft” of 45 new patents key to the development of practical large hydrogen aviation engines – and the company says it has 200 more H-related patents in the pipeline!
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Scotland’s Loganair is charting a new, hydrogen-powered course for sustainable aviation, partnering with ZeroAvia to develop new, zero-emissions offerings that could see the airline’s 40-80 passenger capacity aircraft operate emission-free on regional routes across the UK and Europe.
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The Oshkosh-built Striker Volterra electric ARFF vehicle (Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighter) packs advanced battery technology and multiple power options to deliver consistent emergency response performance no matter how long it needs to be in action.
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Along with Tennessee Tech, Tennessee-based ultralight aircraft company Whisper Aero has secured a $500,000 grant to help advance the company’s innovative electric jet motor concept off the drawing board and onto the testing phase.
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The New Terminal One at New York’s JFK International Airport has been widely celebrated for its mid-century modern aesthetic and 2.4 million square feet of LEED Silver certified enclosed space. But now, there’s another sustainability milestone to celebrate at the new terminal: it will boast the world’s first, fully electric fleet of ground handling equipment.
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Chinese air taxi company EHang has established a new joint venture with JAC Motors to fund construction of a production facility for its eVTOL aircraft following the company’s first unmanned urban eVTOL flight test in Spain – the first such milestone in Europe.
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Electra first showed off its zero emission eSTOL (electric Short Take Off and Landing) aircraft concept back in 2021. After a proof-of-concept prototype that exceeded nearly every initial promise, the company seems to have a surprise, $9 billion hit on its hands!
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Global airport ground support equipment (GSE) manufacturer Mallaghan just deployed what it says is North America’s first ever fully electric refrigerated catering truck designed specifically for the aviation industry.
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Leveraging its advanced autonomy stack, Oshkosh corporation’s AeroTech group has debuted a series of electric support vehicles for the “Airport of the Future” that includes this driverless, electric baggage and cargo handler.
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International shipping giants DHL partnered with autonomous software company Oxa to deploy a self-driving car in live airport traffic at Heathrow, safely completing more than 800 miles of fully autonomous driving in just 14 days.
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Frequent visitors to Germany’s Munich Airport will be able to breathe a little bit easier soon, thanks to a new deal with the ground support experts at Goldhofer for 14 of its all-electric, 352 ton-rated PHOENIX E aircraft tractors.
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Berkeley, California-based carbon transformation company Twelve and Tulsa-based Emerging Fuels Technology (EFT) today announced that they have produced the first fossil-free jet fuel from carbon dioxide using an electrochemical process. The project received funding from the US Air Force.
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Oil giant Chevron USA and Gevo, a Douglas County, Colorado-headquartered renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company, today announced a letter of intent to jointly invest in building and operating one or more new facilities that will process inedible corn to produce sustainable aviation fuel.
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In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):
Boeing today announced that it will begin to deliver commercial airplanes capable of flying using 100% biofuel, or sustainable aviation fuel, by 2030.
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