DHL Archives - FLYING Magazine https://cms.flyingmag.com/tag/dhl/ The world's most widely read aviation magazine Wed, 16 Oct 2024 19:21:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 ‘Lucky Coincidence’ Thwarts Alleged Russian Attack on DHL Flight https://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/lucky-coincidence-thwarts-alleged-russian-attack-on-dhl-flight/ Wed, 16 Oct 2024 18:34:12 +0000 https://www.flyingmag.com/?p=219680&preview=1 Parcel caught fire on the ground shortly before it was to be loaded on an aircraft in Germany.

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German intelligence officials are pointing fingers at Russia after what has been described as an incendiary device was nearly planted on a DHL aircraft in July.

During a recent hearing, Thomas Haldenwang, head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Germany, said the country avoided a serious aircraft accident by “only a lucky coincidence.” German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel reports the fire-starting parcel was set to be loaded on a DHL flight in Leipzig.

The flight was delayed, and the parcel caught fire on the ground. Haldenwang said that had it caught fire midair, a major accident could have followed.

In August, Reuters reported that the German government notified businesses that fire-starting packages may be circulating within shipping networks. The warning followed a series of reports that other parcels had ignited in transit.

Russia is suspected of being behind these parcels. Officials said the German government has seen a rise in “aggressive behavior” by Russian intelligence agencies.

Also in July, a similar incident occurred at a DHL facility in Birmingham, England. It is under investigation by U.K. counterterrorism officials. According to The Guardian, the package caught fire after arriving from a flight on July 22 before being extinguished by firefighters.

“DHL applies strict security measures throughout its global network and works in full compliance with all applicable transport security laws, regulations and procedures,” the logistics company said in a statement to Reuters.


Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

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Former Wisk CEO Joins Flying Car Racing Company Airspeeder https://www.flyingmag.com/former-wisk-ceo-joins-flying-car-racing-company-airspeeder/ Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:30:15 +0000 https://www.flyingmag.com/?p=178143 Gary Gysin helmed the self-flying eVTOL company’s rise to relevance and will join Airspeeder as a board member.

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Gary Gysin’s previous company, Wisk Aero, won’t see its self-flying electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft hit the skies until the end of the decade. That’s no problem for Gysin—his new firm is already flying them.

On Wednesday, the former Wisk CEO officially joined the board of Airspeeder, a flying car racing company that pits professional drone pilots and motorsport drivers against each other on digitally generated racetracks in the sky. Pilots remotely command eVTOL “speeders,” flying blade-to-blade at speeds approaching 55 knots. The firm hosted its inaugural competition last year and plans to launch crewed eVTOL races in 2024.

“Formula 1 racing and autosport racing of all forms has helped spur innovation and safety in consumer vehicles, and Airspeeder is leading the way in eVTOL with its electric flying car racing approach,” said Gysin. “Joining the board aligns perfectly with my passion for aviation and Formula 1.”

Gysin was the founding CEO of Wisk, which formed out of a joint venture between Boeing and Google co-founder Larry Page’s Kitty Hawk in 2019. Before stepping down in February, he oversaw Wisk’s development of its self-flying, four-seat eVTOL, set strategic targets like entry into service and city rollout, launched the company’s type certification program with the FAA, and closed more than $450 million in venture capital.

The company is now fully owned by Boeing, which bought out Kitty Hawk’s remaining shares in May after it wound down a few months prior.

Former Wisk CEO Gary Gysin becomes the newest board member of Airspeeder. [Courtesy: Airspeeder]

“We are excited to collaborate with [Gysin] as we continue to push the boundaries of electric flight and redefine the future of transportation,” said Matthew Pearson, co-founder and CEO of Airspeeder. “His perspective on the future of the industry is key as we build a motorsport that has deep resonance with the wider market of OEMs crafting transformational electric aircraft.”

Around 2015, Pearson founded Alauda Aeronautics, the manufacturer that would go on to build flying race cars—or speeders—for Airspeeder. The startup unveiled its first vehicle concept in 2017, and Pearson founded Airspeeder a year later. In 2019, Airspeeder revealed Mk3, the remotely piloted eVTOL it currently uses in races. The design made its first flights in 2021.

In 2022, Airspeeder hosted the EXA Series, a trio of races in which pilots remotely flew the Mk3 through holographic courses in the sky. The inaugural group of pilots viewed the tracks through augmented reality displays—no physical infrastructure was needed besides the vehicles.

The eVTOLs themselves are lightweight (around 220 pounds) and can hit a top speed of 124 mph (108 knots). Robot “aviators” commandeer the vehicles, mimicking movements of the remote pilots through digitized inputs.

Airspeeder crowned the winner of the inaugural EXA Series in October, when Australian surfer-turned-professional drone pilot Zephatali Walsh bested German content creator and FPV drone pilot Fabio Tischler for the title. The final race was held above the pink salt flats of Lake Bumbunga near the town of Lochiel, South Australia.

The EXA races are meant to serve as a precursor and feeder event for the Airspeeder Grand Prix, a crewed version of the event scheduled to take place in 2024. Those races will be flown with a new eVTOL model, the Mk4, which is expected to be able to reach a top speed of 225 mph (195 knots) in just 30 seconds. Team entries are now open for the Grand Prix series, and the company hopes to have 20 crewed teams racing in the event by 2025.

Airspeeder is backed by an undisclosed seed funding round led by venture capital firms Saltwater Capital and Jelix Ventures, which also included participation from logistics giant DHL. The firm has a two-year broadcast deal with Fox Sports Australia and a one-year global content deal with sports streaming platform DAZN to produce original content and series in the lead-up to the first crewed flying car races.

With Gysin and the expertise he carries over from Wisk now in the mix, Airspeeder figures to get a lift as it works to usher in a new form of competitive racing.

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Eve Air Mobility Partners with DHL on eVTOL Supply Chain Services https://www.flyingmag.com/eve-air-mobility-partners-with-dhl-on-evtol-supply-chain-services/ Mon, 14 Aug 2023 17:51:05 +0000 https://www.flyingmag.com/?p=177455 It may sound like DHL plans to deploy Eve’s aircraft, but the agreement will actually see the former support the latter’s operations.

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Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Eve Air Mobility, a subsidiary of Embraer, is partnering with warehousing and distribution giant DHL Supply Chain. But while the logistics titan boasts a robust air cargo network, Eve’s aircraft will not be part of it.

Rather, Eve will leverage DHL’s expertise to revamp its own supply chain as part of an agreement to design a concept for “eVTOL support” services. The two signed a memorandum of understanding to study the demands and supply chain characteristics of Eve’s operations, including the delivery of batteries, spare parts, and supplies, and the disposal of used materials.

Eve is calling in the big guns here. With DHL’s massive collection of warehousing and distribution locations, transportation assets, and treasure trove of logistical insights, the eVTOL maker hopes to plot its future operations with best practices for supplying operators and service centers—particularly when it comes to the lithium-ion batteries that power its aircraft.

“DHL’s expertise in this field in the aeronautical market and dozens of other industries, coupled with the innovation mindset of both companies, will be vital to ensure the safe and agile operation of eVTOLs,” said Luiz Mauad, vice president of services and operations solutions at Eve. “In addition to offering high-performance logistics, our premise is to reduce the environmental impact of the supply chain in line with our purpose of offering more sustainable products and services.”

The joint study will review modes of transport, delivery frequency, potential sites for staging advanced inventory, infrastructure requirements, and the required logistics partners for Eve’s service. That includes the distribution of parts and materials needed for maintenance and repairs, as well as supply chain management for vertiport resupply.

Given the importance of battery availability to eVTOL operations, that piece of Eve’s supply chain is expected to get the most love. With this in mind, DHL—which handles batteries for customers across several industries—would appear to be an ideal fit.

“Initiatives like this are part of our ESG mission, and we are contributing all our knowledge and experience to make this another great successful project developed by the Brazilian aerospace industry, with benefits for major cities around the world,” said Mauricio Almeida, vice president of the automotive, technology, and consumer sectors at DHL Supply Chain.

Like other eVTOL companies, Eve, which is targeting entry into service in 2026, will need a strong supply chain backbone to keep its aircraft and operations humming.

In the São Paulo-based firm’s case, picking a partner with a global footprint such as DHL should serve it well. Eve currently has a backlog of some 2,850 orders for its aircraft, which it asserts is the largest in the industry—and according to SMG Consulting, the claim holds weight.

Already, Eve has agreements to fly in Brazil, Latin America, France, Scandinavia, India, Kenya, Dubai, Australia, and the Asia-Pacific region. It’s also looking to launch in San Francisco with investor United and in South Florida with partner Blade Air Mobility. Each region will require its own pipeline for parts and services.

Eve’s Outlook

Eve’s four-passenger eVTOL will at first be flown by a pilot, but the hope is to one day switch to a self-flying design that could carry six travelers. The aircraft is powered by eight vertical lift rotors—which do not tilt or rotate during flight, unlike rivals Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation—and fixed wings for cruise. It’s expected to have a 60 sm (52 nm) range.

The company claims the design will produce 90 percent less noise than equivalent helicopters as well as 90 percent fewer carbon dioxide emissions compared to cars.

The eVTOL will rely on the firm’s proprietary Urban Air Traffic Management (ATM) software to integrate operations into low-level airspace. An initial prototype was completed in May, and the firm already has several agreements in place to integrate the system into vertiports.

In addition to the DHL partnership, Eve has a collaboration with Porsche Consulting to develop a global eVTOL manufacturing, supply chain, and logistics macro strategy. So far, the two have studied advanced manufacturing and industrialization concepts.

According to SMG Consulting’s most recent Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Reality Index, which ranks AAM companies based on their progress toward mass-producing and delivering a certified aircraft, Eve sits somewhere in the middle of the industry. It ranked ninth, ahead of competitors Lilium and Vertical Aerospace but trailing the likes of Joby, Archer, Volocopter, and Boeing subsidiary Wisk Aero.

However, all of those companies (with the exception of Vertical) plan to enter service sooner and have stronger cash positions than Eve. The company’s greatest strength is instead its massive backlog of orders. According to SMG, it has nearly double the orders of the next-highest AAM company (Vertical) and dwarfs most competitors.

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UPS Feeder Airline Intends to Buy 20 Pilotless Cargo Planes https://www.flyingmag.com/ups-feeder-airline-intends-to-buy-20-pilotless-cargo-planes/ Wed, 01 Feb 2023 16:32:11 +0000 https://www.flyingmag.com/?p=166001 Ameriflight attracted by startup Natilus’ promise of lower operating costs.

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Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on FreightWaves.com.

A large, regional feeder airline for UPS and other overnight express carriers last week tentatively committed to buy 20 remote-controlled cargo planes, with a novel design, for middle-mile deliveries.

Ameriflight, which flies 156 small turboprop aircraft daily to more than 200 destinations in the U.S. and the Caribbean, signed a letter of intent with San Diego-based Natilus for 20 Kona feeder aircraft valued at $134 million, the companies announced.

Natilus is developing a family of pilotless aircraft it claims will increase cargo volume by 60 percent and cut carbon emissions in half, thereby making air shipments more affordable. The efficiency gains are possible because of carbon-fiber composite airframes and a blended-wing body—essentially a uniframe in which sections meld together—that creates more usable volume and better aerodynamics than a traditional airliner.

The absence of pilots also leaves more room for cargo.

The Kona is a short-haul feeder aircraft with a maximum payload of 4.7 tons and 900-mile range designed to carry the equivalent of seven LD3-45 small shipping containers. It is powered by two rear propeller engines. Other variants are a medium-haul jet with a 73-ton capacity, similar to a Boeing 767, and a long-range unmanned vehicle with a 121-ton payload.

The triangular blended wing-body configuration is a departure from tube-and-wing aircraft, which are loaded in a linear fashion. By rotating the cargo to 45 degrees, the diamond configuration maximizes space in the aircraft for more loading positions, a highly desirable quality in an e-commerce era when light boxes fill up planes before the takeoff weight limit is reached. Natilus aircraft will be smaller in size than their legacy counterparts, with more volume, according to the company.

Traditional fuselage cross sections are optimized for passengers, with a circular design to aid cabin pressurization. But cargo naturally moves best in rectangular boxes or pallets. Fitting rectangular pallets in a circular fuselage section leaves plenty of empty space. A blended-wing body configuration allows for a single rectangular cross section and full utilization of the available volume.

Collins Aerospace will provide the cargo loading system.

Co-founder and CEO Aleksey Matyushev has described the blended-wing Natilus concept as an attempt to combine the timeliness of airfreight with significant cost reductions that bring shipping to the point of being a commodity—as it is in ocean freight.

“We missed the mark when we started Natilus. We thought what people wanted was autonomy. Talking to our customers, what they really were interested in was a more volume-centric aircraft with autonomy more as a carrot, or the next evolution,” he said in an interview on Think Flight, a YouTube channel.

One of Natilus’ advisers is Ram Menen, who is famous in the air cargo industry for building Emirates’ cargo division into one of the largest cargo carriers in the world and helping found The International Air Cargo Association. 

In a Q&A on the company’s website, he said Natilus’ lower operating cost per freight-ton-kilometer will be a big advantage for cargo operators.

“Since Natilus will have large cargo doors and blended wing body design , it will be ideal for long and large/heavy cargo and will be a good replacement for the Boeing 747 freighter. The volumetric capacity of all the variants are very e-commerce friendly and ideal for low density cargo,” he added.

Natilus management envisions the Kona freighter as ideal for reaching outlying regions with small airports and as an alternative to road feeder service in the 300- to 430-mile range. The autonomous freighter is better suited for areas with water crossings, mountains, poor highway infrastructure or low-density routes where truck deliveries are less efficient, the company argues.

Blended-wing bodies have been used in military applications but were abandoned by previous commercial developers because they weren’t ideal for carrying passengers. Without people to worry about, issues about cabin pressurization, quick access to exit doors for evacuation and G-forces became manageable in a cargo-only aircraft.

A year ago Natilus announced $6 billion in advance purchase commitments, including from Kenyan all-cargo airline Astral Aviation, for more than 440 semi-autonomous aircraft.

Whether those orders are realized remains to be seen. Natilus is a 7-year-old startup with new technology that has yet to produce an actual plane and will require huge amounts of capital for further R&D and establishing a manufacturing line. The motivation for Ameriflight, and other carriers, to sign expressions of interest is to be at the front of the line when production aircraft become available and get a jump on competitors. 

Matyushev told FreightWaves the company expects to begin Kona flight tests in late 2024 and customer deliveries in 2026. The larger planes will take longer.

Ameriflight Invests for Future

Ameriflight, the largest U.S. carrier in the under-7,500-pound payload category and a major regional partner for UPS Airlines, believes Natilus can deliver on its promise to improve the economics of airfreight. 

“What we’ve seen from their technology so far has given us confidence that they’re at the forefront of large autonomous cargo planes,” said Jamie Smith, the company’s director of communications. “We’re impressed with Natilus’ continued progress on the blended-wing body aircraft design and their innovation of providing turnkey solutions for specific cargo needs. Natilus’ technology provides a lower cost of operation, while remaining well suited in capabilities for the customers in our corner of the industry. As battery technology increases and/or hydrogen-powered engines are developed and certified, the ability to modify the Kona to those alternate power sources is inviting.”

Ameriflight Beechcraft cargo plane next to a jet operated by UPS, it’s largest customer. [Courtesy: Ameriflight]

The Kona aircraft will enable Ameriflight to grow its route structure and pursue new business opportunities, she added.

Ameriflight utilizes turboprop aircraft to connect rural areas to FedEx (NYSE: FDX), DHL and UPS (NYSE: UPS) air hubs in large cities and also offers on-demand expedited delivery service to logistics companies. The largest aircraft it operates are the Saab 340B and the Embraer 120. The fleet also consists of the Fairchild SSA-227 Metroliner, Beechcraft 1900 and Beechcraft 99.

The first few Saab 340Bs entered service late last year under a lease agreement with Miami-based Jetstream Aviation Capital for 15 used aircraft converted to main-deck freighters. Five more are expected to be delivered this spring.

In December 2021, Ameriflight reached an agreement providing Boston-based Merlin Labs access to its fleet for testing of its autonomous technology. Merlin’s software and hardware can control an aircraft without human intervention. The Google Ventures-backed company says it has flown hundreds of flights and integrated its platform into four different aircraft types, including multi-engine aircraft. Large aircraft will be able to fly with reduced crews and smaller aircraft will fly themselves, once regulators approve autonomous aviation.

The immediate benefit for Ameriflight is an increase in flight safety. If it proves out, the airline could retrofit all cockpits and avionics with autonomous technology, extending the life of its existing fleet — a less expensive proposition than buying purpose-built robot aircraft. 

A key reason Ameriflight is pursuing the Natilus and Merlin Labs technologies is that they reduce the need for pilots, which are increasingly difficult to find because of retirements, training barriers, licensing costs and quality-of-life issues. 

“Today, a pilot might come to us with a thousand hours of flight experience,” said former Ameriflight CEO Paul Chase in a news release about the transaction. With the Merlin system “we’re putting the equivalent of much more experience in the cockpit on Day One. You don’t have this learning curve that pilots need to go through, and that lowers the overall risk profile to the airline.

“It’s imperative that we complement — not replace — our existing team of fixed-wing pilots with autonomous pilots. We have ample opportunities for growth in front of us with the increased level of e-commerce, disruptions in the supply chain, etc. But we can’t capitalize on that in any significant way unless we solve this staffing problem in a scalable and cost-effective way.” 

Ameriflight last year significantly revised its pilot compensation program to include substantial pay increases and a six-figure retention bonus plan. 

“Our intention is to use the Natilus and Merlin technology in tandem, along with our present operations, to support both our current customers and the growth we’re seeing in the demand for our services. They will be entirely complementary to, and most certainly not replacing, our current aircraft or pilot group. It will be an addition to our fleet and used as a separate business avenue, allowing us to grow our diversified aviation platform and to support the unprecedented demand for our services,” said Smith. 

Autonomous Flight Evolution

The Natilus cargo jets will be capable of fully autonomous flight but initially operate with a remote pilot in an office to comply with current safety standards and enable faster approval. The ability to be certified under current regulations is a big advantage over drones used for last-mile logistics. Switching from a pilot in the cockpit to a “fly-by-mouse autopilot system” is a smaller leap for civil aviation authorities, which are already comfortable with existing autopilot functions that allow most of the trip to be preprogrammed and turn the pilot into a skilled flight manager rather than a manual aviator. 

The remote operator simply inputs waypoints into the aircraft’s navigation system and monitors the system to make sure everything is functioning properly, Matyushev explained. With remote piloting, a single person could operate three aircraft simultaneously. 

Natilus moved from Silicon Valley to San Diego two years ago to be close to a sophisticated wind tunnel and a Federal Aviation Administration office that manages certifications for advanced aircraft. Engineers used data from wind tunnel tests on models to predict flight characteristics of the full-scale aircraft and help refine the autopilot.

Last spring, the company acquired a 12,000-square-foot hangar and runway facility at Brown Field. It plans to fly a small-scale prototype to gather more data on flight characteristics and close another funding round this summer, Matyushev said.

Final assembly will take place in San Diego with components made by suppliers such as Janicki, which will build carbon fiber panels, bulkheads and other sections. 

Other companies pursuing middle-mile and heavy unmanned aerial vehicles include Switzerland-based Destinus SA with a hypersonic plane, Dronamics, Drone Delivery Canada and Elroy Air with its hybrid-electrical Chapparal drone. Natilus is the only one with a blended-wing body. 

For more coverage on drone delivery, go to FreightWaves.com.

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Probe Begins on Why DHL Freighter Broke Apart on Landing https://www.flyingmag.com/probe-begins-on-why-dhl-freighter-broke-apart-on-landing/ Mon, 11 Apr 2022 12:31:13 +0000 https://www.flyingmag.com/?p=129171 Investigators to examine why airplane needed to make emergency landing after take-off

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Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on FreightWaves.com.

U.S. aviation investigators went to the Costa Rican capital of San José this weekend to investigate why a DHL Express Boeing 757-200 freighter skidded off the runway on Thursday morning and broke in half before careening to a stop.

The aircraft bound for Guatemala City had just taken off when the two-person crew notified air traffic control of mechanical problems and requested to make an emergency return landing at Juan Santamaria International Airport. After touchdown, the 757 veered to the right and spun around, according to video posts. As the jet left the runway, the fuselage broke in two.

Neither crewmember was injured. The airport was temporarily closed after the accident. Published reports said that 57 flights were affected. Regular operations resumed at 3:30 p.m. local time, according to published reports. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is involved in the investigation under an international treaty allowing participation by the country where the aircraft was manufactured.

DHL Express is a unit of German transportation and logistics giant Deutsche Post DHL (OTCUS: DPSGY).

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Neste to Provide DHL with 105 Million Gallons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel https://www.flyingmag.com/neste-to-provide-dhl-with-105-million-gallons-of-sustainable-avfuel/ https://www.flyingmag.com/neste-to-provide-dhl-with-105-million-gallons-of-sustainable-avfuel/#comments Mon, 21 Mar 2022 19:59:32 +0000 https://www.flyingmag.com/?p=125243 Oil refining company Neste will provide logistics provider DHL with approximately 105 million gallons of Neste's MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel during the next five years under an agreement announced Monday. 

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Oil refining company Neste (OTCMKTS: NTOIY) will provide logistics provider DHL (OTCMKTS: DPSGY) with approximately 105 million gallons of Neste’s MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel during the next five years under an agreement announced Monday. 

This is Neste’s largest sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) contract and one of the largest in the aviation industry. 

For context, in 2019, when global airline travel was at a peak, global fuel consumption was at an all-time high of 95 billion gallons, with the U.S. contributing just over 18 billion gallons. Historically, the largest SAF contract to date is United Airlines’ 2021 agreement with Honeywell and Alder Fuel for 1.5 billion gallons of SAF to be delivered during the next 20 years.

Ongoing Partnership with DHL

Neste began supplying DHL with SAF in 2020. That year, DHL Express became the first cargo operator to use Neste’s SAF on flights departing from San Francisco International Airport (KSFO) and Amsterdam Airport (EHAM). The companies expanded that contract in 2021 to supply DHL Express operations from the U.K.’s East Midlands airport (EGNX).  

In a statement, Peter Vanacker, president and CEO of Neste, called the deal with DHL a “significant step” in reducing emissions.

“Today’s announcement also reflects how we are concretely helping customers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least [630 million gallons] of CO2 equivalent annually by 2030. SAF is a cornerstone of the aviation industry’s efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050,” Vanacker said.

Meanwhile, Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group, called it a “landmark deal,” significant for the entire aviation industry. Similarly, DHL Express CEO John Pearson called it a “milestone” and shared that “our key focus is to inspire more SAF suppliers to address the current supply gap.”

Neste’s Increased SAF Focus 

Neste restructured its business in 2020 to position itself as one of the leading providers of SAF. Neste’s SAF is a drop-in fuel that can be combined with kerosene to produce a mixture containing at least 50 percent kerosene. Neste turns used residue raw materials such as cooking oil, rendered fats and greases, and agricultural waste into fuel that can safely power aircraft. This reduces or eliminates the need to extract carbon—which engines need for combustion—from underground, and requires no modifications to existing aircraft engines.

In its “neat” form, without blending, SAF reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 percent compared to fossil fuels, but it could be years before an aircraft is certified to fly exclusively on SAF. 

In 2021, Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Airbus (OTCMKTS: EADSY) announced projects to seek  certification for engines that operate 100 percent on SAF to reach an industry goal of using 10 percent SAF by 2030, and to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.  

In 2019, Neste produced about 3.1 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel and planned to produce just over 47 million gallons per year by 2023. To achieve that, the company says it is expanding its Singaporean refinery and making critical investments in its Rotterdam refinery to meet demand.

Call for More Government Support

In making Monday’s announcement, Pearson took the opportunity to call on governments to make it easier for companies to produce and use SAF.

“We are calling on policymakers to set the right framework to accelerate the market ramp-up of SAF in the E.U. and worldwide, including an accounting mechanism that allows flexible SAF purchases and usage,” Pearson said.

In the U.S., in June 2021, legislators introduced the Sustainable Skies Act to speed up the transition to sustainable aviation fuel. One incentive would create a tax credit starting at $1.50 per gallon for “blenders that supply sustainable aviation fuel with a demonstrated 50 percent or greater lifecycle estimate reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to standard jet fuel.” Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Energy predicted in 2021 that demand for jet fuel as the world emerges from the pandemic could double by 2050.

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DHL Express renews agreement with Atlas Air for 20 freighters https://www.flyingmag.com/atlas-dhl-agreement/ Wed, 15 Sep 2021 18:07:27 +0000 http://159.65.238.119/atlas-dhl-agreement/ The post DHL Express renews agreement with Atlas Air for 20 freighters appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

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Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on FreightWaves.com.

Atlas Air will continue to fly 20 large freighters for DHL Express after the express delivery company extended an existing contract, the companies announced Tuesday.

The arrangement ensures DHL Express has continued access to outsourced airlift to support its fast-growing express business that is increasingly driven by e-commerce. The length of wet leases was not disclosed.

Atlas is currently operating four types of aircraft for DHL Express, all in a cargo configuration:

  • Six Boeing 747-8
  • Two Boeing 747-400
  • Eight Boeing 777-200
  • Four Boeing 767-300

The aircraft are operated globally by Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings subsidiaries Atlas Air, Polar Air Cargo and Southern Air. Polar Air Cargo is a 13-year-old joint venture between Atlas and DHL in which DHL holds a 49 percent equity interest, including a 25 percent voting share. The strategic arrangement provides DHL Express guaranteed capacity on key trade lanes while Atlas gets a predictable, long-term revenue stream.

“As this agreement indicates, Atlas is capitalizing on the strong global airfreight market conditions as we deepen relationships with our customers,” Atlas Air CEO John Dietrich said.

Last week, Atlas Air finalized a five-year labor contract with its pilots.


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DHL Express Orders 12 Fully Electric Alice Aircraft from Eviation https://www.flyingmag.com/dhl-express-orders-12-fully-electric-alice-aircraft-from-eviation/ Wed, 04 Aug 2021 22:07:14 +0000 http://137.184.62.55/~flyingma/dhl-express-orders-12-fully-electric-alice-aircraft-from-eviation/ The post DHL Express Orders 12 Fully Electric Alice Aircraft from Eviation appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

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In a bid toward its goal of a zero-emissions fleet, DHL Express announced that it has ordered 12 fully electric Alice aircraft from Eviation.

The eCargo airplane features two rear-mounted, tractor-configuration magni650 propulsion units rated at 850 shp/640 kW.

The order cements DHL Express as a first-mover toward a zero-emissions fleet, whether passenger or cargo.

“We firmly believe in a future with zero-emission logistics,” John Pearson, CEO, DHL Express said in a press release. “Therefore, our investments always follow the objective of improving our carbon footprint. On our way to clean logistics operations, the electrification of every transport mode plays a crucial role and will significantly contribute to our overall sustainability goal of zero emissions.”

Eviation expects Alice to make its first flight later this year. The company projects that the airplane, flown single-pilot, will have a range of up to 440 nm carrying up to 2,600 pounds—and require 30 minutes or less to recharge. Fewer moving parts within the powerplants should lower maintenance costs and enhance dispatch reliability.

“From day one, we set an audacious goal to transform the aviation industry and create a new era with electric aircraft,” said Omer Bar-Yohay, Eviation’s CEO. “Partnering with companies like DHL who are the leaders in sustainable e-cargo transportation is a testament that the electric era is upon us. This announcement is a significant milestone on our quest to transform the future of flight across the globe.”

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