We speak with the Executive Director of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative. Also, Data Comm technology, CSeries delays, MRJ delays, another lawsuit against an airline, and virtual currency for Canadian Pilots. Plus listener recordings, aviation awards, military aircraft designations, a safety stand down, and some videos.

Guest

Steve Csonka is Executive Director, Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI). Steve gives us an update on the development and commercialization of sustainable alternative jet fuels (SAJF).

Steve is a commercial aviation professional with 31 years of broad aviation experience with OEMs, airlines, and CAAFI. He has a strong technical background which covers the commercial aircraft/engine life-cycle. Steve’s engagements include business development and long-term strategic planning.

Supporting information:

Initiation of continuous production of renewable jet fuel from the AltAir refinery in Paramount, CA, for regular delivery to the fuel farm at LAX, via contracting with United Airlines.  The deal entails 5M gpy delivered as a 30% blend with petro-jet. First flight to use the fuel was UA 708 departing LAX for SFO on 10 Mar 16.

Fuel from AltAir is also being delivered to the Navy (F76 diesel for Great Green Fleet exercises), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation in Savannah, GA (SAJF for use in their FAST fleet, flight testing, and corporate flights), and for KLM flights out of LAX.

SAJF is also being introduced into several airports in Scandinavia, primarily through the efforts of SkyNRG, with supply being pulled from batch production at NESTE.

The industry has approved two additional SAJF production pathways.  Seven more are in the process of being evaluated for approval, and about 20 others are on the horizon. Feedstocks include four general families (lipids, sugars, cellulose, and other stranded hydrocarbons (various waste streams)) and a broad range of thermochemical, biochemical, catalytic, and hybrid processes.

LanzaTech produces jet fuel from waste gases for Virgin Atlantic

Total/Amyris have agreed to supply SAJF (HFS-SIP) to fuel 48 new A350 aircraft deliveries to Cathay Pacific.

Gevo and Lufthansa are pursuing an agreement to supply up to 40M gallons of SAJF (ATJ-SPK) over a 5 year period.

JetBlue Strikes Big Biofuel Agreement for Select Flights

CAAFI continues to foster research and commercial development through its work teams and public-private-partnerships: CAAFI’s R&D Team Kicks off the Fourth SOAP-Jet Webinar Series Focusing on Deployment and State Initiative Activities.

Another reflection of CAAFI collaboration with Federal Agencies can be seen in the recently released Federal AJF R&D Strategy, which identifies goals and programs to be undertaken by multiple Agencies to help meet the need for the aviation enterprise.  Conclusions in the Strategy also mirror findings from the release this summer of a NAS/ASEB Low Carbon Aviation Committee report, sponsored by NASA, looking at the near term research priorities to lower carbon from propulsion and energy.

The FAA’s ASCENT center of excellence continues to make progress on multiple themes associated with SAJF: Removing supply chain roadblocks; National Jet Fuel Combustion Program.

Upcoming CAAFI Biennial General Meeting 2016. (at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC from October 25-27, 2016.

The International Civil Aviation Organization is meeting at their General Assembly and a major theme there will be reaching agreement on a framework for the use of Market Based Measures to help aviation close any future gap toward their commitment to limit net CO2 emissions from 2020 onward.

News

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