ZERO

A report on the travel business and the environment

12/03/2024

Environmental Updates

An excerpt from our monthly ZERO report. As this is a subscription report, the following item is not from the current edition.

Royal Caribbean greenwashing
The Royal Caribbean* cruising group targets net zero emissions for 2050*. Maybe, but over the next 18-24 months it will do nothing except decide what to do - ‘develop objectives’.
Other commentary:
-RC reports the delivery of a net-zero cruise ship by 2035, although it awaits ‘solid partnerships’ (which sounds like financial incentives) from many others, listing governments, suppliers, shipyards.
-RC reports that it has ‘consistently delivered [ships] 20-25% more effective’. RC does not ‘deliver’ ships - it takes delivery of ships - and so we do not understand its meaning. Also, ‘effective’ can have many meanings, not necessarily EF.
-Its Silversea brand is due to launch a ‘hybrid-powered’ ship in summer 2023. But not into operations; where and to do what is not clear. RC says this ship will offset 12% of a part of it emissions - but it is not clear what this will represent overall. The elements of the hybrid power are not given.
-It also plans delivery of a ship (sometimes described ‘Evolution Project’, sometimes ‘Project Evolution’) that will eliminate ‘local emissions’ in port. Once again, much is not clear: no dates given; by definition, ‘local’ emissions can be only in ports; what share do those emissions represent of total emissions; and which emissions - CO2?
-Sadly, WWF (World Wildlife Fund) participates in RC’s greenwashing. In 2016, RC and WWF signed what they called a ‘partnership’. RC set targets for 2020 (details not known) to reduce its ‘environmental footprint’ and ‘support’ ocean conservation. It reports that it met or exceeded its targets (except, ironically, for sustainable sourcing for seafood, now due in 2022).
-WWF supports RC actions. ‘Achieving net zero emissions no later than 2050 [*] will require innovation and collaboration to scale, and WWF is pleased to be a contributor to progress to this important step.’ WWF threatens its credibility with such statements.
*Notes:
-Royal Caribbean Group is the trading name of Royal Caribbean Cruises. As well as that brand, it has Celebrity Cruises, Silversea Cruises, and 50% of the operator of Hapag-Lloyd and TUI cruiselines. RCG operates 58 ships.
-2050 is 30 years from now and we believe an unconvincing target, for public relations purposes only. 2030 would be a tough target, but surely 2035 is the furthest credible date?
-At press time, we had not received an answer to our request for clarifications.

‘end

21/02/2024

ZERO - the travel business and the environment
See https://wp.me/pTv9-J1

Includes:
Interhome CO2-neutral holiday homes
Electric aircraft market
Aviation CO2 emissions
British Airways buys SAF
United 100% SAF flight
Cleaner air:
Breakthrough Energy Catalyst
Embraer aircraft - electric, hydrogen
Alaska Airlines plastic plans
Southwest buys SAF

15/02/2024

ZERO - the travel business and the environment
See https://wp.me/pTv9-IT

Includes:
Clean cruising - maybe
Another mystery climate saver
WTO proposes nothing - again
Cleaner air:
Airlines’ EF future
Etihad ESG loan
Avocet/Fexco CO2 tracking
Google Flights
100% SAF flight
Delta buys SAF
ASL/Universal Hydrogen ATR72

05/02/2024

Environmental Updates

An excerpt from our monthly ZERO report. As this is a subscription report, the following item is not from the current edition.

Amadeus travel survey
Some findings from research on travellers* by Amadeus* (not compared with earlier surveys unless shown) on travel and sustainability, and what would help the travel business become more sustainable longterm:
-*46% said greater availability of green modes of transport - such as electric planes, trains - ‘might help’. Note 1.
-*44% said ‘making sustainable travel more cost effective would be beneficial’. Note 2.
-*41% said ‘transparency around travel companies’ sustainability policies would help’. Note 3.
*Notes:
-Spain-based Amadeus was originally an airline reservation company owned by some airlines. It has now a stockmarket-quoted company providing a wide range of products and services to companies in the travel business.
-Study of 9074 consumers in France, Germany, India, Russia, Singapore, Spain, UAE, UK, US.
-Note 1. This question/answer shows this is a complex matter. Little value in this finding.
-Note 2. Also valueless; Amadeus appears to be using ‘cost effective’ not for its proper meaning, but ‘lower cost’, although that more clearly shows the question/answer has no value.
-Note 3. We cannot understand how the travelling public knowing sustainable policies of travel companies would help those companies.
-Non-environmental parts on this topic are in our Net Value and W.Y.S.K monthly reports.
-At press time, we had not received an answer to our request for clarifications.

‘end

22/01/2024

Environmental Updates

An excerpt from our monthly ZERO report. As this is a subscription report, the following items are not from the current edition.

WTTC’s ‘Net Zero’ means zero
Well, almost. There are a couple of tasks hidden in WTTC’s* multiplicity of genteel words about its ‘Net Zero Roadmap’ (NZR) for the environment. But NZR cannot even be described as an ‘initiative’, an even-less-meaningful word than ‘roadmap’.
Two take-outs:
-NZR will comprise an ‘overview of climate actions in [the travel business; next, TTB]...lessons learned from the past...[actions] to help accelerate climate commitments and emissions reduction.’ This appears to be a content-description of a new report on travel and the environment.
-NZR and a new data report are what WTTC reports are its ‘biggest deliverables in the drive of [TTB] towards net zero by 2050*’.
*Notes:
-WTTC = World Travel & Tourism Council. A UK-based lobby group for the travel business, established in 1990.
-2050 is 30 years from now and we believe an unconvincing target, for public relations purposes only. 2030 would be a tough target, but surely 2035 is the longest credible date?

Cleaner air
From Washington Aviation Summary; comments from Travel Business Analyst:
[] The Azul airline plans to work with Lilium to build an eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) network in Brazil. This includes 220 Lilium eVTOLs, due to start operating in 2025.
[] DHL Express has ordered 12 electric Alice eCargo planes from US-based Eviation for delivery in 2024. Alice specifications: load 1200kg; range 800km; 30 minutes to charge per flight hour.
[] Eve, part of the Embraer aircraft-maker, and Ascent Flights Global plan an e-aircraft network in Asia Pacific, due to start operating in 2026. Eve plans to provide Ascent with 100,000 flight-hours/year on its eVTOL aircraft, also known as EVA (Electrical Vertical Aircraft), in Bangkok, Manila, Melbourne, Singapore, Tokyo.
[] FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), the US government body that controls aviation in the country, plans to give US$20.4mn in grants to reduce emissions at US airports.

Briefs
[] Non-meat* offers at some Mandarin Oriental hotels:
-Bangkok. Serves vegan and gluten-free afternoon tea. Choices of plant-based meat and tofu instead of cheese and clotted cream.
-Hong Kong. Impossible Burger (one of the two main companies; the other is Beyond Meat) products.
-Landmark, Hong Kong. Targets a 35:65 ratio between animal protein and plant-based ingredients for its menus.
-Tokyo. Vegan Chinese dishes including dumplings, soups and stir-fried vegetables.
Notes: Food accounts for 25-30% of CO2 emissions, with livestock 15% of that.

[] Helbiz* has installed a unit for renting and recharging electric scooters in Lugano, Switzerland. The unit can be moved to other locations.
*Notes: US-based, launched in 2015, providing ebicycles, emopeds, escooters, with charging units, in 35 cities.

[] A report by VDR (Germany’s Business Travel Association) found that in 2020, 90% of business travel managers in the country, and 97% in the public sector, believe that sustainability will become a competitive factor when choosing service providers.

[] PATA* award* winners (our extraction of ZERO-related sectors):
-Grand Title, Sustainability and Social Responsibility. Cinnamon Hotel Management, Sri Lanka.
-Gold Award, Climate Change Initiative. Melco Resorts, Macau.
-Gold Award, Corporate Social Responsibility. Ten Knots, Philippines.
*Notes:
-PATA = Pacific Asia Travel Association, a Bangkok-based regional travel promotional body.
-Awards. Generally, Travel Business Analyst ignores awards (except those few we win, of course), for many reasons, but mainly because it is hard as an outsider to determine which have value. But for ZERO, we have different criteria, and run many, as we believe any encouragement in this sector is good.

‘end

21/01/2024

Environmental Updates

An excerpt from our monthly ZERO report. As this is a subscription report, the following items are not from the current edition.

EU targets only airlines
The European Union has introduced a program to reduce carbon emissions by 55% by 2030, compared with 1990.
We are surprised that nothing, see below, is being planned for other (polluting) parts of the travel business - from hotels, ground transport, and those companies that sell/promote travel. The EU seems to believe that only aviation pollutes.
The travel-business related parts of the EU program include:
-Implementing aviation’s Corsia (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation).
-The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation. Requires that aircraft have access to clean electricity supply at major airports.
-The RefuelEU Aviation Initiative. Requires fuel suppliers to blend higher levels of SAFs in jet fuel taken at EU airports.

Briefs
[] Omio* reports:
-40% of those in France would change their mode of transport if it was better for the environment, compared with 45% of those in Germany, 57% in the UK.
-35% of travellers in France would accept a trip up to 30 minutes longer if that was better for the climate, 25% up to 60 minutes.
The problem is, of course, that most travellers do not change - even if they say they will change.
*Notes: Go Euro Travel, doing business as Omio, is an online travel website based in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 2012 by Naren Shaam. Source Wikipedia.

[] Ras Al Khaimah* reports that all its planned US$132mn (quoted as £96mn) investment in the visitor business will be in ‘sustainable’ projects. This is unlikely, if not impossible in the proper sense of the word, and RAK gives no detail.
RAK also reports that it is ‘working with’ Earth Check to ‘create destination wide sustainable practices’, including carbon offset, less energy and water consumption in ‘all’ hotels and (visitor?) ‘attractions’.
ZERO has requested EC to confirm details in order to re-establish its environmental credibility. At press time, we had not received an answer.
*Notes:
-An emirate in the 7-emirate United Arab Emirates.
-Non-environmental detail on RAK’s plans are included in our W.Y.S.K:What-You-Should-Know monthly-subscription-report.

[] Universal Hydrogen has signed to supply its hydrogen conversion kit - for regional aircraft and ‘green hydrogen’ fuel services - to the Icelandair Group.
US-based UH has also signed to supply ‘green hydrogen’ fuel services to Corvus Airlines in the US.

[] Deutsche Aircraft, a new aircraft manufacturer, and Germany-based H2FLY plan to work together on R&D of hydrogen fuel cell technology for commercial regional aircraft.
H2FLY first flew hydrogen-powered flight in 2016. The two companies announced plans to fly a Dornier 328 as a test aircraft in 2025.
But separately H2FLY has announced plans to fly a 6-19 seater in 2027, and a 40-seater in 2030. Not yet clear is whether these are still separate targets or they are to be merged.

[] The UK government plans to force the aviation sector to zero carbon emissions by 2050*.
*Notes: That is 30 years from now and we believe an unconvincing target, for public relations purposes only. 2030 would be a tough target, but surely 2035 is the longest credible date?

‘end

28/05/2023

Environmental Updates

An excerpt from our monthly ZERO report. As this is a subscription report, the following items are not from the current edition.

Norwegian Cruises climate platitudes
Norwegian Cruises* has detailed a ‘climate action strategy’. We have identified some specifics (many are hard-to-track promises):
-Offset 3mn tonnes of ‘carbon dioxide equivalent’ over three years starting this year. Note our general comment above about COs.
-Reduce CO2 emissions rate by 40% by 2030 from a 2008 baseline. In fact, this is an industry-wide pledge through CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association), not NC-specific.
-NC has reduced fuel -17% over 11 years, 2008-19. Note that this is a tiny -1.7% annual average.
-It has also reduced CO2 emissions -14% over four years 2015-19. We do not know why NC has chosen a different period, although this shows a better annual average, -3.7%.
-Working with CLIA to research and develop new fuels and technology. As noted, this is an industry-wide initiative, not NC-specific.
-CLIA members plan to reduce carbon emissions by -40% by 2030. Comparison measure not given, but this looks weak. Many businesses have planned -100% reductions by that year.
*Notes: NC brands are that, plus Oceania, Regent Seven Seas

Plastic push
GTPI* has signed up 32 more members, giving it 93. Unfortunately, GTPI names just some. We don’t like that, so we list none. All are listed on https://www.oneplanetnetwork.org/sustainable-tourism/signatories-global-tourism-plastics-initiative
*Notes:
-GTPI = the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative. Commits members, usually with dates, to:
-‘Eliminate, innovate and circulate’ their use of plastics.
-‘Spread the word through media channels’ (whatever that means).
-Highlight five case studies.
-Include plastics as a ‘component of promoting sustainability in tourism supply chains’.
-Stop plastic ending up as pollution and reduce the amount of new plastic.
-Commit to eliminate the plastic items not needed. And those that are needed are designed to be reused, recycled, or composted.
-Eliminate problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and items.
-Move from single-use to re-use models.
-Report annually on progress on these targets.
-GTPI is run by the Kenya-based non-UN United Nations Environment Programme, the Spain-based World Tourism Organisation, the UK-based Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Despite UNEP’s name, and somewhat extraordinarily, it is not a UN body. Wikipedia tells us it is funded by voluntary contributions. EMF is also a charity.

Briefs
[] Euromonitor has ranked 99 countries/territories for sustainable travel for 2020. Top-5 Sweden, then Finland Austria Estonia Norway; bottom-5, Pakistan bottom then India Mauritius Vietnam Morocco.
Ranking of significant destinations: France 9, Germany 16, New Zealand 23, Spain 25, Australia 29, Italy 34, US 35, UK 40, Japan 53, China 56, Russia 65, Singapore 93. That makes Singapore’s low ranking - 6th from the bottom - the biggest surprise, although its population is a voracious user of plastics.

[] Radisson Hotels is working with Allego to install electric-vehicle charging points at its 220 hotels in Europe by 2025. Allego currently has 26,000 charging points in 12 countries in Europe.

[] US-based Universal Hydrogen has signed LOIs (letter of intent) with two airlines in Europe. No dates have been given for implementing these LOIs.
-Air Nostrum plans to by 11 turboprop conversion kits, which will have a hydrogen fuel cell and electric motor.
-The Icelandair Group has signed to convert its Dash-8s to hydrogen-power with UH’s hydrogen conversion kit.

‘end

09/11/2022

An excerpt from our monthly ZERO report. As this is a subscription report, the following items are not from the current edition.

[] Wink’s new hotel in Ho Chi Minh City has LEED*’s gold rating. It has:
-Three categories for waste segregation - recyclable, domestic, hazardous.
-Indoor fixtures that control the rate of water flow.
-Parking for bicycle, car-pooling, electric cars.
-Each desk with its own lamp and fan to reduce central power usage.
LEED devalues its ranking by advance-ranking. For instance, Wink’s planned hotel in Danang, not due to open until Q2 2022, already has gold rating.
*Notes:
-Vietnam-based Wink Hotels opened its first hotel this year. It plans 20 hotels in the country.
-LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a US-based environmentally-green building certification program. It has rating systems for the design, construction, operation, maintenance of buildings, homes, and neighbourhoods that aim to help building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and to use resources efficiently. Main Source: Wikipedia.

[] Yokohama’s CVB has operated a conference using its ‘Blue Carbon Offset System’, which comprises:
-A global-warming countermeasure project.
-Calculating distance travelled by all attendees to calculate their carbon emissions, and then adding energy used for the venue itself.
-Taking the resulting 9.2 tonnes of CO2 to be offset using part of the participants’ conference registration fee as offset money.
-Using that money to support marine life that absorbs CO2.

‘end

12/07/2022

An excerpt from our monthly ZERO report. As this is a subscription report, the following items are not from the current edition.

Solar Impulse wastes power
The following is largely an update on an earlier report in ZERO:
We criticised a decision of Bertrand Piccard, one of the two pilots (with Andre Borschberg) who flew round-the-world in the 1-seat solar-powered Solar Impulse aircraft in 2015/6.
After this, Piccard established the non-profit Solar Impulse Foundation, but we were disappointed because SIF works on all EV solutions. We wanted SIF to stay in the travel business – where it had earned good credibility. Many other bodies work on all EV activities.
SIF’s Phase2 (P1 was the aircraft’s launch) half proved our point. In 2017, P2 was to find 1000 methods to protect the EV in a profitable way. We would like to see just 10 trackable methods and just for the travel business. And for SIF to track travel companies, and rank those that introduce these methods.
SIF now has its 1000 companies/projects. Many, of course, are already known, and some are funded. Did Piccard fly round-the-world so he could create a nice-people list?
However, SIF will now expand its work as it has fulfilled that P2-1000-companies list. It will now help companies to find EF solutions to their problems.

Briefs
[] The Singapore Airlines Group (now Silk has been shut down, just Singapore Airlines and Scoot) targets net-zero emissions by 2050. SAG has not explained how it will do this - although we think 2035 is the furthest-away date to be credible.

[] Spain-based Vueling has eliminated single-use plastics from its catering service onboard. The difference is notable - it used 5mn plastic cups, 200k pieces of disposable cutlery, 1mn coffee stirrers.

[] A report for an ITF* conference last month found:
-World transport activity forecast to double by 2050, and traffic emissions to grow 16% compared to 2015.
-Based on 2015 figures, non-urban transport generates 60% of all CO2 emissions.
*Notes: ITF = International Transport Forum, part of the OECD.

[] US-based Flexjet, which provides shared ownership of executive jets, plans emissions-neutral flights with 4AIR’s rating program. It offsets owners' flights to 300% of CO2. Other developments:
-Its Q1 CO2 offset was 20,000 tonnes.
-Provides 300% of offsets for CO2 emissions and other pollutants.

[] Business-aviation company Vista Jet plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025. Also, VJ is working with SkyNRG to provide SAF for business aviation.

[] Thailand-based Six Senses Resorts:
-Is working with United States Coalition on Sustainability and SustainChain, which works with companies to join collective ventures and share best practices.
-Also has a Plastic Free 2022 strategy - to remove plastic materials from its hotel operations.
-Its Zighy Bay resort in Oman is working with UK-based Co2nsensus (sic) to offset the carbon produced during a guest stay - at no cost to the guest. The resort plans to give US$10 per roomnight to a wind-power plant in Turkey.

[] US-based Regent is building an electric flying ferry, hopefully ready by 2025.

[] China plans to add 32,000km to its high-speed rail network*; it currently has about 38,000km. Growth is not as fast as it appears - an average +4.2% annually - but its network could then be 3x longer than all other HSRNs in the world combined, currently about 22,000km excluding China.
*Notes:
-‘High-speed’ is generally considered at least 250kph on dedicated tracks, 200kph on regular tracks.
-The first high-speed rail system was the Shinkensen in Japan, started 1964 and known generically as the bullet train.
-Most of above from Wikipedia.

[] Outrigger’s Mauritius Beach Resort wants to attract EV customers on the basis of its location - good for access to nearby Black River Gorges National Park, Chamarel Ebony Forest, Case Noyale, Ile aux Aigrettes.
Although that should be sanctioned as publicity-generating, the resort does have 10 EF tour packages available.

‘end

(PIC: Regent's flying ferry)

12/07/2022

An excerpt from our monthly ZERO report. As this is a subscription report, the following items are not from the current edition.

Companies fly green
A few airlines have created programs that enable their corporate clients to participate in more EF flying.
[] Insurance company AXA Deutschland has contracted for the Lufthansa Group’s (LG) new carbon-offsetting scheme. AXAD is the first corporate client to sign on.
Under this agreement, AXAD staff travellers on LG’s airlines pay towards LG’s use of SAFs or its climate-protection projects or both.
AXAD has signed for three years and will start with 15% SAFs and 85% climate protection projects. This will mean AXAD’s flying is carbon neutral.
[] US-based United Airlines has created an alliance of some of its corporate clients to pay towards buying SAFs. The ‘Eco-Skies Alliance Program’ (ESAP) plans to buy 13mnL of SAF this year. That would reduce CO2 emissions by 31k tonnes, about 350mn RPKs.
Other participants in ESAP are Autodesk, Boston Consulting, CEVA, Deloitte, DHL, DSV, HP, Nike, Palantir, Siemens, Takeda.
[] There have been other similar agreements: Deloitte with American and Delta; Microsoft with Alaska and KLM.

France stops flights to help the EV
France’s government plans to ban some domestic flights to move travellers to the country’s TGV* rail network. Some details:
-For flights (on any airline) where the train takes less than 2’30”.
-Only flights that fly point-to-point travellers, not those for flyers connecting to other flights.
The ban looks awkward, partly because some passengers (10%?) on some shorthaul flights connect to other flights (not just longhaul). We would think every flight carries at least one passenger making a connection. So this change needs to come with, at least, smoother rail-to-air links (including fares).
-Air France had already stopped flights Paris Orly-Bordeaux/Lyon/Nantes - but for economic not EV reasons. Flights on these routes from Paris CDG will continue.
Lufthansa has been operating domestic train services for its passengers for 30 years, but is now doing more. In late-2020, for instance, it created connections from its flights to trains Frankfurt Airport-Munich/Nuremberg.
*Notes: TGV = train a grande vitesse; high-speed train. France’s name, but TGV is sometimes used generically. In France, TGVs are now marketed under ‘InOui’, a play on (French) words, where Oui is Yes, but the pronunciation of the word is close to ‘inoubliable’, meaning ‘unforgettable’.

Cleaner air
From Washington Aviation Summary; comments from Travel Business Analyst:
[] An emissions study using 100% SAF on an A350-900 has been launched by Airbus, German research centre DLR, Rolls-Royce and SAF producer Neste.
Flight and ground tests will compare emissions from SAFs produced with HEFA (hydro processed esters and fatty acids) technology against those from fossil aircraft fuel and low-sulphur fossil fuel.
[] The Deloitte accountancy company has signed a contract to buy SAF from Delta. And Delta has signed a separate contract with SAF producer Neste.
[] Deloitte has also signed a contract with American to help it reduce its business-travel emissions by 50% by 2030. American has contracted to buy 34mn litres of SAF over the next three years - made from sustainably-sourced feedstocks and has emissions at least -75% below those of petroleum-based jet fuel.
[] The transport departments of Canada and the US will together work to speed-up policy actions to help transport sectors become more EF.

‘end

(PIC: Lufthansa train)

12/07/2022

An excerpt from our monthly ZERO report. As this is a subscription report, the following items are not from the current edition.

Solar Impulse wastes power
We criticised a decision of Bertrand Piccard, one of the two pilots (with Andre Borschberg) who flew round-the-world in the 1-seat solar-powered Solar Impulse aircraft in 2015/6.
After this, he established the non-profit Solar Impulse Foundation. But we were disappointed because SIF works on all environmental solutions. We wanted SIF to stay in the travel business – where it had earned good credibility. Many other bodies work on all environmental activities.
SIF’s Phase2 (P1 was the aircraft’s launch) half proves our point. In 2017, P2 was to find 1000 methods to protect the environment in a profitable way. We would like to see just 10 trackable methods just for the travel business. And for SIF to track travel companies, and rank those that introduce these methods.
It now has a list of around 910 companies/projects. Many, of course, are already known, and some are funded. Did Piccard fly round-the-world so he could create a list?

Briefs
[] Anantara’s Qasr Al Sarab resort in Abu Dhabi is adding some environmental elements, including:
-bio-degradable water bottles, made from sustainable material.
-solar panels for hot water for rooms and the resort’s laundry.
-zero waste ‘initiatives’; no further explanation.
-growing vegetables; volume not given.
*Notes: Anantara is a brand of Thailand-based Minor Hotels.

[] Six Senses Resorts has won a Travel & Leisure award for making ‘meaningful strides in responsible travel’.

[] An ITBB* and Statista* survey on Germany’s travel business shows there were 38 new companies over 2000-09 whose focus was on sustainable travel. It was 175 over 2010-19, which we calculate is +360.5%.
*Notes:
-ITBB = ITB Berlin, the 10k-exhibitor travel trade exhibition in the city. Frequently issues reports on the travel business, of which this is from one. For 10 years IPK International produced the statistical reports for ITBB. From 2021, Statista took over.
-Statista is a Germany-based company specialising in market and consumer data, established in 2007. Statista does not specialise in travel.

[] A Euromonitor report on sustainable travel found:
-66.4% of consumers want to have a positive impact on the environment through their daily actions in 2021.
-Leading by example is Sweden then Finland, Austria, Estonia, Norway. Not clear if ‘leading’ is as a visitor destination, or as a travel market.
-Just outside the top-20 – mainly in Europe, and including Germany, France - are New Zealand, Bolivia, Canada. As shown; other markets not listed, or reason for order of those listed.
Notes: At press time, we had not received an answer to our request for clarifications.

‘end

12/07/2022

An excerpt from our monthly ZERO report. As this is a subscription report, the following items are not from the current edition.

Cleaner air
From Washington Aviation Summary; comments from ZERO:
[] The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Act has been introduced in the US congress. It would ‘incentivise the production of sustainable aviation fuel’, authorise US$1bn in government funding for US projects that produce, transport, blend or store SAF, provide US$175mn in research funding.
It would also require the government’s Environmental Protection Agency - weakened during the Trump administration - to establish an aviation-only Low Carbon Fuel Standard, similar to California’s existing all-transport LCFS.
The act is supported by groups including the Environmental Defense Fund, World Wildlife Fund, Union of Concerned Scientists.
[] A KLM Amsterdam-Madrid passenger flight in January used regular fuel mixed with 500L of sustainable synthetic kerosene - produced by Shell with carbon dioxide, water and energy from sun, wind.
[] Port of Amsterdam, KLM, SkyNRG, Synkero are working on a commercial synthetic sustainable kerosene factory in Amsterdam.
[] A demonstration factory is being built in Rotterdam to make kerosene using captured CO2 as raw material. Named the Zenid initiative, participants are Climeworks, Hague Airport, Rotterdam, SkyNRG, Uniper.
[] British Airways, Zero Avia are working a project to study hydrogen-powered aircraft. ZA operated a hydrogen-electric flight last September. Now, it targets: by 2023, a 20-seat aircraft flying 800km; by 2027, a 100-seat aircraft flying 800km; by 2030, a 100+ seat aircraft flying 1500km.
[] United Airlines plans to buy up to 200 eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft from US-based Archer within the next five years. The battery-powered aircraft can travel 100km at 250kph. United estimates the aircraft could reduce CO2 emissions by 47% per passenger over Hollywood-Los Angeles, one route planned. Archer hopes to start making the aircraft in 2023, and launch consumer flights in 2024.
[] Ferrovial* and Lilium* have signed an agreement to build at least 10 ‘vertiports’ in major cities in Florida. The first is due in South Florida; more details due next month.
*Notes:
-Spain-based Ferrovial (Spanish for ‘railway’) operates 33 airports around the world, as well as other transport activities.
-Germany-based Lilium is building an eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) jet. The 5-seat, 300km range prototype first flew in 2019, but was later destroyed on the ground by an accidental fire. Wikipedia reports that development has switched to a 7-seat aircraft due to fly in 2022.
[] The France government has asked (=ordered; it owns 51%) Groupe ADP* to cancel its Paris CDG Terminal-4 project and present a new plan that meets environmental protection objectives.
*Notes: Groupe ADP, was Aeroports de Paris, but now operates 26 airports around the world. Its main ones remain Charles de Gaulle and Orly in Paris.

‘end

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The environment and the travel business

ZERO reports on environmental activity in the travel business, with a critical viewpoint.

Other reports in the Travel Business Analyst group are WYSK:What-You-Should-Know, PinT (People-in-Travel, reporting on leaders in the travel business), Net Value (marketing travel on the internet). And blogs Foxtrots and Trottings.