Travel Environment Watch.

New York (AirGuide - Travel Environment Watch) Jun 28, 2009

Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) president and CEO Marion Blakey is pleased that the fuels subcommittee of ASTM International approved a new specification for alternative jet fuel from the Fischer-Tropsch process Wednesday. The subcommittee's approval means that this fuel has cleared a significant milestone. Once approved by ASTM, and accepted by the Federal Aviation Administration, synthetic paraffinic kerosene from the Fischer-Tropsch process (FT-SPK) can be blended with conventional fuels and used as a substitute to crude oil-derived jet fuel by airlines, private aviation, and the military. Jun 25, 2009

Airbus

University of Queensland students won Airbus's inaugural "Fly Your Ideas" challenge at last week's Paris Air Show for a project looking into the use of the castor plant to develop the first single-plant-based composite material for aircraft cabin components. Project's goal was to reduce dependency on nonrenewable sources and improve end-of-life disposal. A feasibility analysis entailing fiber production and testing was conducted that demonstrated "encouraging mechanical and environmental properties," Airbus said. The three students won a EUR 30,000 prize. The second-place team from the National University of Singapore designed a system to use photovoltaic cells to generate electricity aboard aircraft. More than 2,350 students from 82 nations entered the nine-month competition. Jun 22, 2009

Boeing

Boeing and a team from across the aviation industry today released high-level elements of a study that shows that sustainable biofuels analyzed in a series of pioneering test flights performed favorably in comparison to petroleum-based fuel. According to the study, Evaluation of Bio-Derived Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (Bio-SPK), a series of laboratory, ground and flight tests conducted between 2006 and 2009 indicated the test fuels performed as well as or better than typical petroleum-based Jet A. The testing included several commercial airplane engine types using blends of up to 50 percent petroleum-based Jet A/Jet A-1 fuel and 50 percent sustainable biofuels. Jun 22, 2009

Heathrow and Gatwick Express

Heathrow and Gatwick Express claim to have launched the first ever environmentally friendly door-to-door service to and from both airports. Carbon Voyage provides travellers with a car from their office or home to London Paddington or Victoria, where they can board the express trains to Heathrow or Gatwick. The new integrated service allows travel agents and bookers to make one booking for car and rail transfers, and on one ticket. Carbon Voyage tickets are sent electronically to the customers saving postage and paper. www.carbonvoyage.com Jun 25, 2009

ZZ AirGuide 090629

Editorial eMail: edit@AirGuideOnline.com For Air Transport & Travel Business Experts contact our Director of Content Aram Gesar eMail: bizintel@AirGuideOnline.com For Advertising and Marketing: advert@AirGuideOnline.com For Custom Content: content@AirGuideOnline.com ISSN 1544-3760 - Copyright [c] 2009 AirGuide / Pyramid Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Print Get the Mag Weekly Updates