Airbus Focused on Achieving its Decarbonisation Roadmap

More than 130 journalists and industry insiders from around the world gathered in Toulouse, France, for the third edition of the Airbus Summit. Over the course of two days, the audience learned more about Airbus' work to pioneer sustainable aerospace, and saw some of the latest innovations on display, such as the EcoPulse, Racer and Optimate.

The stage was set by Julie Kitcher, Airbus' Chief Sustainability Officer, who delivered a compelling overview of the pressing challenge of aviation emissions. She highlighted the transport sector's continued reliance on fossil fuels, while emphasizing the industry's shared goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, in which innovation and cutting-edge technology play a pivotal role. 

With the theme of Innovation, Information, and Inspiration, the Airbus Summit served as a platform for key announcements that underscore this commitment:

- The Airbus Foundation and Solar Impulse Foundation announced a three-year partnership to  drive global progress on sustainability by fostering innovation and collaboration. It aims to identify and accelerate the adoption of scalable, nature-based projects that address pressing global challenges. 

- Airbus has taken a significant step towards scaling the adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by pilotinga new ‘Book and Claim’ approach. This initiative aims to stimulate SAF supply and demand  worldwide, providing a flexible and scalable solution to accelerate its adoption. The ‘Book and Claim’ approach allows a buyer to "book" a certain amount of SAF and "claim" the corresponding emission reduction, even if the fuel is used elsewhere.

- A consortium of 11 partners, including Airbus, from four European countries, are joining forces to launch PACIFIC (Particle emissions, Air Quality and Climate Impact related to Fuel Composition and Engine Cycle), a project that will advance research on contrails mitigation and non-CO2 impacts. PACIFIC is one of 40 projects in which Airbus is involved, looking at different fuel types and compositions to determine the optimal mix  to mitigate non-CO2 emissions.

- Airbus presented the key technology building blocksthat could enable the entry-into-service of a next-generation single-aisle aircraft with an expected 20-30% increase in fuel efficiency compared to the current generation aircraft, as well as the capability to fly with up to 100% Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). 

- Airbus showcased 4-engine hydrogen aircraft technologies as part of a new, notional concept for the development of the ZEROe, a hydrogen-powered aircraft. The engine technology is  powered by four, 2-megawatt electric propulsion engines, each driven by a fuel cell system that converts hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy.

For more information contact:

Angélica Murcia
Communications Manager Latin America
angelica.murcia@airbus.com