Sustainability In The Air

Hosted by SimpliFlying

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176

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Aviation has many paths to net zero, and few are straightforward. Sustainability in the Air cuts through the noise with clear, expert-led conversations on what’s actually advancing a more sustainable future for flight in one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise. 💚 Twice a month, SimpliFlying CEO Shashank Nigam speaks with airline, airport, travel, and energy leaders to unpack the decisions shaping aviation’s climate future. 💚 Each month, our Head of Sustainability Dirk Singer adds a Signal episode spotlighting the tech founders building aviation’s next wave of climate innovation. Whether you work in aviation, advise it, or simply care about the future of travel, this podcast is for you. For enquiries: podcast@simpliflying.com For more content on sustainable aviation, visit simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.

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September 3, 2026Episode 17127 min

Why GE Aerospace believes a sustainable future will be built across multiple technology frontiers

In this episode, recorded at the Farnborough Airshow 2026, we speak with Christoph Pereira , CEO of Software as a Service (SaaS), Aerospace Carbon Solutions and Sustainability at GE Aerospace , about how one of the world’s largest engine maker is using software, data and hybrid electric propulsion to decarbonise aviation. He discusses: Why GE Aerospace runs a software business alongside its engine franchise, and how software focused on safety, efficiency and resilience can leverage more capacity from constrained airspace immediately. How GE Aerospace, NASA and BETA Technologies demonstrated hybrid-electric propulsion at 30,000 feet aboard a modified Saab aircraft. How the collaboration with BETA, struck less than a year earlier, put a jointly developed turbogenerator on display in BETA’s autonomous MV250 eVTOL at the Farnborough Airshow. The vehicle offers a longer range, higher speed and much lower cost than traditional helicopters. How tools like SIGNPOST help airlines with environmental compliance at the lowest marginal cost, whilst DecisionX delivers aviation-specific weather insight on contrails, icing and turbulence. How GE Aerospace’s FLIGHT DECK manages a 20-year engine development cycle alongside six-month software builds. If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Kyle Clark, Founder and CEO of BETA Technologies, who shares the realities of bringing electric aircraft into operation. Check it out here . Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2. Click here to learn more . Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website simpliflying.com/green and join the movement. It’s about time. Links & More: GE Aerospace NASA, GE Aerospace work enables hybrid-electric flight demonstration - NASA GE Aerospace partners with NASA, BETA Technologies, and Boeing on world’s first high-altitude hybrid electric flight - GE Aerospace BETA Technologies unveils MV250, delivering greater range, higher speed, and lower costs for military logistics - BETA Technologies

August 20, 2026Episode 17046 min

Why the GREATER MSP Partnership sees regional collaboration as the key to scaling SAF

In this episode, we speak with Julia Silvis , Managing Director of Research and Intelligence at the GREATER MSP Partnership , the economic development partnership for the Minneapolis Saint Paul (MSP) region region that built and leads the Minnesota sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) Hub, a first-of-its-kind coalition working across the entire SAF value chain from feedstock to the airport fuel supply. She discusses: Working supply and demand together: How the Minnesota SAF Hub’s defining feature is that it operates on both sides (supply and demand) of the market, giving it visibility into bottlenecks before any individual producer runs into them. How Delta Air Lines brought SAF to an economic development group: The story of Delta approaching GREATER MSP after its 10% SAF by 2030 commitment, and how interest from Xcel Energy, Cargill and Ecolab convinced the organisation there was something worth building. Getting the first truckload from camelina to wing: The three-month effort that moved SAF made from local winter camelina to MSP airport, and what it taught the hub about blending capacity, infrastructure and trust. Horizons, not just a billion-gallon goal: Why the Hub’s has set a target of 1 billion of SAF by 2050, and why it has been broken into three gradual “horizons”: ongoing uplift at MSP, in-state production by around 2030, and multiple pathways by 2035. Defending regional hubs and asking for federal stability: Why Silvis believes building things in the real world is harder at the federal level, how regional hubs customise rather than duplicate, and why policy consistency over 10-15 years matters more to producers than any single credit. If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Bruce Fleming, CEO of Montana Renewables, who shares how one of the largest SAF producers scaled its operations by leveraging existing infrastructure rather than starting from scratch. Check it out here . Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more . Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website and join the movement. It’s about time. Links & More: Minneapolis Saint Paul Economic Development - Greater MSP Minnesota SAF Hub Delta joins Minnesota leaders to celebrate opening of new SAF blending facility serving MSP - Delta Air Lines Airbus to Invest in Minnesota Sustainable Aviation Fuel Hub - Twin Cities Business Delta Air Lines operates 1st Airbus A321 SAF flight from Minneapolis-St. Paul to New York LaGuardia - Simple Flying

August 6, 2026Episode 1691 hr 3 min

Why Norway is building an ecosystem for electric aviation

In this episode, we speak with Jan Petter Steinland , Director of Strategic Analysis and Transformation at the Civil Aviation Authority Norway , about how the administrative body is building an ecosystem for electric and hybrid aviation. Steinland discusses: Why a regulator is leading, not an airline: How CAA Norway and Avinor built the test arena without a launch customer, arguing that backing one airline would narrow the field before anyone knows which technologies will succeed. Learnings from 126 electric flights: BETA Technologies and Bristow Norway ran a trial for electric flights for six months between Stavanger and Bergen. The real charging challenge: Turnaround time is mostly a question of charging power, but consecutive charging heats batteries over a long operating day. Steinland believes global standardisation on battery cooling approaches are needed as varying solutions at every airport are unlikely to scale. Norway’s SAF mandate: How Norway set the world’s first blending mandate starting at 0.5%, to prove that blending could be regulated, reported and followed up. Norway’s international test arena for zero‑ and low‑emission aviation: How agreed learning objectives and an open, cross-industry scope set the test arena apart from a closed environment built around one manufacturer. If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Kyle Clark, Founder and CEO of BETA Technologies, who discusses the realities of bringing electric aircraft into operation. Check it out here . Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more . Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time. Links & More: Civil Aviation Authority Norway Norway completes its first electric aviation test project - CAA Norway Test arena operations kick off in Norway with first flight of all-electric ALIA aircraft - CAA Norway Norway takes the next step as an International Test Arena with Bristow Group and Electra - PR Newswire

July 23, 2026Episode 16833 min

The innovators reshaping aviation: Surprising insights from Farnborough 2026

In this special compilation episode, recorded live at the Farnborough International Airshow 2026, nine aviation leaders share their perspectives on what the future of flying will actually look like, and who is building it. Featuring insights from: Kyle Clark, Founder & CEO, BETA Technologies Tom O’Leary, CEO & Co-founder, JetZero Daniel Rosen Jacobson, Co-CEO & Co-founder, Elysian Aircraft Marc Allen, CEO, Electra.aero Allison Melia, VP - Sustainability, Boeing Luke Farajallah, CEO, Loganair David Stepanek, EVP & Chief Transformation Officer, Bristow Jennifer Holmgren, CEO, LanzaTech Christoph Pereira, CEO - SaaS, Aerospace Carbon Solutions & Sustainability, GE Aerospace Together, they explore what sets their approaches apart, the overlooked opportunities in sustainable aviation, and where the industry is headed next. Throughout the episode, the leaders discuss the different paths the industry is taking towards the same goal: fully electric and hybrid-electric aircraft for short and regional routes, new airframe shapes that cut fuel burn on longer ones, and sustainable aviation fuel made from waste carbon. This is a compilation of highlights from nine in-depth conversations. Stay tuned for the full interviews on our Sustainability in the Air knowledge hub. If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love all the conversations we had through the year with dozens of industry executives, technology leaders and scientists. Check out the archive here . Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more . Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com . For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time. Sponsor message: All of SimpliFlying’s coverage from the Farnborough Airshow 2026 is brought to you by CAE , whose leadership in aviation training and commitment to advancing safety continue to support the industry’s highest standards of excellence.

July 9, 2026Episode 16749 min

Why Lufthansa sees transparency as key to its net zero strategy

In this episode, we speak with Claudia Huegel , Senior Director, Head of ESG Rating and Reporting, Lufthansa Group , who shares how one of the world’s oldest and largest airline groups threads sustainability through its strategy, its reporting, and, increasingly, its relationship with the passenger. She discusses: The near-term levers to decarbonising by 2030: Why fleet renewal does the heaviest lifting this decade, delivering 15-25% efficiency gains per aircraft. The green fares story: How Lufthansa became the first airline group in the world to launch a dedicated sustainable fare, trialling it in the Nordics with a 20% SAF and 80% climate-project mix, and growing adoption from below 1% to around 5% over roughly three years. Making SAF visible: How the group turns fuel farms at Frankfurt into branded signage, runs SAF marketing through Lufthansa Cargo, and structures bulk SAF deals with corporate customers. Mandates versus incentives: Why the ReFuelEU 2% obligation was met in molecules in 2025 but largely with imported fuel, why she suspects incentives build supply better than mandates, and her call for ETS revenue to be reinvested in SAF infrastructure. If you LOVED this episode, you'll also love the conversation we had with Lahiru Ranasinghe, Director of Sustainability at easyJet, who shares what it takes to move a major low-cost carrier from a sustainability blueprint to real-world results. Check it out here . Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more . Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It's about time. Links & More: Climate and Environment - Lufthansa Group Green Fares: More sustainable air travel - Lufthansa Fly more sustainably - Lufthansa Lufthansa Group sees ‘growing demand’ for sustainable fares - Business Travel News Europe Lufthansa Passengers offset 710,000 tonnes of CO2 through climate program - ESG Today

June 25, 2026Episode 16642 min

Why DHL believes getting ahead on SAF is a competitive advantage

In this episode, we speak with Robert Hyslop , Executive Vice President of Global Aviation at DHL Express , who oversees one of the world’s largest dedicated air cargo networks and has helped turn the company into one of the biggest corporate buyers of sustainable aviation fuel. He discusses: Tripling SAF usage in a single year: How DHL moved from 3.5% to 10% SAF use within a year by securing reliable suppliers early and signing offtake agreements globally, purchasing allotments well ahead of when the fuel will actually be used. The GoGreen Plus programme: How DHL’s GoGreen Plus product lets customers co-invest in decarbonising their shipments, and how it has had a strong take-up in emerging markets, and how those revenues are reinvested into buying more SAF. The virtual global airline and book-and-claim: Why DHL operates as a network of airlines rather than one carrier, relies heavily on belly space in passenger aircraft, and has become the scope 3 customer in a five-year book-and-claim deal with IAG Cargo. Efficiency as the other half of the story: How fleet modernisation from the 747 to the 777 freighter, plus a fuel optimisation programme rolled out across 12 airlines, avoids 15-17 million gallons of fuel a year. Why SAF remains the mainstay: Why heavy, long-haul cargo cannot yet move away from the conventional jet fuel. If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Aaron Robinson, Vice President of SAF at the International Airlines Group (IAG), who shares the airline group’s journey to becoming the global leader in SAF use. Check it out here . Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more . Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time. Links & More: Sustainability - DHL Group GoGreen Plus: Reduce carbon emissions - DHL DHL Express and Phillips 66 advance SAF usage in the US through multi-year agreement - Biofuels International Magazine DHL, IAG Cargo sign 5-year deal to use SAF to reduce air freight emissions - ESG Today DHL signs sustainable aviation fuel supply deal with SAF One in Bahrain - Reuters

June 11, 2026Episode 16544 min

Why the Global South should produce SAF, not just export feedstocks

In this episode, we speak with Elvis Ebikade , Director of Strategic Market Development at Bioleum Corporation , about why the Global South should be producing SAF rather than just exporting raw feedstocks, how renewable fuels are becoming an energy security play, the technical challenge of getting aromatics into SAF, and what actually separates a bankable SAF project from a good-looking spreadsheet. Ebikade discusses: The case for Africa and Southeast Asia as SAF producers, not just feedstock suppliers Why exporting feedstocks and reimporting SAF adds a carbon intensity penalty that undermines the product's core value Feedstock diversity in Africa: HEFA, alcohol-to-jet, woody biomass, and e-fuels The energy security reframe: why renewable fuels change who sits at the table Export vs book-and-claim: why there's no single model for Global South SAF What Bioleum is building: lignin-to-aromatics, cellulosic ethanol, and the Hexas Biomass acquisition Why most SAF today still needs to be blended with fossil jet fuel before it can be used to power aircraft What makes a SAF project bankable: feedstock, offtake, EPC, and a credible path to cost parity The gap between financial models and operational reality If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Meg Gentle, Executive Director at HIF Global, about how synthetic fuels and waste-based pathways could reshape the economics of sustainable aviation fuel. Check it out here . Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more . Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com . For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time. Links & More: Bioleum Corporation Why the Global South could produce aviation's cheapest sustainable fuels - SimpliFlying The six-times markup that convinced a Kenyan entrepreneur to make his own SAF - SimpliFlying Could Cameroon become Central Africa's SAF gateway? - SimpliFlying The country that banned petrol cars is now betting on SAF - SimpliFlying Hexas: A sustainable solution to the food vs. fuel debate - SimpliFlying

May 28, 2026Episode 1641 hr 9 min

Why Aether Fuels believes feedstock flexibility is key to scaling SAF

In this episode, we speak with Conor Madigan , founder and CEO of Aether Fuels , a climate technology company converting abundant waste carbon into low-cost sustainable fuels for aviation and ocean shipping. Madigan is one of the few founders approaching the SAF cost problem from an engineering-first, problem-first standpoint. He discusses: A problem-first approach to company building: Why Madigan began with a blank sheet of paper in 2020, fixed on the problem before choosing a technology, and only then exclusively licensed foundational technology from Chicago-area research institute GTI Energy. Moving beyond the HEFA feedstock ceiling: Why today's dominant SAF process, which converts waste fats, oils and greases, cannot keep pace with projected SAF demand demand as mandates tighten towards 2030. A contrarian bet against cheap hydrogen: Why Aether chose in 2022 to prioritise biogas, biomass and industrial off-gases over CO2-and-hydrogen e-fuels, judging that optimistic hydrogen price forecasts were unlikely to hold. The Aether Aurora technology: How tri-conversion merges two reaction steps into one reactor, how an electrified reactor lifts yield, and how novel catalysts cut the cost of fuel upgrading, all aimed at the capital cost that makes waste-fed plants expensive. Why Singapore won Project Beacon: How a fast-moving partnership with Aster, predictable government policy and ties to Temasek made Singapore the site of Aether's first commercial plant, and what other countries can learn from the model. Discipline on offtakes and the real scaling bottleneck: Why Aether has resisted investor pressure to sign speculative offtake agreements, and why Madigan sees project development and financing, not chemistry, as the constraint on scaling SAF. If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Synhelion’s Founder and CEO Philipp Furler who unpacked how the Swiss technology company is working to scale synthetic fuels by tackling some of the fundamental cost and infrastructure barriers facing SAF today. Check it out here . Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry's challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more . Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It's about time. Links & More: Aether Fuels Aster and Aether Fuels partner on the first next-generation commercial SAF plant in Singapore RTI supports Aether Fuels in scaling sustainable aviation fuel Singapore Airlines Group and Aether Fuels sign MoU for sustainable aviation fuel Aster and Aether Fuels Partner on the First Next-Generation Commercial Sustainable Aviation Fuel Plant in Singapore

May 14, 2026Episode 16351 min

Why Abra Group believes Latin America must build its own path to net zero aviation

In this episode, we speak with Maria del Mar Whittaker , Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer at Abra Group , the holding company behind airlines like Avianca and Gol. Whittaker discusses: Aviation as an essential service: Why flying in Latin America is an essential service because the geography of the continent makes road and rail alternatives impractical for several routes. Balancing growth and sustainability: How Avianca grew by nearly 20% between 2019 and 2024 while cutting its emissions intensity by a similar margin. A cross-border compliance book-and-claim mechanism: How Abra Group has developed a novel proposal under which SAF produced in Brazil can be physically used domestically, while Japanese entities can purchase the corresponding SAF certificates, effectively subsidising the green premium for Brazilian airlines and creating bankable demand that can unlock project financing. Revenue certainty mechanisms and double-auction systems: How Abra Group is proposing a multilateral-funded revenue certainty mechanism for Brazil, modelled loosely on the UK’s approach. A systems-level view of SAF sustainability: Why Whittaker insists that SAF feedstock decisions must account for water, biodiversity, and indirect land use impacts at a systemic level. If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Lahiru Ranasinghe, Director of Sustainability at easyJet, who shares what it takes to move a major low-cost carrier from a sustainability blueprint to real-world results. Check it out here . Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry's challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more . Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It's about time. Links & More: Avianca’s growing connectivity while improving overall emission performance Abra and Sumitomo partner to unlock industry solutions to airline decarbonisation in Brazil - Biofuels International Article 6 of the Paris Agreement - UNFCCC Japan’s Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM)

April 30, 2026Episode 1621 hr 1 min

How easyJet is closing the gap between a net zero strategy and operational delivery

In this episode, we speak with Lahiru Ranasinghe , Director of Sustainability at easyJet , who shares what it takes to move a major low-cost carrier from a sustainability blueprint to real-world results. He discusses: From strategy to execution: How easyJet’s net zero roadmap has evolved from a planning document into an operational programme — and why the shift from building a strategy to delivering it changes everything about how sustainability operates within the business. Fleet renewal and the gauge advantage: Why replacing A319s with A320NEO and A321NEO aircraft is one of the clearest wins available right now. SAF’s structural scaling problem: Why easyJet has deliberately not committed its roadmap to uplifting SAF beyond mandated levels, and the structural reason why the first-mover advantage in SAF works in reverse compared to aircraft procurement. Long-term technology bets: The significance of the completed Rolls Royce hydrogen gas turbine engine test at NASA Stennis, what it means for narrow-body hydrogen propulsion at the 30,000-pound-thrust level the industry needs, and Partnership with JetZero: How JetZero’s blended-wing-body (BWB) plane could change the aerodynamics of the aircraft and deliver 50% aerodynamic efficiency savings. Contrails and the airspace connection: Why easyJet sees contrail avoidance as an opportunity to be a rule-maker rather than a rule-taker, and why effective contrail management cannot be separated from the broader project of airspace modernisation. Regulatory frameworks and the wait-and-see problem: How both RefuelEU and the UK Revenue Certainty Mechanism have successfully created demand certainty but have inadvertently encouraged producers to wait for more favourable conditions before committing to production. If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Tom O’Leary, CEO & co-founder of JetZero, who shares how the company is developing the world’s first commercial blended wing body aircraft. Check it out here . Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more . Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time. Links & More: Our destination is net zero - easyJet easyJet and Rolls-Royce complete hydrogen engine test - Fuel Cells Works ATOBA, easyJet and World Fuel sign MoU for long-term supply of SAF - Biofuels International easyJet believes hydrogen propulsion is the future of short-haul flying - SimpliFlying