Sustainability In The Air

Hosted by SimpliFlying

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179

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Oct 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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October 15, 2026Episode 17443 min

Why VAERIDION believes a 100% electric nine-seater aircraft can beat every alternative on cost

In this episode, we speak with Ivor van Dartel , CEO and co-founder of VAERIDION , which is developing the Microliner, a 100% electric, nine-passenger fixed-wing aircraft. He discusses: Why VAERIDION chose electric aircraft: Despite leading hybrid-electric work at Airbus, Ivor argues that hybrids carry twice the system complexity and still burn fuel. The Microliner has range limits, but within them he believes it will be unbeatable on unit economics, just as electrification has won on cost in road, rail and shipping. The case for nine seats: Battery energy density points to a six-tonne aircraft with up to 500 km of range. That lines up with a fleet of around 21,000 nine-seat aircraft, many of them old, and a certification category whose costs run to millions rather than billions. Batteries in the wing: Placing heavy batteries in the wing reduces bending loads and allows a lighter structure. Because the wing flexes, VAERIDION uses 60 small, identical packs fixed to the wing ribs, each delivering 900 volts, all designed, built and tested in-house. Why rail is not the whole answer for regional travel: Ivor shares that long-distance rail carries only a fraction of the 1.4 billion trips made each year on 150 to 600 km journeys. Europe's regional airports, around 2,500 of them usable, could offer point-to-point links without new infrastructure. What success looks like: With launch customer ASL Group and more than 100 commitments announced at the Berlin Air Show, Ivor says success means operators earning revenue and profit from the Microliner, and passengers choosing it because it is the most convenient option. If you LOVED this episode, you'll also love the conversation we had with Kyle Clark, founder and CEO of BETA Technologies, on why simplicity is the key to electric aviation. 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: VÆRIDION The Microliner - VÆRIDION ASL has placed an aircraft order with VÆRIDION - ASL Group VÆRIDION surpasses 100 new aircraft commitments following successful PDR - ASD News GKN Aerospace to support VÆRIDION battery-electric aircraft programme - Aerospace Testing International

October 1, 2026Episode 17345 min

Why Earth Venture Capital thinks energy security will drive climate tech’s next cycle

In this episode, we speak with Tien Nguyen , founding partner of Vietnam-based Earth Venture Capital , who explains why the venture capital firm is betting on science-led deep tech, from advanced nuclear to hydrogen, and what that approach tells us about financing the next generation of aviation technology. Nguyen discusses Earth VC’s mission to make the physical economy more efficient through science-led deep tech How Earth VC distinguishes a measurable scientific breakthrough from an incremental improvement How research institutions, trusted scientific networks and independent due diligence shape the fund’s investment pipeline The three commercialisation gaps facing hard-technology companies, and why Nguyen would rather see a company fail quickly than become a “zombie” Supercritical Solutions and the economics of producing clean hydrogen for direct industrial use How HyLight’s hydrogen-powered airships could reduce the cost of inspecting electricity lines and provide an early specialist market for hydrogen aviation Why Earth VC sources technology globally but treats deployment as a local problem Nguyen’s advice to founders: raise capital against a defined technical, regulatory or commercial risk rather than simply buying more time If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Elvis Ebikade Founder & Principal at Vansam Advisory. 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 and more Earth Venture Capital Key Questions on Energy and AI - IEA Aalo achieves criticality - Aalo Atomics Blykalla and IFE partner to advance key primary systems for scalable SMR deployment - Blykalla Supercritical, ScottishPower and Proton Ventures share findings from GreeNH3 feasibility study - Supercritical

September 17, 2026Episode 17250 min

Why Gevo believes low-carbon ethanol and carbon capture are the foundation for scaling alcohol-to-jet SAF

In this episode, we speak with Paul Bloom , CEO of Gevo , who shares how low-carbon fuels, carbon capture, and technology are coming together to accelerate aviation’s path to net zero. He discusses: Why Gevo stepped away from the DOE loan guarantee: The DOE loan guarantee was always one of several potential financing options for Gevo. When enhanced oil recovery (EOR) for Gevo’s CO2 co-product became a requirement, the lack of oil and gas infrastructure in North Dakota made it difficult to secure a bankable offtake agreement. Gevo is now pursuing private credit and bank financing for its ATJ-30 project. Carbon as a second product line: For every ton of fuel, Gevo also produces about a ton of CO2, which is sequestered and stored more than a mile underground. This helps cut the fuel’s carbon intensity by a little over 30 points, and the stored carbon also generates removal credits that Gevo sells to corporate buyers. Tracking how the fuel was made: Gevo’s Verity platform uses distributed ledger technology to track inputs in the fuel production process, bringing transparency, traceability, and trust to the fuel’s entire carbon story. The case for regional SAF supply: Rising jet fuel prices and the global availability of carbohydrate feedstocks strengthen the case for regional supply of SAF. Bloom views ATJ-30 as the first in a series of modular plants that could be deployed across regional markets to meet the rising fuel demand. If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Dr. Patrick Gruber, former CEO of Gevo. 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: Gevo SAF: Our cost-competitive synthetic aviation fuel can deliver sustainability - Gevo Gevo North Dakota: Renewable fuels and carbon abatement - Gevo Gevo advances BECCS strategy to meet rising demand for durable carbon removal - CarbonCredits.Com

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