Sustainability In The Air

Hosted by SimpliFlying

Business Leisure Society Culture

Website RSS feed

Episodes

175

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-GB

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.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

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 TechnologiesTom O’Leary, CEO & Co-founder, JetZeroDaniel Rosen Jacobson, Co-CEO & Co-founder, Elysian AircraftMarc Allen, CEO, Electra.aeroAllison Melia, VP - Sustainability, BoeingLuke Farajallah, CEO, LoganairDavid Stepanek, EVP & Chief Transformation Officer, BristowJennifer Holmgren, CEO, LanzaTechChristoph Pereira, CEO - SaaS, Aerospace Carbon Solutions & Sustainability, GE AerospaceTogether, 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 EuropeLufthansa 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 suppliersWhy exporting feedstocks and reimporting SAF adds a carbon intensity penalty that undermines the product's core valueFeedstock diversity in Africa: HEFA, alcohol-to-jet, woody biomass, and e-fuelsThe energy security reframe: why renewable fuels change who sits at the tableExport vs book-and-claim: why there's no single model for Global South SAFWhat Bioleum is building: lignin-to-aromatics, cellulosic ethanol, and the Hexas Biomass acquisitionWhy most SAF today still needs to be blended with fossil jet fuel before it can be used to power aircraftWhat makes a SAF project bankable: feedstock, offtake, EPC, and a credible path to cost parityThe gap between financial models and operational realityIf 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 - SimpliFlyingThe 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 - SimpliFlyingHexas: 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 fuelAster 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 performanceAbra and Sumitomo partner to unlock industry solutions to airline decarbonisation in Brazil - Biofuels InternationalArticle 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

April 16, 2026Episode 16154 min

Why Montana Renewables believes retrofitting refineries is the fastest path to scaling SAF

In this episode, we speak with Bruce Fleming, CEO of Montana Renewables, the leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel in the United States. Rather than building a new SAF facility from the ground up, Montana Renewables converted a portion of an existing crude oil refinery in Great Falls, Montana to process feedstocks including used cooking oil, agricultural waste, and emerging crops into SAF, renewable diesel, and renewable hydrogen.Fleming discusses:The retrofit model: Why converting an existing crude oil refinery is a fundamentally different capital proposition from building a greenfield SAF plant.Feedstock agnosticism: Why the company is indifferent to which renewable feedstocks run through its system, including its claim to be the first producer to have made SAF from camelina, a cover crop that does not compete with food production and carries a very low carbon intensity score.The investment drought: Why private capital has effectively exited the SAF space, and the direct link between regulatory unpredictability and the absence of long-term investment. The book-and-claim efficiency case: Why separating the physical movement of SAF from its associated emissions certificate could save a dollar per gallon in logistics costs, and how a global book-and-claim system could accelerate SAF adoption.Fuelling small, not large: Why the immediate SAF opportunity lies in general aviation and regional operations rather than long-haul commercial carriers.If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Adam Klauber, Chief Sustainability Officer at World Energy, who shares how the book-and-claim model has evolved from a concept to a practical mechanism for scaling corporate demand for SAF. 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: Montana Renewables Sustainable Aviation Fuel - Montana Renewables Montana Renewables and World Energy join forces to drive efficiency and scale in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) deliveries - World Energy Montana Renewables launches MaxSAF™ Blended, accelerating SAF supply - ChemAnalyst

April 2, 2026Episode 16045 min

Why EASA believes its Flight Emissions Label is key to passenger trust in sustainable aviation

In this episode, we speak with Martina Di Palma and Achilleas Achilleos, Sustainable Aviation Officer and Strategic Programs Officer respectively at the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). They discuss:Why existing CO2 calculators fall short: How today’s flight emissions tools rely on estimates rather than actual fuel burn data.The regulatory foundation: How the Flight Emissions Label (FEL) sits within Article 14 of the RefuelEU Aviation regulation, and why EASA is confident the scheme is here to stay regardless of whether it becomes mandatory.The first-mover dilemma: Why some airlines pushed back against early adoption of the FEL, what the genuine commercial risks of being first are.SAF integration as an incentive mechanism: How the label discounts CO2 emissions based on SAF use, why this creates a direct reputational and financial incentive for airlines to increase SAF uptake, and how EASA is working with airlines including Air France KLM to optimise SAF accounting within the label.Label 2 and the road ahead: What the next phase of development could include, and why EASA has made its flight emissions calculator open-source in the hope that other regions will adopt a similar standard.If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Rachel Gardner-Poole from NATS, who shares how GAIN (Green Aviation Insights Network) is bringing together air navigation service providers from around the world to optimise flight paths and reduce emissions. 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: EASA - European Union Aviation Safety Agency Flight Emissions Label (FEL) RefuelEU Aviation Regulation - European Commission Google Travel Impact Model DigiMove - EU Digital Transport and Logistics Forum

Is this your show?

Claim this listing to keep it up to date, reach guests who want to pitch you, and manage bookings with Guestify.

Claim this listing

More Business podcasts

MACRA

MACRA Website

Business

Sustainability In The Air

About the show

Listen to episodes

Why Norway is building an ecosystem for electric aviation

The innovators reshaping aviation: Surprising insights from Farnborough 2026

Why Lufthansa sees transparency as key to its net zero strategy

Why DHL believes getting ahead on SAF is a competitive advantage

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

Why Aether Fuels believes feedstock flexibility is key to scaling SAF

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

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

Why Montana Renewables believes retrofitting refineries is the fastest path to scaling SAF

Why EASA believes its Flight Emissions Label is key to passenger trust in sustainable aviation

Is this your show?

More Business podcasts

One moment, please...

One moment, please...

Swallow Your Pride Podcast

One moment, please...

One moment, please...

MACRA