Gulfstream has announced that its has successfully completed the world’s first trans-Atlantic flight using 100% SAF. The aircraft, which departed the company’s headquarters in Savannah, Georgia on November 19, landed almost seven hours later at Farnborough Airport in England.

The SAF used on the flight was comprised of 100% Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (neat HEFA), and was produced by World Energy and delivered by World Fuel Services.

According to a release, it is hoped the data collected from this flight will ‘help Gulfstream and its key suppliers gauge aircraft compatibility with future low-aromatic renewable fuels, particularly under cold temperatures for extended flight durations.’

The cutting-edge technology addresses limitations in all-electric systems, offering extended range and autonomous capabilities for logistics, humanitarian aid, and military resupply.
Elroy Air’s Chaparral C1 is not just a conventional cargo drone; it represents a significant leap forward in the aviation industry, combining distributed electric propulsion (DEP) with a turbogenerator-battery architecture. This innovative approach enables the aircraft to achieve vertical take-off, autonomous flight, and safe landing, marking a pivotal moment in developing hybrid-electric aircraft.

“The STRATFI program plays a critical role in advancing emerging American technologies and we are thrilled to receive this significant investment,” said John Piasecki, CEO of Piasecki Aircraft. “This new funding will allow us to demonstrate ARES’ unique tilt-duct configuration, which enables seamless transition between hover and fixed-wing forward flight — a technological leap that would address critical aerial challenges faced by the U.S. military. The STRATFI test program will also fund the demonstration of zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell propulsion technology for VTOLs, including our forthcoming PA-890 compound helicopter. Demonstration of the PA-890 would be a world-first for electric aviation and would usher in a new era of clean vertical flight.”

Hydrogen is considered essential for future aircraft. So that these machines can also take off from Hamburg, the airport in Fuhlsbüttel is planning a major renovation and has a corresponding timetable for this.
The airport made the plans together with the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Accordingly, large hydrogen tanks will later be planned on the airport grounds, as they currently only exist in space travel at rocket launch sites.
Short- and medium-haul jets will probably be used in particular on hydrogen. According to the DLR, kerosene will continue to be needed on long-haul routes for weight reasons, but in the future it will be synthetically produced. According to EU plans, all air traffic should be climate neutral by 2050.

Known as the EL-2 Goldfinch, the two-seat “blown lift” demonstrator is actually classified as a hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft. It utilizes eight electric propellers (four on each side) to blow air over its wings, greatly increasing lift and thus reducing the length of runways required for take-offs and landings. Such short runways could be located at small urban “pocket airports” in big cities, between which commuter eSTOLs could make short flights.
The propellers’ motors are powered by batteries that can either be charged before flight and then used on their own (for pure electric flight), or charged on the go by a small onboard turbogenerator (for hybrid flight). Thanks to this setup, the Goldfinch is reportedly much quieter and produces far less emissions than conventional fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters.

It’s an exciting time to be alive. The buzz is on around electric vertical take-off and landing (e-VTOL) aircraft., which can change the way we move from point A to B. Numerous players, including legacy aircraft makers and startups, are taking their ambition to new heights.

eVTOL, powered by electrons instead of fossil fuel, flies like a plane and lands like a chopper. It’s a new category of passenger aircraft, promising nthing less than a revolution in aviation. And it’s about to hit a tipping point.

Global framework for sustainable aviation fuels development required with no country left behind, ICAO chief says in Dubai.
The chief of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) called for urgently accelerating the development and deployment of sustainable lower-carbon clean fuels needed for the global aviation sector to reach its target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The ICAO’s third Conference on Alternative Aviation Fuels (CAAF/3), taking place in Dubai this week, has a “massive task at hand” as officials deliberate on the global framework for the aviation industry’s cleaner energy transition, Salvatore Sciacchitano, president of the ICAO council, said during a keynote speech on Monday.
“We need to take collective action now and CAAF/3 can be instrumental to laying the building blocks in terms of policy and planning, regulatory framework adjustments, implementation support and financing,” he said.

The New York City Economic Development Conference (NYCEDC) hosted an event this week at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport (JRB), where Mayor Eric Adams announced the city’s plans to electrify the heliport in support of eVTOL operations. Joby and Volocopter performed back-to-back exhibition flights, and BETA Technologies showcased its mobile charging station.
“By electrifying one of the most famous heliports in the world, New York is demonstrating global leadership in the adoption of electric air travel,” said Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt. “We plan to make quiet, emissions-free flight an affordable, everyday reality for New Yorkers, while significantly reducing the impact of helicopter noise.”

Overair’s alliance with Arlington marks the first direct agreement between a Texan city and an eVTOL manufacturer. This strategic move includes construction of a vertiport at Arlington Municipal Airport, linking travelers seamlessly to the Entertainment District and beyond. The initiative helps to elevate and include Arlington in the advanced aerial mobility landscape and also promises to create new employment opportunities and fuel technological advancements in transport.
Meanwhile, the memorandum with DFW Airport reflects the commitment to explore vertiport development and operational integration, cementing the Metroplex’s status as a future hub for innovative air mobility. Overair’s feasibility studies will delve into the logistics of eVTOL services, addressing potential flight operations and vertiport scenarios. This effort aims to ensure that the region’s over 8 million residents and annual influx of tourists benefit from accessible, efficient, and eco-conscious travel solutions.

The aerospace and defense manufacturer is seeing plenty of demand in its advanced air mobility segment, which launched just three years ago.
“Honeywell’s nose-to-tail technology is a game-changer, setting the standard for safety and sustainability while providing an unprecedented user experience for our pilots,” said Yves Yemsi, chief operating officer of Lilium.
Other Honeywell AAM partners include Israeli air taxi firm Eviation and Supernal, the eVTOL manufacturing arm of Hyundai Motor Co.
The business also collaborates with U.S. government agencies such as the Department of Energy, with which it partnered to develop hydrogen fuel storage for long-range drones. Recently, its SatCom solution was selected for a new U.S. Space Force program. Honeywell also has a vertical outside its AAM business dedicated almost exclusively to SAF production, which is expected to fuel at least some eVTOL designs.