Airbus H225 helicopter makes its maiden flight on 100% sustainable aviation fuel

Prashant-prabhakar

11 Nov 2021

An Airbus H225 chopper has performed, in what can be termed as the first-ever helicopter flight, performed on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

AIRBUS

The notable event heralds the beginning of a flight campaign, that would be a part of a series of tests assessing the impacts of unblended SAF in helicopter systems.

While all Airbus helicopters are certified to fly with up to a 50% blend of SAF mixed with kerosene, it is our Company’s ambition to have its helicopters certified to fly with 100% SAF within the decade. Today’s flight is an important first step towards this goalStefan Thome, Executive Vice President, Engineering and Chief Technical Officer, Airbus Helicopters.

According to reports, The H225 flight operated on SAF which was a derivative of used cooking oil, provided by TotalEnergies. And quite apparently, this unblended SAF produced a net 90% reduction in carbon emissions as compared to regular jet fuel.

Tech and specifications

Seating19 passengersOr 28 in troop seatingRange600 NMExternal Load4750 KgSource: Airbus

SAF is an important pillar of Airbus Helicopters’ decarbonisation strategy because it provides immediate CO2 reduction with no negative impact on the performance of the helicopter. I thank our partners Safran Helicopter Engines and TotalEnergies for their important collaboration in making today’s flight a reality. Further cooperation among all industry stakeholders is essential to overcome the challenges associated with implementing SAF widely and to make real progress in reducing the aviation industry’s CO2 emissionsStefan Thome

Alain Flourens (left) | Stefan Thome (right) | Airbus Helicopters New Executive members | Airbus

Furthermore, the company has also launched a SAF User Group dedicated to the rotary-wing community as a means of further pushing the deployment of biofuels in helicopter operations. Airbus Helicopters has already begun training and testing flights using SAF at its sites in France and Germany.

The H225 made its flight on 9 November at the company’s headquarters in Marignane. The SAF used was deployed to power one of the  Safran Makila 2 engines of the chopper.

Did you know? The H225 is the choice of commercial operators and governmental agencies for its long-range and all-weather search and rescue (SAR) capabilities. As a reference in its field, the H225’s autopilot provides precision, stability, flight envelope protection, and pilot assistance – including dedicated search and rescue (SAR) upper modes.

COVER: Airbus

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Amazon and US airlines join forces to minimise aircraft emissions

Radhika Bansal

11 Nov 2021

Major U.S. airlines and Amazon.com's aviation unit are joining an effort to speed the development and use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to decrease emissions in air transport.

The Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) said Amazon Air, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, and United Airlines are joining the effort, which includes major corporate airline customers, to help drive greater SAF production, price cuts and technological advancements.

(Image Courtesy - Amazon)

The Environmental Defense Fund and the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) launched the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) in April with companies including Boeing, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, and Netflix to support increased market demand for SAFs.

At the climate talks in Glasgow, RMI managing director Bryan Fisher said aviation emissions would be equivalent to the sixth largest country's total emissions. Fisher said SAF is "almost largely 100%" of the solution through 2030 "and still a very large part" through 2050 but SAF is just 0.1% of jet fuel consumed today.

The U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will represent the United States as a coalition of countries led by Britain are expected to announce the "International Aviation Climate Ambition Declaration," Reuters reported, citing sources.

(Image Courtesy - Aviation Business News)

Buttigieg on Wednesday, November 10 praised SABA and cited "the importance of partnerships between the public and private sector" in cutting aviation emissions.

On Tuesday, November 9 the United States said it was setting a goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. aviation sector by 2050.

The White House said in September it was targeting 20% lower aviation emissions by 2030. Major U.S. airlines backed a voluntary industry target of 3 billion gallons of SAF use in 2030.

Ben Minicucci, CEO of Alaska Airlines, said the new "Aviators Group" within SABA is "focused on tangible steps, at scale, to accelerate progress."

(Image Courtesy - Robb Report)

SABA also said Facebook parent Meta is joining.

"Making sustainable travel a reality will require extensive investment in low-carbon technologies such as sustainable aviation fuel by our entire industry,” said United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby.

Nearly 2.5% of global emissions are a result of air travel.

(With Inputs from Reuters)

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MakeMyTrip and IndiGo team up to offer charter flights to Phuket

Radhika Bansal

11 Nov 2021

Travel company MakeMyTrip has partnered with IndiGo airline to launch exclusive charter flights between Mumbai and Phuket in Thailand, according to a statement on Wednesday, November 10.

"As the pandemic eases and countries begin welcoming back Indian travellers, MakeMyTrip together with IndiGo is making travelling to the island easy while Phuket continues to remain closed for direct flyers from India," the statement mentioned.

As part of the package, MakeMyTrip will offer end-to-end travel services, including airport transfers, certificate of entry (CoE) assistance, early check-in and check-out at one of the premium properties, travel insurance, and return RT-PCR test assistance, it noted.

"With packages starting at only INR 39,999, travellers will be able to make a booking at a special price of INR 1,000 only," it said.

Detailed city tour, visit to Coral and Racha Islands by speedboat and day trip to Dolphins Bay will be included in the package, it mentioned.

Earlier, the online travel company had signed a partnership with GO FIRST to launch ‘exclusive Air Charter Holiday Services’ to Phuket.

The two companies have come together intending to make travelling to the holiday island easy while Phuket continues to remain closed for direct flyers from India, it said. 

IndiGo is a low-cost carrier based in Gurgaon, India that commenced operations in August 2006. The carrier, which is owned by Rahul Bhatia’s InterGlobe Enterprises, operates an extensive domestic network and international services to South Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe and the Gulf.

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AirAsia India offers special fare with several discounts and offers

Radhika Bansal

11 Nov 2021

AirAsia India said on Wednesday, November 10 it is offering special "premium flex fares" that will give passengers several services such as unlimited rescheduling of flight bookings, discounted cancellation fees and free selection of pre-booked meals.

With this special fare, passengers can now make unlimited changes up to two hours before the scheduled flight departure without any fees, its statement said.

"Guests opting for premium flex fares get a host of complimentary services, including unlimited rescheduling of flight bookings, discounted cancellation fees of only INR 500 for cancellations beyond 72 hours against the standard cancellation fees of INR 3,000 and free standard seats from rows 6-11 and 15-32," it mentioned.

The passengers will also get 50% off on premium seats in row numbers 1-5, 12 and 14, and a free selection from the airline’s menu of pre-booked meals, it added.

Recently, AirAsia India announced that passengers could carry additional 3 kgs or 5 kgs as cabin baggage if he or she pays a fixed charge of INR 600 and INR 1,000, respectively.

To date, passengers were not allowed to carry additional cabin baggage on AirAsia India flights.

AirAsia India, like many other domestic carriers, allows its passengers to carry a cabin bag of up to 7 kg weight for free.

Under the new service ‘Carry On Xtra’, a passenger would be able to carry a cabin bag of 10 kg weight if he or she pays a fee of INR 600.

AirAsia India is the AirAsia Group’s brand for its subcontinent operations. The low-cost carrier commenced domestic services in June 2014 and plans to grow its route network to service all Indian metropolitan centres and a selection of tier-II cities.

AirAsia India is based at Bangalore Kempegowda International Airport, with secondary hubs in Delhi and Kolkata, and operates Airbus A320 equipment.

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AgustaWestland Scam - ban lifted on Leonardo Helicopters but conditions apply

Radhika Bansal

10 Nov 2021

India has decided to lift the ban on Leonardo, the Italian defence manufacturing giant, of which AgustaWestland, involved in the INR 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter scam is a part. 

The clearance to Leonardo is "conditional," a highly-placed government official said. The ban will go, but Investigation of the case, entrusted to the CBI or Central Bureau of Investigation and also, the ED or Enforcement Directorate can continue. 

(Image Courtesy - OpIndia)

When it comes to financial issues with India, Leonardo must start from the beginning. As a result, Leonardo is unable to make any commercial claims against India based on previous agreements. When the payoffs to Indian officials became public in 2013, the ban was enacted. The ban was pushed by then-Defense Minister AK Antony. The company (AgustaWestland was formerly known as Finmeccanica) has been restructured and renamed since then.

Since the ban, Indo-Italian ties have improved with the Marines case being sorted out. Lifting of the ban may help India in two ways

First, it will allow India to access more top-class weapon systems. Just one example is the Black Shark torpedo that the Scorpene submarines of the Indian Navy need. These torpedoes are made by WASS, part of the Leonardo group.Secondly, lifting the ban will allow some leverage on Leonardo when it comes to the sale of weapons to Pakistan. A six-member Pakistan Navy delegation, headed by Rear Admiral Abdul Samad, had visited Leonardo's Torpedo Production Centre for weapons demonstrations. 

The decision comes after the defence ministry consults with top law ministry officials. Both the Italian ambassador Vincenzo De Luca and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, have recently said that discussions between both countries were going on. The two Prime Ministers, Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart, met on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Rome a few days ago.

AgustaWestland AW101 (Image Courtesy - Military Wiki)

One possibility is a partial lifting of the ban, with the helicopter vertical remaining prohibited but the rest of the area cleared. The conditional ban lifts Leonardo's ban, but the important investigation into who received the multi-million Euro kickbacks can continue.

The ban was imposed three years after information about the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters for INR 3,600 crore in 2010 came to light, involving top officials from the Indian Air Force, the Indian government, and the Congress Party.

Officials from AgustaWestland were also detained in Italy.

India had cancelled several contracts, including a contract for 12 VVIPS helicopters and heavyweight torpedoes for the Indian navy.

The Indian Navy decided to cancel the purchase of torpedoes for its new class of Scorpene submarines as a result of the Leonardo ban. The Indian Navy planned to buy 98 Black Shark torpedoes from a Leonardo subsidiary to equip the six Scorpene submarines with primary armament. In 2016, the Indian Navy cancelled the Black Shark torpedo contract and has yet to choose a new torpedo class for the Scorpene submarines. As a result, the submarines have to rely on old German SUT torpedoes.

According to reports, lifting the ban would give India leverage in preventing the company from supplying Pakistan with equipment.

Brief history of the case

In February 2010, India agreed to buy 12 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters for the Indian Air Force's Communication Squadron to transport the president, prime minister, and other VIPs. The contract was put on hold in February 2013 after allegations that a bribe of $60 million had been paid. The CEO of Finmeccanica, Giuseppe Orsi, was arrested by Italian authorities on February 12, 2013, and the following day, then-Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony ordered an investigation into the contract.

(Image Courtesy - The Logical Indian)

The Indian helicopter bribery scandal by the Congress-led UPA is also known as the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal. In 2006 and 2007, money was paid to middlemen and Indian officials to purchase helicopters for high-ranking politicians in India, according to the government. According to the CBI, INR 2.5 billion was transferred through bank accounts in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

It was discovered in early 2013 when an Indian national parliamentary investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption involving several senior officials and the helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland over the purchase of a new fleet of helicopters began.

The scandal has been dubbed "the Chopper Scam" or "Choppergate" by the media and the general public. Several Indian Congress politicians and military officials have been accused of accepting bribes from AgustaWestland to win a contract worth INR 3.6 billion (US$48 million) to supply 12 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters to the President of India and other important state officials. Italian prosecutors allege that Ahmed Patel, the political secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, received kickbacks from the deal.

Then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Ahmed Patel, Pranab Mukherjee, M. Veerappa Moily, Oscar Fernandes, M. K. Narayanan, and Vinay Singh are named in a note presented in an Italian court by middleman Christian Michel (who was extradited to India on 4 December 2018). The bribes to be paid are listed as "AF" €6 million, "BUR" €8.4 million, "Pol" €6 million, and "AP" €3 million on the note. The defendants were acquitted on all charges by the Third Court of Appeals of Milan on January 8, 2018. Abhay Tyagi was also accused of receiving kickbacks worth $69,00,000.

In January 2014, India cancelled the US$630 million deal. In June 2014 India recovered the entire sum which it had paid to the company.

The case continues to be investigated in India by the Indian government and the CBI.

AgustaWestland

AgustaWestland was an Anglo-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company, which was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica (now known as Leonardo). It was formed in July 2000 as an Anglo-Italian multinational company, when Finmeccanica and GKN merged their respective helicopter subsidiaries (Agusta and Westland Helicopters) to form AgustaWestland, with each holding a 50% share. Finmeccanica acquired GKN's stake in AgustaWestland in 2004.

In 2016, AgustaWestland was merged into Leonardo S.p.A. (formerly Finmeccanica), where it became the company's helicopters division under the Leonardo Helicopters brand.

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Praj Industries and Indian Oil team up to produce biofuels

Radhika Bansal

10 Nov 2021

Praj Industries Limited (Praj) and Indian Oil Corporation have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore opportunities in the production of alcohol to jet (ATJ) fuels, 1G & 2G ethanol, compressed bio-gas (CBG) and related opportunities in the biofuels industry. 

Exploring these green energy horizons will be crucial for India to achieve carbon neutrality by 2070.

In sync with the ambitious economic growth trajectory of the nation, the Indian aviation sector is at the cusp of exponential growth. At the same time, it is also identified as one of the significant sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The MoU will boost ATJ fuel production capacity and its use in India which will in turn help curb emissions emanating from the airplanes as per The International Air Transport Association (IATA's) mandate.

As per the MoU, Indian Oil and Praj will also collaborate to set up biofuel production facilities, including CBG, biodiesel and ethanol. The two companies would also work together to facilitate the sales and marketing of various co-products and intermediates produced from these facilities. 

Indian Oil Corporation (Image Courtesy - The Economic Times)

Praj and IndianOil would explore and jointly work towards forming a 50:50 joint venture and identify partners to form special purpose vehicles (SPVs) under the proposed alliance. Biofuels is an essential part of India's flourishing bioeconomy and will play a significant role in sustainable climate actions to help India fulfil its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as per COP 21, Paris Summit.

"Alcohol-to-Jet Fuel presents a great opportunity that must be leveraged to comply with the CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) guidelines to substantially reduce carbon emissions in the aviation sector. This development is in line with the 'Panchamrit' agenda unveiled by Hon'ble Prime Minister at the COP26 Glasgow Summit, to fight climate change and global warming."Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, Chairman, Indian Oil

The synergy between India's largest Energy PSU and the leading company in Industrial Biotech shall boost the mainstream bio-economy and India's overall growth.

"Objectives of this overarching MoU are strategic and encompass socio-economic-environmental aspects related to the nation's growth. In a world threatened by climate change, the drive towards a low carbon economy is not an option; it is an obligation! Biofuels are playing a vital role in sustainable climate action."Pramod Chaudhari, Founder Chairman, Praj Industries

Currently, Praj is executing India's first 2nd generation ethanol plant for Indian Oil at its Panipat facility. Praj is also constructing a water and wastewater treatment plant for Indian Oil's Dumad petrochemical complex.

Cover Image - SeQuentional Biodiesel

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