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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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)
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
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
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
In this episode, Dirk Singer speaks with Meg Gentle , Executive Director at HIF Global , about how synthetic fuels and waste-based pathways could reshape the economics of sustainable aviation fuel. Gentle discusses: Why Chile’s exceptional wind resources made it the starting point for HIF’s first e-fuels facility, and how that model is now being replicated globally How e-fuels are produced by combining green hydrogen with captured CO2 to create transportable liquid fuels like methanol and jet fuel Why HIF Global is pursuing two SAF pathways in parallel: e-methanol-to-jet for Europe and RNG-based SAF for the US How waste-based fuels, particularly those derived from methane emissions, can achieve very low or even negative carbon intensity Why the real bottleneck to scaling SAF is not technology or capital, but long-term policy certainty and “early mover protection” How SAF markets could evolve toward a carbon intensity-based pricing model, where fuels compete on dollars per tonne of CO2 abated rather than feedstock or pathway If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with James Hygate, CEO of Firefly Green Fuels, who discusses the company’s novel approach that turns sewage into jet 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: HIF Global HIF Haru Oni: The first operating e-Fuels facility in the world - HIF Global HIF Global and eFuel One ink deal for gigawatt-scale green hydrogen and methanol project in Uruguay - Fuel Cells Works HIF Global to provide green hydrogen-based fuels for tourists in southern Chile and Antarctica this summer - Hydrogen Insight
In this episode, we speak with Steven Fitzgerald , Director of Sustainability and Finance at Ryanair , who shares how Europe's largest low-cost carrier is navigating the tension between aggressive growth targets and decarbonisation commitments. Fitzgerald discusses: Ryanair's early SAF commitment before mandates existed: Why the airline set a 12.5% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) target for 2030 five years ago, and how they've now secured access to 80% of that volume. The true cost of ETS compliance: How Ryanair expects to spend between €1.4 and €1.5 billion next year complying with the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and SAF mandates, and why the geographic patchwork of carbon pricing creates competitive distortions that policy needs to address. Investing in pre-certification research: The €4 million partnership with Trinity College Dublin, funding pre-certification screening tools that can predict SAF viscosity and density using just one gram of fuel, de-risking the approval process for new pathways and accelerating 2G and 3G SAF development. The untapped FEETS mechanism opportunity: Why only a small share of the 20 million SAF-ETS allowances has been claimed, how 3G SAF purchases can receive 95% of the price differential back, and why extending FEETS to 2040 could accelerate SAF production. Building a SAF supplier ecosystem: The three criteria Ryanair uses when selecting partners: credibility (a proven track record in renewable fuels), scale (alignment with Ryanair’s route network) and ambition (commitment to advanced SAF pathways beyond first-generation supply). If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Nina Marczell, SVP Industrial Sales & Marketing for Fuels & Feedstock at OMV, about how the integrated energy company is leading Europe's SAF development from early production to commercial scale. 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 - Ryanair Ryanair Sustainable Aviation Research Centre - Trinity College Dublin Ryanair outlines runway to net zero in sustainability report - Sustainability Online Catagen launches ClimaHtech Green Flight with landmark SAF deal - SimpliFlying
In this episode, we speak with Kyle Clark , Founder and CEO of BETA Technologies , who shares how his company went from a college thesis to a publicly traded electric aviation manufacturer delivering real aircraft and generating revenue from military, medical and cargo customers. Clark discusses: The advantage of electric flight: How batteries deliver propulsion at 95% efficiency versus 30% for conventional engines, and how reducing the drag by 30-40% helps electric aircraft achieve meaningful range despite batteries being 30 times less energy dense than jet fuel. The vertical integration imperative: Why aerospace engineering demands system-level optimisation across motors, inverters, batteries and aerodynamics, making vertical integration essential rather than optional for electric aircraft. Strategic market entry through low-friction use cases: Why Beta prioritised military, medical and cargo applications over urban air mobility. The CTOL-first certification pathway: How Beta’s dual-configuration approach (conventional takeoff and landing, then adding vertical takeoff capability) enables earlier type certification, while competitors pursue more complex certification paths. Charging infrastructure as a standalone business: How Beta’s charging network may become as valuable as the aircraft business, already extending along the East Coast and winning international contracts like Abu Dhabi. The “team member” culture at scale: Beta’s radical approach to titles and ownership, giving equity to all employees, and maintaining a flying programme for all staff. If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO of REGENT, who shares how his company is developing all-electric Seagliders. 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: BETA Technologies Amazon Buys 5.3% Stake in BETA Technologies - Yahoo Air New Zealand and BETA Technologies launch first electric aircraft programme - AeroMorning GE Aerospace & BETA partner on $300m hybrid-electric aviation push - Aerospace Global News
In this episode, we speak with Philipp Furler , Founder and CEO of Synhelion , who shares how the Swiss technology company is working to scale synthetic fuels by tackling some of the fundamental cost and infrastructure barriers facing SAF today. Furler discusses: The path to $1/litre production costs: How Synhelion targets production costs of around $1 per litre within 10-15 years through three key advantages: cheap solar energy with thermal storage enabling 24/7 operation, avoiding electrolysis and green hydrogen entirely, and achieving over 90% energy conversion efficiency. From fuel producer to technology licensor: How Synhelion plans to demonstrate business case viability by developing projects, building plants, and selling fuel up to 30,000 tons annually by 2030, then transitioning to a project developer and technology licensing model. Multi-product revenue streams reduce risk: Why producing not just 70% SAF but also diesel, naphtha, and gasoline creates multiple revenue streams, enabling customer partnerships and market momentum to support scale-up. Seamless integration with existing refineries: How Synhelion supplies synthetic crude oil directly into refineries in the Lufthansa and Swiss network where it’s co-processed with fossil crude in a mass-balanced system, demonstrating that decarbonisation requires only building new production plants, not rebuilding downstream infrastructure. If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Tim Boeltken, Founder and Managing Director at INERATEC, who shares insights into the company’s modular technology platform and the potential of e-fuels to revolutionise the future of 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: Synhelion Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) – a renewable synthetic fuel - Synhelion German firm Synhelion opens ‘world’s 1st’ industrial solar fuel plant - Interesting Engineering SWISS integrates first supplies of Synhelion solar SAF into flight operations - GreenAir News
In this episode, we speak with Sabrina Tekle Krarup Jensen , Head of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation at Copenhagen Airports A/S (CPH), who shares how the airport is navigating some of aviation’s most complex sustainability challenges. Jensen discusses: CPH’s unique role as neutral facilitator: How the airport leverages its position outside the commercial fuel supply chain to support multiple SAF projects, and connect stakeholders across the entire aviation value chain. The eSAF financing gap challenge: Why eSAF prices remain 8-10 times higher than Jet A-1, preventing offtakers from signing the long-term agreements producers need to scale, and why regulatory intervention may be necessary to bridge this gap. Proven SAF impact on local air quality: Results from the ALIGHT project measurement campaign showing 40% SAF achieved a 30% reduction in ultrafine particle emissions. Denmark’s green domestic route: How Norwegian Air Lines will launch the country’s first green domestic route in March 2026 using 40% SAF. Battery energy storage system and electrification: Implementation of a battery system to store renewable energy and manage power spikes from electric ground support equipment and future electric aircraft charging. Real-world fuel variability research: The FuelTrack campaign with German Aerospace Centre and SAS that links specific fuel chemistry (aromatics and sulphur content) directly to tailpipe emissions. Airport-to-airport collaboration on innovation: CPH’s partnership with Schiphol Airport pooling resources on local air quality challenges. If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Anko van der Werff, President & CEO of Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), who shares the airline’s plans to lead the charge in sustainable 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 green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time. Links & More: Sustainability - Copenhagen Airports Groundbreaking study linking jet fuel properties to aircraft emissions - CPH Copenhagen Airport installs large battery for green energy storage - CPH ALIGHT project
In this episode, Dirk Singer speaks with James Hygate , Founder and CEO of Firefly Green Fuels , about one of the more unconventional and potentially scalable sustainable aviation fuel pathways: converting sewage biosolids into jet fuel. Hygate discusses: Why Firefly is “feedstock-led”, and why that matters more than the technology How sewage biosolids emerged as the preferred feedstock for Firefly due to their abundance, consistency, and increasing difficulty of disposal. How hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) works like “a pressure cooker” to turn sewage into biocrude and biochar Why Firefly believes its fuel could achieve over 90% lifecycle CO2 savings, potentially even becoming carbon-negative How sewage-to-SAF could scale in the UK and why it could “come from left field” in mandate maths What is required for SAF projects to be bankable including long-term feedstock supply and offtake agreements How sewage-based SAF can reach cost parity with Jet A If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Dr Mar Fernández-Méndez, Co-founder of MacroCarbon, who shares how the startup plans to turn seaweed into 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: Firefly Green Fuels What & How - Firefly Poop-powered planes: Could jet fuel made from sewage take off? - CNN Wizz Air and Firefly collaborate on turning human waste into SAF - Biofuels International Magazine
In this episode, we speak with Adam Klauber , Chief Sustainability Officer at World Energy , who has been at the forefront of developing book and claim mechanisms for sustainable aviation fuel since its earliest days. He discusses: The co-claims approach: Why aviation needed to diverge from renewable electricity market models by enabling both airlines (scope 1) and their corporate customers (scope 3) to claim emissions reductions from the same SAF molecules, unlocking new sources of funding. What it took to get early deals done: How some of the earliest SAF buyers like Microsoft moved before the supporting infrastructure was fully in place, including clear registries and standardised accounting rules, and why that early willingness mattered. Insetting vs offsetting: The moral hazard of buying cheap offsets outside aviation, and how insetting addresses this while maintaining economic efficiency. Making SAF contracts “bankable”: How long-term commitments from credible corporate buyers can help producers secure debt capital at lower interest rates, thereby lowering financing costs and easing the SAF price premium over time. Building market infrastructure that benefits the whole sector: Why World Energy deliberately builds frameworks that benefit competitors, recognising that growing the overall SAF market serves everyone’s interests and that no single company wins with only a trickle of supply. If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Gene Gebolys, founder and CEO of World Energy, who delves into the intricacies and future of 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: World Energy Blueprints for Bankability - RMI Re-thinking the blueprint for financing SAF - SimpliFlying Efficient, effective decarbonization with carbon insets - World Energy
In this episode, we speak with Rachel Gardner-Poole , GAIN steering group chair and sustainable aviation consultant at NATS, the UK’s leading air traffic control provider. Gardner-Poole 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 using tools and insights that can deliver results today. She discusses: GAIN’s dual purpose: A global collaboration of air navigation service providers (ANSPs) and a dashboard tool that measures airspace efficiency, enabling ANSPs to identify inefficiencies, benchmark performance by airline and route, and track CO2 emissions in real time. Why airspace efficiency matters now: Whilst SAF faces supply constraints and hydrogen aircraft remain years away, airspace optimisation can deliver immediate carbon savings. Breaking down communication barriers: How misaligned assumptions between airlines and air traffic controllers often lead to suboptimal flight paths, and how GAIN’s data visualisation enables targeted conversations to unlock tactical savings. The founding members’ impact: With five founding members helping shape the tool, GAIN could save over 450,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. Addressing greenwashing concerns: Unlike complex carbon credit schemes or predictive modelling, GAIN uses real, verifiable flight path data. Future expansion plans: The goal is to reach 40% of the world’s 160 ANSPs by 2030, with potential features including non-CO2 effects like contrails, and partnerships with organisations across the aviation sector. If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Sian Andrews, SESAR Environmental Lead at NATS, who shares how air traffic management can reduce aviation’s environmental impact. 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: NATS Green Aviation Insights (GAIN) - NATS NATS and leading ANSPs unite to drive sustainable aviation through a novel data-driven insights tool - CANSO NATS environmental initiative GAIN-ing momentum - Aviation Week Network
In this special year-end episode, we explore conversations with industry leaders revealing where sustainable aviation truly stands in 2025. Matt Gorman, Director of Carbon Strategy at Heathrow Airport, reveals airports control just 0.1% of their carbon footprint directly but use landing charges to incentivise SAF adoption. Tamara Vrooman, CEO of Vancouver Airport, explains moving their net-zero target forward to 2030 by leveraging control of central infrastructure. Lena Wennberg, Chief Sustainable Development Officer, and Therese Forsström, Head of Environmental Department at Swedavia, explain achieving fossil-free operations in 2020 and how they are looking to support fossil-free domestic flights in Sweden by 2030. Aaron Robinson, Vice President of SAF at International Airlines Group, identifies airlines’ reluctance to adopt SAF as a cultural problem rooted in safety-first mindsets that resist innovation. Matthew Ridley, Director of Sustainability at The oneworld Alliance, discusses their $150 million fund with Breakthrough Energy Ventures for next-generation SAF. Trevor Best, CEO of Syzygy Plasmonics, details their photocatalytic technology converting biogas into SAF at smaller scales, targeting jet fuel parity. Tim Boeltken of INERATEC explains their modular e-fuel technology deployable wherever green hydrogen is produced. Marc Allen, CEO of Electra, describes how electric aircraft will succeed by enabling new capabilities like 150-foot takeoffs rather than competing with jet fuel. Billy Thalheimer of Regent introduces Seagliders – wing-in-ground effect vehicles offering new transportation for coastal routes. Jolanda Stevens, Program Manager for Zero Emission Aviation at KLM, emphasises airlines’ responsibility in enabling hydrogen and electric aircraft. Luke Farajallah, CEO of Loganair, discusses how their mandatory £1 carbon levy receives almost no passenger complaints. 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. Links & More: Book: Sustainability in the Air, Vol Two - SimpliFlying Sustainable Aviation Outlook Report 2025 - SimpliFlying
In this episode, we speak with Nanna Baldvinsdottir , co-founder of IðunnH2 , about how Iceland’s unique energy system could turn the country into a green fuel bridge between Europe and North America. A veteran of Iceland’s power sector, Nanna has spent two decades working in renewables before turning to hydrogen and e-fuels development. Nanna shares how IðunnH2 is developing a 300 MW, ~70,000 tonne-per-year e-SAF project near Keflavík International Airport, designed first to decarbonise Icelandic aviation and only then supply the wider world via book-and-claim. She explains why social licence for new wind power, local energy security, and predictable permitting make Iceland a testbed for scaling e-fuels where other regions are still stuck on the drawing board. Nanna discusses: Why SAF, not hydrogen export, came out on top in IðunnH2’s feasibility work – and how switching mid-study unlocked a path to true commercial scale rather than niche pilot projects. The Helguvík project: locating a commercial-scale e-kerosene facility a stone’s throw from Iceland’s main international airport, using 100% renewable power contracted via long-term PPAs. Book-and-claim as a strategic tool: using it to serve committed early partners like Luxaviation and other motivated buyers outside Iceland, while keeping the bulk of production for Icelandic decarbonisation. Moving beyond “Jet A price parity”: why chasing price parity with fossil jet fuel misses the point since jet fuel is heavily subsidised and untaxed, and how 15-year price stability can be more valuable to airlines than simply being the cheapest. Her role as a “system builder”: why e-fuel plants are far more complex than traditional power projects, and what it takes to keep partners aligned on timelines, risk, margins, and ambition. The wider Icelandic hydrogen roadmap: how aviation, maritime, and road transport could all draw on the same hydrogen and e-fuels backbone as the market matures. 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: IðunnH2 Why Iceland? - IðunnH2 SAF – IðunnH2 Hydrogen and E-fuels Roadmap for Iceland Nanna Baldvinsdottir - LinkedIn EU ReFuelEU Aviation Mandate
In this episode, we speak with Billy Thalheimer , co-founder and CEO of REGENT , who shares how the company is redefining travel with their all-electric Seagliders. Thalheimer discusses: Solving the regional travel gap: How seagliders address the transportation problem on 50–200 mile coastal routes, creating a faster, cheaper, and greener alternative for the 40% of the world’s population living in coastal communities. Three breakthrough technologies in one vehicle: How REGENT combines wing-in-ground effect aerodynamics, hydrofoil systems (providing five feet of wave tolerance). Maritime certification, not aviation: Why seagliders operate as vessels under Coast Guard and IMO jurisdiction rather than FAA oversight, with operators certificated as master mariners rather than pilots—solving the regional pilot shortage whilst creating a six-week training pathway for professional mariners. Commercial and defence applications at scale: How REGENT has secured over $10 billion in orders from airlines, ferry operators, and energy companies, with use cases ranging from commuter services to offshore wind farm logistics and military operations. Infrastructure advantage and electrification: Why existing docks can accommodate Seagliders with minimal modification, creating “high-speed rail without the billions in rail infrastructure” whilst leveraging emerging port electrification efforts from the cruise and ferry industries. If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Nathan Millecam, President & CEO of Electric Power Systems (EP Systems), where he talks about designing the ideal battery to power electric 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: REGENT Craft REGENT Craft successfully conducts high-speed test of its electric ‘Seaglider’ - MSN This ‘flying boat’ could be the future of travel in Scotland - The Independent REGENT lands major order for 27 all-electric seagliders to advance coastal mobility - Offshore Energy
