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Dave

STARLUX Airlines’ premium service now available for UK business travellers through Alaska Airlines partnership

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Alaska Airlines has announced a partnership with its newest global airline partner, STARLUX Airlines, which is great news for UK-based business travellers looking to travel to Taipei or Los Angeles.

STARLUX is a premium carrier based in Taipei and has recently launched its inaugural transpacific service between Taipei and Los Angeles, making it an excellent choice for those travelling on business.

City of Angels: Los Angeles is one of Alaska’s hubs along the West Coast.

When redemptions become available this summer on STARLUX flights between Los Angeles and Taipei, they will start at:

  • 20,000 miles for economy,
  • 40,000 for premium economy and
  • 60,000 for business class for a limited time.

STARLUX operates the transpacific route with its new-generation Airbus A350-900 aircraft configured in a four-class layout: First, business, premium economy and economy.

Glenn Chai, CEO of STARLUX Airlines said,

STARLUX Airlines has marked a successful three-year operation of our Asian routes, revolutionising the aviation industry with our exceptional service and innovative cabin design that have been highly commended by passengers. In a new milestone, we launched our inaugural flight to Los Angeles, offering convenient and comfortable long-haul premier services to passengers traveling to the City of Angels.

Alaska Airlines, the fifth largest airline in the United States with a wide network covering over 100 cities across the country, is partnering with STARLUX Airlines to deliver more exquisite and convenient flights for travellers journeying between North America and Asia. The partnership will enable seamless connections for STARLUX Airlines customers traveling to destinations across the U.S., making it easier and more convenient to navigate the country’s extensive domestic air network. With this partnership, we are committed to ensuring that travellers enjoy a hassle-free journey and arrive at their final destinations feeling relaxed and refreshed.

Inflight service on STARLUX includes Taiwanese signature dishes and amenities prepared for passengers in all classes.

STARLUX will be offering first and business guests a selection of the best top chefs’ creations and local Taiwanese delicacies, including the popular STARLUX signature dish yakiniku donburi served on board.

To bring greater individuality to their air travel experience, all passengers can pre-order meals online, so they can enjoy the meal they want. The news of Alaska’s partnership with STARLUX follows last year’s partnership announcement with Air Tahiti Nui.

This partnership between Alaska Airlines and STARLUX Airlines is excellent news for UK-based business travellers looking for a premium carrier with a strong transpacific presence. With the ability to earn and redeem miles on STARLUX flights, business travellers can now enjoy a more seamless and rewarding travel experience. Furthermore, the inflight service and signature dishes offered by STARLUX are sure to impress even the most discerning business traveller.

Dave

Oneworld members to purchase up to 200 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel per year from Gevo

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Members of the Oneworld Alliance plan to purchase up to 200 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel per year from Colorado-based renewable fuels producer Gevo, in the second such joint commitment by the global airline alliance in four months.

Delivery of the fuel is expected to commence in 2027, for a five year-term. Oneworld members Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Japan Airlines and Qatar Airways expect to utilise the sustainable aviation fuel for operations in California including San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles International Airports.

Sustainable aviation fuel is a core pillar in One world’s plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050. In October 2021, the alliance committed to a target of 10% sustainable aviation fuel use across the alliance by 2030. 

Oneworld members are partnering to collectively source sustainable aviation fuel, through the alliance’s Environment and Sustainability Board chaired by IAG Head of Sustainability Jonathon Counsell with representation from all member airlines.

In November 2021, Oneworld announced a joint commitment to purchase more than 350 million gallons of blended sustainable aviation fuel from Aemetis for operations at San Francisco – making Oneworld the first global airline alliance to jointly commit to purchasing sustainable aviation fuel.

Gevo’s sustainable aviation fuel is expected to be produced using inedible corn products that will be processed to create ethanol that will then be converted into sustainable aviation fuel.

The sustainable aviation fuel is expected to be produced at three facilities under development in the Midwest of the United States. The entire supply chain will be certified by the Roundtable for Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) standard which is widely recognised as the most robust certification scheme for bioenergy.

Sustainable aviation fuel, which is said to produce significantly lower carbon emissions than traditional jet fuel, is an important part of the aviation sector’s path to decarbonisation, in particular on longer-haul flights.

No changes to current aircraft or airport infrastructure are required for operators to utilise sustainable aviation fuel – making it a feasible and immediate solution to reduce carbon emissions.

However, sustainable aviation fuel is not yet available at scale – underlining the importance of joint commitments like that of Oneworld member airlines. Support from other stakeholders, such as government regulations and targeted investments, will further enable the maturity of sustainable aviation fuel production.

Oneworld Chairman and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Mr Akbar Al Baker said,

As the aviation industry continues to face new challenges, today’s announcement underlines the positive outcome of the multilateral collaboration between industry stakeholders. It reaffirms the leadership of our alliance in supporting the ambitious aviation decarbonisation targets, as well as our active role in driving the use of ICAO recognised SAF at a commercial scale.

Oneworld CEO Rob Gurney said,

Five months ago, we committed as an alliance to a target of 10% sustainable aviation fuel by 2030. Today’s announcement of a second major sustainable aviation fuel offtake among member airlines builds further upon that commitment, while demonstrating the value that can be delivered when our member airlines work together.

Dr. Patrick R. Gruber, Gevo’s Chief Executive Officer said,

When Oneworld member airlines show they understand the importance of reducing fossil-carbon greenhouse gas emissions, they start making real change in the industry.

Eliminating fossil-based emissions from the life-cycle of jet fuel is our mission.

Net-Zero SAF is what we all want.

I’m pleased that Oneworld is on board.

Gevo is focused on sustainability at every stage of production and has developed two alcohol-to-jet pathways that can utilise various feedstocks grown using renewable agricultural and sustainable farming techniques. These feedstocks are then converted, in some cases, to high-value nutrition products and energy-dense liquid hydrocarbons, including sustainable aviation fuel. Gevo’s production processes will incorporate renewable energy, including wind turbines, biogas, and combined heat and power systems to increase efficiency and reduce carbon intensity to net-zero levels, which will then be passed on to the customer through the fuel. This is particularly helpful for airlines seeking to reduce their carbon intensity.

Dave

Twenty airlines commit to use new technologies to minimise climate impact

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Twenty airline members of the World Economic Forum’s Target True Zero initiative have committed to utilising new technologies, such as electric, hydrogen and hybrid aircraft, to address the challenge of climate change.

The development and delivery of novel propulsion technologies – powered by sustainable energy sources – were highlighted as key towards helping the aviation industry minimize its environmental impact.

In a statement, the WEF said ‘the adoption of these technologies into the global fleet – through either new aircraft design or the retrofitting of conventional aircraft – can help reduce the climate impact of our operations while preserving the immense economic and social benefits that aviation brings to the world’.

The signatory airlines – Aero, Air New Zealand, Air Nostrum, Alaska Airlines, Amelia, ASL Aviation Holdings, Braathens Regional Airlines, easyJet, Finistair, Icelandair, Iskwew Air, Loganair, Mokulele, Ravn Alaska, SoundsAir, Southern Airways Express, Surf Air Mobility, Viva Aerobus, Waltzing Matilda Aviation and Xwing – operate over 800 aircraft and carry over 177 million passengers on 1.8 million flights a year and hope to use this influence to create market demand for new types of aircraft.

Key commitments:

  • Short-haul flights first – Shorter range flights were recognised as most likely to employ novel propulsion first. The signatories committed to working towards 30% of aircraft, that serve routes of 750km or less, that are added to their fleets from 2030 onwards employ novel propulsion technologies.
  • Scaling the technology in the future – The airlines also committed to decarbonising longer range aircraft, once this becomes technologically and economically viable.
  • Partnership – The signatories called on aerospace manufactures to prioritize innovation that will allow them to meet these goals.
  • Public-private cooperation – The Target True-Zero airlines also urged governments to do their part in supporting the transition to cleaner aviation. Key calls included establishing policies to provide incentives for operators to adopt these technologies and addressing the infrastructure issues needed to support their use in airports across the world.
Head of Aerospace and Drones at the WEF, Timothy Reuter

Timothy Reuter, Head of Aerospace and Drones, of the World Economic Forum said

The Target True Zero initiative will address the role novel propulsion technologies like electric and hydrogen aviation can play in the transition to an aviation system with true zero climate impacts.

It will address issues in the areas of technology, industry dynamics, infrastructure and supply chain, regulation, and public acceptance.

By accelerating the adoption of solutions with fewer climate impacts, we can ensure equitable growth around the globe while ensuring a healthy planet for future generations.

Uma Subramanian, Chief Executive Officer, Aero said

Uma Subramanian, Aero Chief Executive Officer

At Aero, we are deeply committed to charting our industry’s path to zero emissions and minimising its environmental impact.

We are proud to work with the World Economic Forum and industry leaders to accelerate change in the aviation sector and tackle the most pressing issue of our generation.

The World Economic Forum launched the Target True Zero Initiative in July 2021.

The Initiative aims to develop understanding about how novel propulsion technology can help address aviation’s climate impacts and how the deployment and scaling of these technologies can be accelerated.

Twenty member airlines from across the aviation sector joined the 10 November statement, from global market leaders to local commuter airlines, along with knowledge partners McKinsey and Company, the Aviation Impact Accelerator at the University of Cambridge and the Aviation Environment Federation; and with generous support from the Quadrature Climate Foundation and Breakthrough Energy.

Dave

Alaska Airlines eliminates 54 million plastic items per year

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Alaska Airlines has taken a big step towards eliminating single-use plastic on board flights.

Alaska’s switch should effectively remove 22 million plastic cups and 32 million plastic bottles per year from Alaska flights

The airline is swapping plastic bottles for cartons and plastic cups for reusable paper cups for water service.

The airline says that inflight water service is the most significant contributor of onboard plastic waste and the switch to more sustainable solutions will remove 22 million plastic cups and 32 million plastic bottles per year from Alaska flights.

Alaska became the first airline to offer guests Boxed Water cartons inflight in early 2021 – introducing the renewable packaged water alternative in First Class and on Alaska’s Horizon Air-operated flights. The trial was a success with guests and employees – twice as many passengers favoured Boxed Water compared to plastic bottled water in the airline’s polling.

Todd Traynor-Corey, managing director of guest products for Alaska Airlines said

Only 9% of plastic is recycled nationwide the rest ends up in landfills, burned or in our environment. Although we have an industry-leading recycling program, the reality is that we need to move to renewable options. Getting to this point hasn’t been easy. We investigated several options with our supply chain – and this year we finally found a product our guests love and a partner whose mission-driven values mirror our own.

Alaska Airlines believes that plastic-free water service is one of many new, planet-friendly initiatives passengers will notice on Alaska flights. And the airline claims it has eliminated hundreds of single-use waste items and pioneered fresh food for pre-order using industry-leading technology ‘to ensure that guests can get exactly what they want’.

Dave

Boeing to Debut 777X at 2021 Dubai Airshow

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Boeing will showcase its portfolio of commercial, defence and services products at the 2021 Dubai Airshow this month, including the international debut of its newest fuel-efficient widebody jet, the Boeing 777X.

During the event, a Boeing 777-9 flight-test aeroplane will fly in the airshow’s flying program and appear in the static display. Building on the best of the 777 and 787 families, the 777-9 will be the world’s largest and most efficient twin-engine jet, delivering 10% better fuel use, emissions and operating costs than its competition, Boeing claims.

The Boeing 777X will be unveiled at the Dubai Air Show

The company’s static display will also feature the 2021 Boeing ecoDemonstrator, an Alaska Airlines 737-9 that is flight testing around 20 technologies to reduce fuel use, emissions and noise and further improve safety.

In addition, Etihad Airways will display a 787-10 Dreamliner that showcases the airline’s collaboration with Boeing to advance sustainable aviation.

Etihad’s programme researches and tests innovative technologies, products and practices on its fleet of 787s and within its operations to reduce carbon emissions further.

Also on display, flydubai – the region’s largest 737 operator – will feature a 737 MAX 9 that reduces fuel use and CO2 by 14% compared to its predecessors.

Kuljit Ghata-Aura, president of Boeing Middle East, Turkey and Africa said,

Boeing is excited to participate fully in the Dubai Airshow, the first global airshow in almost two years, and to be able to engage directly with customers, partners, suppliers and other stakeholders from the region and beyond. The show is a perfect opportunity to come together and remind the world of the importance of our industry and discuss technology and innovations that are critical to advance a more sustainable aerospace industry over the long term.


Visitors to Boeing Exhibit #1200 can experience a 360-degree theatre and learn more about the company’s capabilities through the lifecycle of several products.