Today at the Air Transport World 3rd Annual Eco-Aviation Conference, J Randolph Babbitt spoke about the environment and how the FAA is working to make it better. He states that over the last three decades aviation has done an exceptional job of reducing the noise and emissions of aircraft. He gave us an example of that reduction by stating that a fully loaded 787 flying from San Francisco to Kennedy yields fuel efficiency that’s similar to a 2010 Honda Accord at almost 10 times the speed. Very impressive statistic being that we are moving 3 times the amount of passengers as the 80’s.
In addition to the remarks about how well the industry has done over the last thirty years, Babbitt stated that the FAA is launching the CLEEN program. The CLEEN program, Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise, will award $125 million in contracts today to five separate companies to develop and demonstrate technologies that will reduce commercial aviation jet fuel consumption, emissions and noise. These five year contracts are going to: Boeing, General Electric, Honeywell, Pratt and Whitney, and Rolls Royce. Babbitt stated:
“The bottom line here is that we want engine and aircraft technologies that can be incorporated into the U.S. fleets by 2015 and will produce a 33 percent reduction in fuel burn regardless of the aircraft class. We want to cut nitrogen oxide emissions by 60 percent. And we want to make a cumulative reduction in aircraft noise levels by 32 decibels. These are ambitious goals, but they are achievable goals.”
Babbitt stated that this new technology could be seen in commercial aircraft as soon as 2015. This seems to be a new strategy for everyone as we begin to see how we can become more eco-friendly in out industry and how we can make our world a better place. These companies and the FAA seem to be leading that new directive well.
If you’d like more information about GE Aviation’s commitment to reduced emissions and fuel consumption, visit their website: www.geaviation.com
I have been looking around recently at the business that must be conducted on aircraft and how we as a business world are staying connected. Part of the business of owning a private aircraft is the ability to conduct business while on that aircraft. I have also been looking at some of the solutions for staying connected on flights and was particularly interested in how we stay connected via the Internet. There are many enterprise software systems and applications that allow us to conduct business virtually and can eliminate some of the travel that has been necessary in the past. There are times however when travel is a must and on a corporate jet flight business can be conducted during travel. Staying Internet connected during the flight allows the business traveler to get to the business of business.
Aircell is such a company that is providing a solution for the business traveler to stay connected while on a corporate or business jet. Aircell tells us how they can keep us connected:
With the arrival of Aircell High Speed Internet, business aircraft passengers on U.S. flights can now use their laptops or PDAs to enjoy a true high-speed Internet experience – from full-on web surfing, to real time e-mail with attachments, streaming video, transferring large files, and accessing corporate VPNs. Simply stated, Aircell High Speed Internet represents the absolute best combination of speed, size and cost available today for any business aircraft.
Imagine you are having to take a quick flight across the country without having he opportunity to prepare for that sales meeting or get prepared for that presentation that could spell disaster or make you a huge success in your company. You did not have the proper time to prepare but could prepare on the trip to the location of the presentation. With the ability to have High Speed Internet in flight, that time spent could be invaluable. Not only were you able to drop everything and have the flexibility of having your own private jet take you to your destination but now you have the ability to prepare in flight. Technology is gaining ground in this area as well with the invent of Apple’s iPad, making it even easier to conduct business on the fly.
This is an idea that is not lost on those in the industry as XOJet is installing the Aircell solution on its entire fleet by the end of July as was announced June 10, 2010:
Business aviation leader XOJET, Inc. announces that its fleet of Bombardier Challenger 300 and Cessna Citation X jets will feature high speed Internet. In partnership with Aircell, the world’s leading provider of airborne communications, XOJET is currently installing Aircell High Speed Internet on all aircraft in the fleet. With more than 70% of the fleet installed by the end of June and the entire fleet scheduled for completion in July, XOJET will become the first business aviation operator to offer wireless service on every flight in the Continental United States.
I am looking forward to seeing how technology changes how we stay connected in the sky. If you are purchasing a private aircraft or a business jet, make sure you can conduct business while enjoying the new purchase.
[photo via aircell]
